The NYWIFT Podcast

🏳️‍🌈 🎵🌞 Happy Summer, Happy Pride Month, and African American Music Appreciation Month from The NYWIFT Podcast! 🎬 Hosts Tammy and Katie recap the Tribeca Festival and share their latest binge-watch recommendations. 🎞️ Katie interviews filmmakers Orian Barki and Meriem Bennani about Bouchra, an animated film following a 35-year-old queer artist navigating life between New York City and her fami...

🤖 Hosts Katie and Jess discuss Dreams of Violets, the first fully AI-generated film accepted to a major festival. 🏆 NAACP Image Award-nominee Dara Frazier shares insights with Tammy on leading the creative team behind her latest film, Not Every Woman. 📖 Penni speaks to author, screenwriter, and producer Karen Goeller, who tells a powerful story about bullying through her book and film, Missy&#3...

🎞️ This week on The NYWIFT Podcast:  🍿Penni interviews two filmmakers with projects at this year’s Tribeca Festival:  👢 Dori Berinstein is a six-time, Tony-winning Broadway producer, an Olivier winner and an Emmy-award-winning director, producer and writer of film & television. She is the Director and Producer of Couture to the Max , which follows a 9 year old fashion prodigy fusing boundles...

🎙️ This week on The NYWIFT Podcast, we’ll hear from visionaries in comedy and documentary  🔥 Executive Producer and Actor Trish Appello shatters Invisible Woman Syndrome with The EffYou 50s series, a comedy that  embraces midlife as the boldest era yet  🏛️ Peabody and Emmy Award-winning Director, Writer, and Producer Rita Coburn’s documentary W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With A Cause explores the life a...

🎧 This week on The NYWIFT Podcast, hear from two trailblazing documentary filmmakers. 🌍 LaKisa and Tammy sit down with Veteran Corporate Executive Dominique Debroux, channeling her expertise in fundraising, branding, and women’s empowerment in her new documentary, Wise Women - Humanity’s Untold Origins, which reframes aging, power and the female body. 📢 Tammy speaks with Shareen Anderson, who h...

🙌 Penni brings us two interviews with women bringing bold stories to audiences  📺 Black Public Media’s Executive Director Leslie Fields-Cruz takes center stage hosting CUNY TV’s Frame By Frame Series and this year’s PitchBLACK Awards Ceremony, which awards $150k to visionary media markers  🎭 Actress, Writer, and Solo Performer Jessica Lia Berry brings us front-row to her one-woman show, I’m Sti...

Making a five minute film in 5 days…no problem! In this special bonus episode, host Janine McGoldrick talks with filmmaker Anna Pakman about her short film - Back to the Dark Ages - a sharp, imaginative dramedy that uses humor and surrealism to explore chronic illness, isolation, and the long-term impact of Long COVID. Back to the Dark Ages is Anna’s entry for this year’s Easterseals Disability Fi...

🎤 Tammy and LaKisa bring you interviews from Muse Awards Red Carpet!  🥂 Host and Muse Producer Katie Chambers recaps the Muse Award’s celebratory and uplifting spirit and insights on our theme of Reinvention  🏆 Hear advice, stories, and musings from Honorees Audra McDonald, Joy Reid, Jane Raab, Izzy Harrison, Rebecca Damon, and Jamie Brewer  🦋 Meet NYWIFT Board Members Okema T. Moore and Sibyl...

💫 We’re shining a light on stories of Reinvention, capturing the theme of NYWIFT’s 46th Annual Muse Awards  🎤 Janine interviews Actress, Advocate and Model Jamie Brewer on her fan-favorite roles across several seasons of American Horror Story, and leading positive change across film, television, theater, and fashion  🎬 Tammy interviews Filmmaker Patricia Cardoso, on her career spanning the cult...

Happy Women's History Month!  Penni interviews Emmy Award-winning journalist, CNN anchor, and senior global affairs analyst, Bianna Golodryga, for her new book, Don't Feed the Lion , a middle grade novel that courageously confronts antisemitism and hate through the lens of middle schoolers, opening the door for honest dialogue between children and the adults who care for them.  Penni then...

Welcome back to The NYWIFT Podcast!  We’re starting season 8 with Casting Society (CSA) President Destiny Lilly and Academy Award Winning Actress Jessica Chastain.  Destiny speaks about her career as a Casting Director and the new Casting Director Category recognition for the 2026 Academy Awards.  Jessica shares her experience starring in and producing the upcoming film Dreams , debuting nationwid...

Hosts Tammy and Penni bring us creativity and cheer amidst the cold weather ❄️ This week, Tammy interviews two multifaceted creators: Opera singer and actress Cristina Fontanelli about her upcoming holiday event, the film SANTINO, which earned her a Best Actress award at the Cutting Room International Film Festival Award-winning filmmaker, actress, and Editor-in-Chief of Indie Film Online Magazine...

