Welcome to NYWIFT, Kasey O’Brien!

Kasey O’Brien (she/they) is a queer-identifying filmmaker based in Queens, working across both fictional narratives and documentaries. While she has dabbled in various positions in film production (including acting, writing, camera operation, and post-production), she is most at home directing and producing.

Kasey was integral to the launch of NYU Tisch’s Master‘s in Virtual Production at the Martin Scorsese Virtual Production Center, whose inaugural cohort graduated in May 2025. She serves on the board of directors of PANO Network and is a founding member of The Garret Theatre Company. MFA from The New School. 

In our interview, Kasey discussed her journey to working in independent film production. 

NYWIFT Member Kasey O’Brien

What brought you to NYWIFT?

I serve on the Board of Directors of PANO Network, which has recently shuttered after 10 years of impact. While the PANO community will be a part of my life forever, I’m excited to work with a new organization that shares my commitment to fighting for gender parity in the media landscape.

You describe your creative path as starting in a “mildewy community theatre in Coeur d’Alene” — that’s such a vivid image. What was it about those early experiences that set you on this lifelong creative journey?

Growing up rural and queer is central to my coming-of-age experience. The small community theatre in a neighboring town was a sanctuary where I found my voice through storytelling. The origin of all my creative work roots back to that theatre, where I learned that the only limits to an artistic practice are self-imposed, not circumstantial. Through these early, formative experiences, I learned to feed my imagination and crack through the limited worldview on offer in my small town.

NYWIFT Member Kasey O’Brien

You’ve worn so many hats — actor, writer, director, producer, AD, and more. What have you learned from moving between those roles?

When a world-class chef trains for the job, they learn every station in the kitchen. They know exactly what they are asking of their team when the pressure is high and the work is demanding. First-hand experience is the best teacher. Swinging between acting and directing has immeasurably sharpened my approach to each respective role. 

It‘s been a gift to go from an ego-driven actor eager to steal the show to a tradesperson filling a role on set like everyone else. I approach acting with greater simplicity now, understanding that I am one piece of a much larger machine. As a director, I intimately understand how actors work and how to support them fully in a process where they can often feel overlooked. I understand the vulnerability, the stakes, and the trust required to deliver excellent work, and I build sets where that understanding is foundational.

I am energized by learning new roles and deepening my fluency in the many moving parts that work together to create a finished film.

What drew you to film as a medium — and how do your theater roots still influence the way you direct and produce?

In theatre, the moment lives and dies in real time. Film, by contrast, offers the luxury of multiple takes for refinement and experimentation in pursuit of bottling lightning. This creative control allows for a different kind of precision than theatre, where the goal is to rehearse a bulletproofed structure that can deliver consistency eight times a week.

What theatre gave me, and what continues to guide my work in film, is an unwavering commitment to story as the north star. No matter the medium, the work only succeeds when every decision is made in service of the story being told. I don’t believe either format can truly begin a new process until there’s clarity around vision and purpose. 

NYWIFT Member Kasey O’Brien

You’ve worked on many indie productions. What do you think are the biggest advantages and challenges of creating independently?

Creating independently certainly comes with its constraints, but working within those constraints presents an exciting challenge. At its best, the indie world is purpose-driven, highly creative, and an excellent place to form lifelong collaborations.

Many of your projects engage with social and human themes — climate crisis, disability, identity. What drives you toward those kinds of stories?

I‘m drawn to stories that are willing to grapple with complexity and clarify the issues that throw us most out of alignment as a human community. It’s interesting to me that the climate is undeniably at a crisis point. Instead of throwing all of our collective weight behind the actions needed to make necessary change, the topic has been politicized to the point of paralysis. We are the only species on the planet that is creating our own destruction.

Our narratives guide how we perceive the world around us and our human part in it. Film is an impactful medium and has the capacity to shift our perceptions and change minds. That marriage between creativity and consequence is a guiding force in my professional life.

NYWIFT Member Kasey O’Brien

How has teaching or supporting film students influenced your own artistic growth?

Supporting students is a wonderful way to give back and get inspired. Film school should serve as a playground for ideas that exist outside of the pressures of the industry.

NYWIFT Member Kasey O’Brien

Looking ahead, what are you excited to explore next in your career journey?

I’m looking forward to finishing production on my documentary and finally moving on to the edit!

Learn more about Kasey O’Brien via her website kaseyobriennyc.com and follow her on Instagram at @kaseyobs. 

