NYWIFT member Heidi Philipsen in The Better Angels, starring Diane Kruger, Brit Marling, and Wes Bentley (Photo courtesy of Hickory Pictures, LLC)
What a whirlwind! Though temps in New York matched the biting Park City cold, nothing could beat the heat at the festival. This year, New York Women in Film and Television (NYWIFT) caught up with veterans and fresh faces alike to celebrate the Sundance Film Festival’s 30th anniversary.
Known for its ability to stimulate important conversations within the industry, this year’s program did not disappoint. We counted over 50 directorial debuts, more than 200 films, many projects with women leadership (though less on the director front), and even new and expanded programs to increase awareness about gender disparity in film.
Some highlights:
- The wonderful events and panels at the NY Lounge, which included marketing, distribution, and tax resources for filmmakers in NYC, as well as Women in Film and Television International’s Women in the Director’s Chair breakfast
- Rory Kennedy et al’s cutting honesty at the 8th Women in Film panel, where the six participating directors and producers all pointed to “entrenched industry sexism”
- Updated research and expanded programming from the Women in Film Initiative, which is a joint collaboration between the Sundance Institute and our sister chapter Women in Film Los Angeles
- Anna Kendrick, who had three films premiere at Sundance, looking glamorous at the Women at Sundance Brunch
- Kate Barker-Froyland’s Song One, featuring Oscar winner/producer Anne Hathaway as a PhD candidate in Morocco
- Rose McGowan’s first film as director, the color-punchy Dawn
- The timely Fed Up, a Katie Couric–produced documentary about obesity
- A cinematographer’s conversation about the ongoing film vs. digital debate in a world where even Scorsese has gone digital
- A handful of women-directed films sold at the festival, including Land Ho!, which was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics
And of course, a big congratulations to the NYWIFT members who had projects at the festival:
- Susan Lazarus, Post Production Supervisor, Only Lovers Left Alive (dir. Jim Jarmusch)
- Wendy Blackstone, Composer, Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger (dir. Joe Berlinger)
- Heidi Philipsen, Actress and Production Coordinator, The Better Angels (dir. A.J. Edwards); Actress, Cold in July (dir. Jim Mickle)
— JOYCE CHOI LI
nywift
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Ariana Marie Luque
Welcome to NYWIFT, Ariana Marie Luque! Ariana is an award-winning director/cinematographer from The Bronx, NY. She is a NYU Tisch alum, having graduated with a Bachelor's in Film/TV production. Her work is often rooted from her Latin background, prioritizing culture and interpersonal relationships in her work. Her goal is to amplify stories from underrepresented communities and diversify the entertainment industry in front and behind the camera. She has gained international experience working in Iceland, Italy, and Puerto Rico, and has collaborated with major studios including Amazon Prime, Walt Disney, and Paramount under production roles. Most recently, she completed a film fellowship at the Bronx Documentary Center and is currently developing a short narrative film and is in production on two short documentaries. In our interview, Ariana discusses her background, what she’s learned from working in the industry, and the importance of film.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Vanessa Hope
Welcome to NYWIFT, Vanessa Hope! Vanessa Hope is an award‑winning filmmaker whose work sits at the intersection of cinema, foreign policy, and human rights, with a focus on women’s leadership in volatile political landscapes. She has directed and produced fiction and nonfiction films across the United States, China, Afghanistan, and Taiwan that have premiered at major festivals such as Sundance, Cannes, and IDFA. Her latest documentary, Invisible Nation, offers intimate, unprecedented access to Taiwan’s first female president, Tsai Ing‑wen, and has been embraced as a landmark portrait of a small democracy confronting mounting authoritarian pressure. She co‑founded Double Hope Films with producer Ted Hope. She also writes the Substack newsletter Dream of a Better World and hosts the podcast vHopeful Conversations, where she champions the independent film and documentary community through in‑depth, craft‑driven dialogues.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Alice McFaul
Welcome to NYWIFT, Alice McFaul! Alice is a producer, assistant director, and musician based between New York and Ireland, working in feature documentaries and unscripted television. Her work includes some of Netflix’s biggest true crime feature docs as a drama producer, and Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy and Tucci in Italy shows as assistant director. Alice is also a professional harpist and singer, playing since the age of three in Northern Ireland. In our interview, Alice tells us more about her experience working across these platforms, and how these are shaping her future goals.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Isabella Medina Sarria
Welcome to NYWIFT, Isabella Medina Sarria! Isabella is a New York–based film producer originally from Colombia, known for developing and producing internationally-recognized projects. Her award-winning short films include Delusion, which won at the Berlin Indie Film Festival and earned recognition at the LA Indie Film Festival and New York Shorts International Film Festival. She has expanded into feature films, working on Up in the Hills (starring Dylan Walsh and Paris Berelc), Tox (starring Margaret Colin), and Higher Love (starring Dennis Haysbert and Joe Pantoliano), which wrapped production in August 2025. Her work is driven by a strong creative vision, championing well-represented female characters and immigrant stories.
READ MORE