We are feeling extra grateful for our creative community this year!  🍂 Janine interviews Filmmaker and Fulbright Fellow Amy Guggenheim about adapting her thriller short film Blindspot into a feature 🎬👁️ Hosts Penni and Catherine share news about the Halloween Parade, NYWIFT’s Masterclasses, the upcoming Women’s Film Preservation Fund Screening and Membership Drive!  🎞️⭐ To be featured on the po...

Documentarian Sarah Botstein returns to the NYWIFT Podcast to discuss her latest documentary as Co-Director with long time collaborator Ken Burns, The American Revolution , on PBS.  Hosts Penni and Tammy give us the inside scoop on the NAN Triumph Awards, as well as The Gotham Film Awards. NYWIFT’s Senior Director of Community & Public Relations Katie tells us about our next NYWIFT Night Out w...

Our guests this week are Natalie Neckyfarow, who speaks about her short “The Spark” and revolutionizing how artists stay rooted in themselves while stepping into character. And Mohana Rajakumar shares  her webseries, A Diwali Dilemma, an adaptation of an iconic Christmas movie. Plus, Hosts Janine McGoldrick and Catherine Ann Woo share recommendations for industry events throughout NYC and their la...

The NYWIFT Podcast returns from hiatus with hosts Katie Chambers and Janine McGoldrick. Our guest this week is Senior Coordinator of Exhibition and Programming at Film at Lincoln Center, Katie Zwick. Katie shares insights into NYFF programming and Katie & Janine also dive into highlights from the NYWIFT Summit on AI , other upcoming programming, and recent industry news including Jimmy Kimmel...

Before we take our summer break, we’ve got interviews with Ina Norris, Keya Mason and Sam Reetz!  🌟  Ina shares stories from her career putting Black storytellers in the spotlight, founding the Kwanzaa Film Festival (now in its ninth year!) a cultural hub for artistic empowerment. Ina is joined by Keya, the festival’s new director and three-time Emmy-nominated casting executive, director, and pro...

This week, we’re inspired by Tanja Caldwell, an award-winning costume designer, and Aurora De Lucia, who has edited over 1,000 episodes of television!  Tanja brings us a first look at her latest project FOREVER, a modern take on Judy Blume’s everlasting young adult novel. Aurora shares stories from her career working with Jon Stewart, Nancy Meyers and more.  Plus, Janine McGoldrick and special gue...

TRIBECA FESTIVAL!  Need we say more? This week on The NYWIFT Podcast, hear insights, advice and stories from behind the scenes from six NYWIFT members with projects at the festival:  Veronica Reyes How (Project Creator, Screenwriter, EP of Mother May I Have a Kidney ?) Ruth Ann Harnisch ( EP of Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore, We Are Pat, State of Firsts, Move Ya Body: The Birth Of House, Natchez...

This week on The NYWIFT Podcast, we hear from captivating creators. Multidisciplinary Artist Toni Short describes her path to rebuilding self-esteem through the vessel of creativity, her journey as a filmmaker, and her short drama film Meeting Mr. Oscar.  Writer and Director Jane Weinstock takes us behind the scenes of Three Birthdays, a drama set in 1970, the Winner of the Woodstock Film Festival...

This week, Penni Malloy-Harper interviews bold storytellers: Anshulika Kapoor and Angela Page tell us about their short film, Harij Weds Sajili, which explores the dark underbelly of dowry practices in contemporary India while celebrating female agency.  SOUL Magazine Founder Regina Jones and director Soraya Sélène tell us about their documentary Who the Hell is Regina Jones? , a documentary about...

We have an extra special bonus episode with SVP of Development & Production for ALLBLK & WEtv, Nikki Love! Don’t miss her insights and advice in this interview with Tammy Reese, and be sure to subscribe to hear from more creators in the NYWIFT community.  To be featured on the podcast email us at communications@nywift.org. For more great content go to NYWIFT.org . Special thanks to ⁠ Elspe...

This week, interviews with Bryce Dallas Howard and Mahen Bonetti inspired us.  Director and Actress Bryce Dallas Howard invites audiences into the world of dogs, cats, pigs, goats, birds and more with her heartwarming documentary Pets .   African Film Festival Founder and Programmer Mahen Bonetti gives us an insider’s perspective for the upcoming festival at Lincoln Center in May 2025.  Plus, co-h...

We are still feeling inspired by our Muses and their powerful words at the 45th Annual NYWIFT Muse Awards. This week, we have interviews straight from the red carpet! Hear from Muse Honorees Teen Vogue Editor in Chief Versha Sharma, Director Lisa Cortés, Actress Marissa Bode, CNN EVP for talent at CNN Originals and Creative Development for CNN Worldwide Amy Entelis and Producer Celia Costas; plus...

This week, meet Muse Honorees director/producer Lisa Cortés and Teen Vogue Editor Versha Sharma!  Lisa takes us behind the scenes of iconic projects including Precious, Little Richard: I Am Everything and The Space Race , telling stories that inspire a new examination of figures we thought we knew and push positive change forwards.  Versha opens up about her journey coming of age in a post-9/11 wo...