(All photos courtesy of Kasey O’Brien)

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Welcome to NYWIFT, Carmen Matias!

A graduate of Hunter College in the 1970s, producer Carmen earned a degree in Broadcast with a minor in Theatre. Television was both an escape and a source of fantasy throughout her early life, ultimately guiding her toward a career in the medium, which she came to see as the best possible profession for her creative ambitions.

In our interview, Carmen discussed her experience producing and shared her advice for young creatives. 

NYWIFT Member Carmen Matias

You’ve been an award-winning television and radio producer since the 1970s. What first drew you to producing?

I was informed that to get a TV gig, I had to leave NYC, get experience in a smaller market, and if lucky, get back to NYC. I instead went to the NYS Employment Office and met Mr. Cohen, who said he would keep an eye out for me. He did and sent me to WNEW-TV on East 67th and 3rd Avenue. I interviewed for a PA job on Midday with Bill Boggs and got it. I was living the dream.

I was part of a team that consisted of an executive producer, producer, associate producer, and the host.

Producing came naturally to me because it was telling a story. Midday was a public affairs show. It got tricky to book talent from Broadway and the arts but we managed. 

Looking back, what moments feel most defining in your career?

A defining moment for me was when Desi Arnaz was a guest, and my producer asked me to have him on the show wearing a camouflage hat and a cigar and pretend he was Fidel Castro. I was mortified, but my boss insisted. 

I whispered in Spanish to Mr. Arnaz, and he said, “No worries, I’ll take care of you.” He said in a loud voice, “Absolutely not, I pay a publicity person to be here. Let Fidel Castro get his own”. This was a pivotal moment for me. Speaking Spanish helped me avoid an awkward moment, and I knew then that I was in the right place.

I have fond memories of my television days: holding Imogene Coca’s girdle as she removed it; explaining bilingual education to Rita Moreno; walking Alan Arkin to his hotel, talking about his favorite shoe brand, Mephisto. And Yul Brynner did not want to sign autographs because he did it only at the theatre. 

What advice would you give to aspiring producers who want to take creative risks?

My advice to aspiring producers is to be YOU! Stick to your ideas and know how you see them evolving. And always have a plan B ready. 

How do you build a strong creative team around a project?

Always have a team that you respect and who have their own ideas. Bring in those who differ but understand your vision for a project. I am now developing a TV sitcom, and my team couldn’t be more different than one another, although in similar media fields. 

What brings you to NYWIFT?

I joined NYWIFT to be in a community with fellow producers, exchange ideas, and support one another.

(All images courtesy of Carmen Matias)

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Welcome to NYWIFT, Juleyka Lantigua!

Juleyka is an award-winning filmmaker, journalist, and the Founder of LWC Studios, a digital media studio dedicated to creating socially conscious storytelling for rising-majority audiences.

As a filmmaker, she has executive produced multiple short films and documentaries, including the Peabody Award-nominated podcast series 70 Million through LWC Studios.

A Fulbright Scholar with a Master’s degree in Journalism and an MFA in Creative Writing, Juleyka brings a multidisciplinary approach to storytelling—one that blends rigorous reporting with deeply human narratives across platforms.

NYWIFT Member Juleyka Lantigua

Welcome to NYWIFT! Could you give our readers a brief introduction to yourself?

I’m the Founder of LWC Studios, an award-winning digital media studio whose original work reaches rising-majority audiences with programming that has a social-justice vein. LWC Studios received a Peabody Award nomination, and won “The Director’s Prize” at Third Coast, also known as “The Oscars of Audio” for our original investigative series 70 Million, whose six seasons delved into the matrix of criminal justice in the United States, starting with local jails.

As a filmmaker, I have executive produced three short films, August Sun/Sol de Agosto, about how impossible it is to ever really return home, which was nominated for a Student Academy Award and Student BAFTA, and was an official selection at dozens of festivals around the globe; The Longest Race, a documentary shot during the Covid pandemic that followed two ultrarunners as they clung on to some semblance of normalcy. My first feature-length documentary, Saving Etting Street, had its world premiere in 2025 at DOC NYC.

My films have screened at national and international film festivals, including: Palm Springs International ShortFest, European short Film Festival, Oaxaca FilmFest, Los Angeles Comedy Film Festival, Marbella International Film Festival, Madrid International Film Festival, Miami Independent Film Festival, and Firenze Film Festival.

I’m currently at work on another independent feature documentary—as co-writer/creator and executive producer—and on an Afro-futurism short, as executive producer.

Juleyka Lantigua at the Tribeca Festival

What brought you to NYWIFT?

I consider myself a student of filmmaking at the moment, and there are no better teachers than the women who have blazed trails in the industry. So NYWIFT is the ideal place to learn and soak up the collective wisdom that its members have amassed over decades. I also hope to make meaningful contributions as I get a stronger footing in the industry, as I am a firm believer that paying it forward is integral to our shared growth.

Juleyka Lantigua speaking at Salzburg Global

What initially drew you to storytelling and journalism, and how did your journey evolve across writing, audio, and film?

My Dominican family is filled with storytellers! Most of them have technical professions, but they are masterful at spinning yarn. I think I have those genes and also benefited greatly from sitting around listening to them exchange stories—quotidian and extraordinary—about their lives.

Journalism came much later in my life, when I realized how much I loved helping others tell their stories, and discovered the power fact-based truth telling has on people and institutions. At my core, I am a writer who has been lucky enough to learn to write with words, sound, and images.

Juleyka Lantigua on the cover of Radio Inc.

You’re the Founder and CEO of LWC Studios, whose mission centers on supporting and amplifying creators from the margins. What inspired you to build this studio, and what gaps were you hoping to address in the media landscape?

I’m drawn to stories of ordinary people enduring and achieving under duress—personal, social, political. Often I find true heroes in the subjects of my work, people who one day got up and decided to change their world right where they were standing.

Juleyka Lantigua at Salzburg Global

For emerging journalists and creators, what advice would you offer about building a career in today’s evolving media landscape?

It’s important to know if you’re an artist or a technician, and to develop yourself accordingly.

Learn more about Juleyka Lantigua’s work on LinkedIn and connect with her on Instagram at @juleykalantigua.

(All images courtesy of Juleyka Lantigua)

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Welcome to NYWIFT, Danielle Bancroft!

Danielle Bancroft is a recent Chapman University graduate who earned a BFA in Film Production, with an emphasis in Production Design and a minor in Entrepreneurship. 

Throughout her undergrad years, Danielle was able to design many short films including her thesis, Protégé, where she was able to build 1950s French ateliers utilizing her schools scene shop and sound stage. In addition to building sets, Danielle co-founded The Portal Productions, a student-led non-profit dedicated to getting students real world experience while providing small businesses in Orange County with affordable media production. 

Danielle was also a stylist intern at Macy’s, working on print, digital, and video ads, and she recently went back to work as an assistant stylist for the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. 

With her entrepreneurial spirit and natural creativity, Danielle is excited to assist designers with anything from solving logistical issues to fabricating furniture, props, or set pieces.

NYWIFT Member Danielle Bancroft

Could you give our readers a brief introduction to yourself? 

Hi there! My name is Danielle Bancroft, I’m a recent graduate from Chapman University with a BFA in Film Production and a minor in Entrepreneurship! During my undergrad, I was able to work on numerous films in almost all production roles, but found a love for Production Design, and was able to work on seven short films as the designer. My most recent project, Protégé, allowed me to design and build a two-room set which we shot in for the entire six day production.

In addition to designing films, I co-founded a non-profit creative agency called The Portal Productions with the goal of providing hands-on experience to students while democratizing media production for small businesses in Orange County, CA.

I recently moved to New York to pursue a career in production design, and am ready to assist production designers with 3D drafting, set design, set dressing, or as an art department assistant! 

What brought you to NYWIFT? 

I was drawn to join NYWIFT as a Next Wave member because I am looking to learn from other women in the industry who are excited to build a community. As a recent grad, and being new to the city, NYWIFT seemed like the perfect place to start my journey.

Could you tell me about The Portal Productions, and your role creating it?

In the beginning of junior year, I was in a finance class learning about marketing budgets being overlooked by many small business owners because often there are more urgent needs to prioritize. At the same time, I was designing a short film and could appreciate the struggle of funding a production, and why a small company might not want to spend standard industry rates on a video they feel they could make for less, even if the quality suffered.

I was also applying for internships at the time, and while talking to my peers, I realized we all needed real-world experience to stand out and get the internships we wanted, but had no time, access to equipment, or the connections to do so. This led me and two other friends to create The Portal Productions, a non-profit dedicated to democratizing media production for small businesses in Orange County, while providing hands-on experiences for students who want to learn how to work with real clients.

I ran the company as a Co-Founder and the Director of Operations, initially securing $10k in angel investment, our first seven clients, and generating $27k in revenue in the first eight months. Since the inception of The Portal Productions, over 55 students have been able to gain real agency to client experiences.

The Portal Productions is fully a student-led legacy company, meaning upon graduation, I stepped down so another could learn the invaluable skills I was able to develop. 

How has your business experience and creative orientation merged? 

I was able to merge my business sense with my creative orientation through entrepreneurship. I find the skills needed to be a designer translate to those needed to be an entrepreneur. Similarly to film, starting a business is creative problem-solving, time and budget management, and working with a team towards a shared goal. Now as a freelancer, I represent myself utilizing what I learned working in both industries.

What initially compelled you towards the film industry? 

Like many others, I started in theater building sets for my high school performances. I got the opportunity to go to London to work on Henry V and was able to tour the National Theatre. When I saw the National’s scene shop, I immediately knew I needed to listen to my gut and pursue set design. After being on set for the first time freshman year of college, I knew the film industry was for me.

What are the challenges of being an intermediary between creative ambitions and logistic demands? 

Everyone can appreciate the stress of time and money, what you wish was possible, and what can actually succeed given the restrictions. I am fueled by navigating the creative process, finding the gaps, and filling them with quality solutions. Due to time and cost constraints, the challenge for me is bridging what creative wants, with what production can realistically support. 

Are there any projects you are currently working on or would like to explore in the future? 

I recently was able to work on my first short film in NYC as the Art Director! I am very happy to be back on set, meeting filmmakers, and creating something we can all be proud of. In addition to that, I am assisting a producer who’s in the development stage of his upcoming feature film, and I was an assistant stylist for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

I am very thankful for every opportunity that has informed me of a different part of the creative process, because in the end, it all helps me become a better designer. Now, I’m looking forward to being on set, designing, and saying yes to the opportunities that come my way!

Connect with Danielle on Instagram at @danielle.bancroft, her website daniellebancroft.com, and LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/daniban

(All photos courtesy of Danielle Bancroft)

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Welcome to NYWIFT, Bakhtawar Tagar!

Bakhtawar is a Pakistani-Canadian documentary filmmaker and editor based in Brooklyn. Her work is rooted in amplifying marginalized voices through stories centered on indigenous land rights, environmental and human rights justice, decolonization, women’s rights, and LGBTQ+ advocacy.

A lifelong storyteller, Bakhtawar grew up devouring books, magazines, and news stories. In her 20s, witnessing the persecution of minority communities in Pakistan, while much of the world remained unaware, she felt a responsibility to bring these stories to light, with the hope of making the world a little more just, one story at a time.

Bakhtawar’s short documentary Naaz, which follows her aunt, Dr. Farah Naz, a healthcare provider in a rural village in Pakistan working to keep her not-for-profit maternal health clinic open amid systemic and personal challenges, recently won Best Editing at the Delhi International Short Film Festival and is set to screen at the Athena Film Festival in New York City in March.

In our interview, she discussed her journey into documentary filmmaking, her commitment to social justice storytelling, and the responsibility she feels toward the stories she tells.

NYWIFT Member Bakhtawar Tagar

Welcome to NYWIFT! Could you give our readers a brief introduction to yourself?

I am an emerging documentary filmmaker and editor based in Brooklyn, New York. Having spent time in Pakistan, where I am originally from, and Canada, where I moved to in my mid-20s, I am deeply passionate about stories that spotlight indigenous land, environmental, and human rights struggles, aiming to amplify the voices of marginalized communities and create meaningful impact. I am also passionate about decolonization narratives, women’s rights and LGBTQ+ rights.

As a child, I was an enthusiastic story reader. Books, magazines, news articles, you name it, I would ask my dad to buy them for me. In my 20s, as I observed many minorities in my home country—Hazaras, Ahmadis, Christians—being persecuted while the world knew little to nothing about it, I knew I wanted to tell these stories in hopes of making the world an easier place for minorities everywhere to live.

However, that didn’t mean I went straight into storytelling or filmmaking in college to pursue it as a career. My path was a winding road that started in finance, where I stayed for a little over a decade before making the switch to what I am deeply passionate about: filmmaking!

What brought you to NYWIFT?

Ever since I started my career in film, I have been super privileged to meet women filmmakers who have taken me on board their projects [and onto] sets, taught me things with patience and attention, and I wanted to expand that community. Being a part of NYWIFT would also allow me to pass this on to incoming, new filmmakers who are looking for mentors [like those] I have had.

Bakhtawar Tagar rolling for a silent, observational film

What initially drew you to documentary filmmaking, and what continues to inspire your interest in real-life storytelling?

I absolutely love how the art of documentary filmmaking allows you to witness human emotions, exercise empathy, and create stories that stay with you years after you’ve watched them. After I watched Union, I canceled my Amazon subscription. When I watched Citizenfour, I recognized how precious freedom is, and it made me question whether true freedom really exists at all. When I watch Yanuni, I am drawn further to involving myself in grassroots indigenous movements and environmental campaigns.

It’s the knowledge of the interconnectedness of everything, the universality of all human struggles, that documentary films convey so purely. That’s what drew me to the medium. And of course, it all started when I saw friends in my early 20s worrying for the lives of their families who had migrated out of Pakistan by sea to Australia in harsh conditions, only because they knew if they didn’t, they’d be killed in Pakistan. I knew these real-life stories needed more attention, and I want to tell stories that I feel a responsibility (and love) to tell.

As both an assistant editor and camera assistant, how does working behind the scenes influence the way you approach directing your own documentary projects?

I definitely see the importance of treating your crew and your participants really right. And the ability to take feedback, or essentially be ego-less, even when it is your film, really helps a lot. Sometimes you are so deep into your own idea of a project that if you don’t welcome ideas from your crew because you are the director, you may be missing out on some great things. I try to keep my mind open for that reason.

Bakhtawar Tagar filming an interview for a short documentary

Congratulations on winning Best Editing for Naaz at the Delhi International Short Film Festival! What did that project mean to you, and how did the editing process help strengthen its impact?

Thank you. The project is quite close to my heart, as the main participant in the film is also my aunt. I have seen her work day in and day out for decades in service of humanity, and it was a story I knew needed attention. I am glad I was the one who was allowed to share this with the world.

The editing process involved a lot of difficult choices, like letting go of scenes that showed her friendship with her midwives or her educating patients to discourage child marriages. These choices were hard to make, but in the end, I wanted to keep only the scenes where her impact as the sole healthcare provider in the village is highlighted. Some scenes also spoke to the prevalent classism in the village and in Pakistan in general—something that my aunt blatantly rejects.

The pacing of the film is intentionally a little faster when we see her at the clinic, which is an accurate reflection of the patient flow there. Her home life scenes, on the other hand, are long cuts. I also made an active choice to use music from Sindhi artists from the province of Sindh in Pakistan, where she is based. One track was repeatedly used as a motif to bring the audience back to the progression of a subplot.

You’ve described yourself as an “artivist,” with a strong focus on social justice, human rights, and environmental issues. Are there particular themes or messages you feel most compelled to explore through your work?

I am certainly very drawn to anti-imperialism and decolonization narratives, and they almost always align with indigenous rights everywhere as well. The European colonization of what is America today, which happened centuries ago, is currently happening in multiple parts of the world, and until all of us understand that our struggles are the same, the world will keep repeating this cycle.

I’m also heavily drawn to themes that explore human greed and capitalism, which directly affect, or rather violate, human rights in the Global South.

Bakhtawar Tagar testing a film camera

Are there any upcoming projects or areas of storytelling you’re excited to explore next?

I am currently working on producing a short documentary on an indigenous nation in New York. The story revolves around land justice and environmental caretaking. Stay tuned for updates!

Learn more about Bakhtawar Tagar’s work on LinkedIn and Instagram at @tagarbakhtawar, and watch her short documentary Naaz at the Athena Film Festival, taking place March 6-8, 2026.

(All images courtesy of Bakhtawar Tagar)

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Welcome to NYWIFT, Jackie Yunchang Zhang!

Jackie Yunchang Zhang is a non-fiction filmmaker and video artist from Hangzhou, China, now based in New York.

Working across lens-based media and animation, she uses a hybrid non-fiction approach to explore identity, resilience, and cultural displacement.

With a strong sensitivity to emotion, memory, and interpersonal dynamics, her work examines how people navigate relationships, belonging, and the quiet negotiations of everyday life.

Through an observational yet personal style, she creates films that reveal the subtle ways we understand ourselves and the world around us.

Welcome to NYWIFT! Please introduce yourself briefly to our readers.

Hi everyone, I’m Jackie Yunchang Zhang, a nonfiction filmmaker and moving image artist originally from Hangzhou, China, now based in New York. Before shifting into independent artistic practice, I spent ten years working in the media and commercial industries in China.

I recently graduated with an MFA in Photography, Video, and Related Media from the School of Visual Arts. My work focuses on identity, resilience, and cultural displacement, while exploring hybrid forms and pushing the boundaries between different mediums.

What brought you to NYWIFT?

I’ve been looking for a creative community in New York where I can exchange ideas and connect with other filmmakers. I attended a few NYWIFT events and workshops and always felt a strong sense of openness, generosity, and creative energy. It’s the kind of community I really appreciate and want to be part of.

What initially drew you to the field of film, production, and animation, and how did your journey begin?

I’ve always loved art and storytelling. After studying arts business in the U.K., I returned to China and worked as an editor at Harper’s Bazaar Art. Later, I became a producer, creating photo shoots, videos, and animated content for media companies and advertising clients. That experience allowed me to collaborate with many different artists and experiment across formats, which eventually led me into filmmaking and video art.

Can you tell us more about your experience working on your short film, The Anarchist and the Fridge?

The Anarchist and the Fridge was a film I made during my first year in New York. Everything was new to me at the time, the city, the culture, the pace, and I was searching for a story that felt honest. I stumbled upon a free fridge on the street and became curious about the people behind it. That led me to In Our Hearts, an anarchist collective that runs a mutual-aid network. Thadeaus Umstper, the subject, welcomed me into their weekly activities.

By observing the simple, repetitive act of keeping the fridge stocked every day, I saw a quiet and sincere form of care. It was a space where anyone could show up and be accepted, including me. The balance between political ideals and everyday life deeply influenced how I think about documentary work.

What has been the most fulfilling project or aspect of filmmaking you’ve worked on so far, and what made it special for you?

Every project has been meaningful, but right now the documentary short Paper Watch holds a special place for me. The film follows Echo Yu He, a Chinese gallerist, millinery artist and writer in New York, through her exploration of art, grief, and healing.

Through this film, I’ve been experimenting with visual language to reflect Buddhist ideas about impermanence, while also tracing a personal journey of emotional healing, both hers and, in some ways, mine. Technically, I’ve pushed myself to try different methods, and creatively, the process has been a kind of meditation. It has challenged me to think more deeply about how visual art can express inner worlds.

As an animator, you’ve worked for companies like Pantene and Estée Lauder. What was it like working on these projects?

Strictly speaking, I’m not an animator. I run a design and production studio called Flipper Studio with my creative partner, and I work as the producer. We collaborate with platforms like Red Note in China to create CG and 3D animation for major beauty brands.

Because we’ve worked together for many years, the workflow is very structured. Each stage, delivery, and timeline is clearly laid out for the client. Within that framework, we still leave room for flexibility and creative problem-solving, especially when new ideas or feedback come in. When we work with clients who are open and adventurous, the process becomes even more exciting.

Looking ahead, what are you excited to explore next in your journey? How do you envision continuing to make an impact through your work as a filmmaker?

I’m excited to finish post-production on Paper Watch and hopefully share it with a wider audience. I’m also looking forward to joining more projects and collaborating with new people.

For me, filmmaking is a continuous process of learning, entering new cultural spaces, meeting people with different experiences, and understanding the world from up close. Being able to transform that learning into stories that resonate with others is the part of filmmaking I enjoy the most.

Learn more about Jackie Yunchang Zhang on her website www.zhangyunchang.com and connect with her on Instagram at @veryveryjackie.

(All images courtesy of Jackie Yunchang Zhang)

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Welcome to NYWIFT, Nira Burstein!

Nira Burstein is an award-winning filmmaker based in New York City. She is one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film and DOC NYC’s 40 Under 40.

Her documentary debut Charm Circle won the Audience Award at Sheffield DocFest, is a New York Times Critic’s Pick, and had its streaming premiere on the Criterion Channel.

Nira is a Gotham Fellow, and her work has been supported by the Jerome Foundation and Jewish Story Partners. She has made several narrative short films, including Gangrenous (Nantucket Film Festival) and Off & Away (Brooklyn Film Festival).

Her latest short film, Dear Shop Girl, premiered at Woodstock Film Festival. She is currently in post on the documentary short Handymen.

Welcome to NYWIFT! Please introduce yourself briefly to our readers.

Hello! I’m a filmmaker from NYC and I make docs and scripted films. I hope also one day to work on a series as well.

What brought you to NYWIFT?

There’ve been enough times where I’ve met people that are members or gone to a NYWIFT-hosted event, so it felt the moment had come to join in officially.

Can you share your journey into the film industry and any pivotal moments that shaped your career?

I just am very passionate about telling stories around human connection and how fragile it really all is.

Your documentary, Charm Circle, premiered in 2021 at Sheffield DocFest and won two awards. Can you tell us about your experience as the director of this project?

It was such an honor to premiere my first doc & feature at Sheffield. I couldn’t have felt more supported. Making the film was so personal, so it was so excited to meet people that connected to it.

What has been the most fulfilling project you’ve worked on so far, and what made it special for you?

They’re all too special, it’d be like playing favorites with your kids. I can’t choose (or say).

What inspired you to found Vacancy Arts, and what are some specific goals you hope to achieve through the films you produce?

The name comes from the idea that inspiration comes when you’re open to things. It’s circular: the inspiration hopefully comes which makes art happen, inspiring those who get to see it. Having a company allows me to work on many projects, as a director and a producer.

Are there any projects you are currently working on or would like to explore in the future?

Yes, I’m in post on a documentary short entitled Handymen, a verité doc that follows the people who fix things in my NYC apartment, and a feature thriller which I’m excited about shooting next year.

Connect with Nina Burstein on Instagram at @nira.isanalog.

(All images courtesy of Nira Burstein)

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Welcome to NYWIFT, Ashley Bacon!

Ashley Bacon is an actor and producer in New York. She leads the 80s thriller Something of a Monster which was released in December on AppleTV, and her claim to fame is a recurring arc on Orange is the New Black.

She was nominated for Best Actor at Cindependent for her work in The Flip Side (2023).

Upcoming projects include leading the film A Matchmaker’s Christmas, a star-studded community fundraiser of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and raising her small child.

She lives in Brooklyn with – in her words – “two cats, one daughter, and one husband.”

We welcome actor and producer Ashley Bacon to NYWIFT! In her New Member Spotlight, we discussed the famous RDJ scene that inspired Ashley to become an actor, the community garden motivating her next project, and her favorite film she’s worked on so far. Let’s dive in!

NYWIFT Member Ashley Bacon

Welcome to NYWIFT! Could you give our readers a brief introduction to yourself?

I’m an actor who lives in Brooklyn with my husband, daughter, and two cats. My hobbies are primarily activities that died with the advent of screens: textiles, cooking, baking, etc. No relation to any famous Bacons.

What brought you to NYWIFT?

I was a member of Pano, and when they announced they were shutting their doors, I went looking for another group of industry folks with whom I could shamelessly slam prosecco!

What inspired you to pursue your career as an actress? Can you share with us a cornerstone experience that solidified your ambition and trajectory?

When I was a child, my favorite movie was Heart and Souls, starring the 90s cocaine-fever dream that was Robert Downey, Jr. There’s a scene where RDJ acts out all the parts of a full-bodied fight between five or six of the characters. That probably doesn’t say anything great about me, but I was obsessed with that scene and used to perform it for any hapless adult who wandered into our home. I have been searching for experiences like that ever since. 

Your 80s Thriller film Something of a Monster is streaming on Apple TV+. What are you most excited for audiences to experience when they see this movie? What was your favorite scene to film? 

I’m so excited for folks to check out non-traditional thrillers about female bodies; this film is so beautiful, bleak, and eerie. The whole thing was shot in two weeks in February while I was pregnant, so production was pretty wild for me, but there was a late night in an abandoned 1950s pool house where we all crowded around the generators and danced to stay warm that I have a particular fondness for.

You are currently looking forward to starring in a community fundraiser of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Tell us more about the project and how it brings Shakespeare to the community!

My husband is a filmmaker and director, and we joined the neighborhood community garden years ago when he spontaneously decided to keep bees. Years later, we’re still members of this garden but scrapped the bees, and when he was asked to assist with community engagement events in the garden, this was what he landed on.

He’s roped in a bunch of our neighbors, including some garden children, and it will be a totally lovely night of running around like children playing pretend outside. I’m very excited for this one [laughs]. My daughter will play a fairy if she feels like it.

What has been the most fulfilling project you’ve worked on so far? How did it shape your passion for your work?

I loved making Something of a Monster, which I did with my best friends. Proper indie film virtually doesn’t exist, and when it does, it is often hard on the heart, but this was great. Every person who touched this film was so wildly generous in a myriad of ways, and I thank my lucky stars to have so many amazing people in my life. 

Connect with Ashley Bacon’s work and journey at @shleybacon.

(All images courtesy of Ashley Bacon)

The post Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Ashley Bacon appeared first on New York Women in Film & Television.

Academy Award–winning actress and producer Jessica Chastain has never shied away from stories that sit in discomfort. In Dreams, opening in theaters February 27, she leans directly into it. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Michel Franco, the film pairs Chastain with celebrated ballet dancer Isaac Hernández in a tense, intimate drama that interrogates love, power, and the invisible lines that shape our lives.

Chastain stars as Jennifer McCarthy, a wealthy socialite whose relationship with Fernando (Hernández), a gifted dancer from Mexico, becomes increasingly complicated when love collides with borders, privilege, and fear. What begins as a passionate connection slowly exposes the deep fractures created by classism, ageism, language barriers, and immigration policy. All which are themes that feel painfully relevant in today’s political and social climate.

In our conversation, Chastain reflected on working with Hernández. Their on-screen chemistry is layered and intentionally uneasy, mirroring the imbalance of power at the center of the story. Hernández’s background as a world-class dancer adds a physical poetry to the film that contrasts sharply with the emotional restraint demanded by survival.

Jessica Chastain as Jennifer McCarthy in Dreams

Dreams also marks Chastain’s second collaboration with Franco, a director known for challenging audiences rather than comforting them. The film doesn’t ask viewers to choose sides; it asks them to sit with the consequences of desire shaped by systems larger than any one person. At its core, Dreams is a love story, but not a romanticized one. It’s a reminder that love does not exist in a vacuum, and that privilege often determines who gets to feel safe, who gets to stay, and who must disappear.

Dreams pulls at the heart while holding up a mirror. It’s intimate, unsettling, and deeply human. The kind of film that lingers long after the credits roll. Please enjoy my interview with Academy Award–winning actress and producer Jessica Chastain.

A version of this interview was also featured in the season 8 premiere of The NYWIFT Podcast – listen and subscribe here!

(All images courtesy of Cinetic Media)

The post NYWIFT Interview: A Conversation with Jessica Chastain on Her New Film “Dreams” appeared first on New York Women in Film & Television.

Instead of our yearly visit to cold and snowy Sundance, this year my husband and I decided to embrace a “warmer weather pivot,” and give the Palm Springs International Film Festival a whirl!

The PSIFF was created in 1990 by then-Palm Springs Mayor Sonny Bono to generate publicity for the area, as well as increase tourism in the off-season months. It typically takes place right after the new year in early January. This year, the Festival ran from January 2-12. They screened 182 feature films, plus two programs of Oscar-shortlisted shorts.

The many diverse offerings included such current Hollywood hits as BLUE MOON, NUREMBERG, THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE, to an array of foreign Oscar contender films such as IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT, SENTIMENTAL VALUE, THE SECRET AGENT, to light-hearted indie fare, such as IDIOTKA.

I asked Alissa Simon, the Chief Programmer of the PSIFF, what she felt sets this film festival apart. She said since they are the first festival of the calendar year, they are the first stop on the award season circuit, preceding the Golden Globes. Additionally, they have developed a special niche curating a selection of titles submitted for the Best International Feature Oscar. Their core audience is a bit older, so the lineup is usually less edgy and experimental than a festival attracting more younger people. As Palm Springs is a big retirement community, they have over 600 volunteers, with an average age of 75!

Over the years, the PSIFF has grown into a highly prestigious festival, known for its role in the Oscar race, its focus on world cinema, and its star-studded Awards Gala honoring major industry figures. My husband and I saw 14 films in seven days, met lots of interesting fellow filmgoers, and enjoyed switching out the Park City ski slopes for the breezy palm trees!

For more information, here is the link to the PSIFF: https://www.psfilmfest.org/

Here are some snapshots from Palm Springs:

Amanda Seyfried and Director Mona Fastvold in conversation following a screening of their film, THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE. Amanda received the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Actress for her starring role in the film.

Ethan Hawke being interviewed by Debra Birnbaum, Editor-in-Chief of Gold Derby, in a lively introduction for his film BLUE MOON.  Ethan was honored with the Career Achievement Award at the PSIFF.

Terry enjoying a quality moment with James Vanderbilt, Writer/Producer/Director of the film NUREMBERG, following a sold out screening of the film at the festival.

One of the many signs promoting the PSIFF spotted around town

The historic and newly restored Plaza Theatre in downtown Palm Springs – one of several film festival venues.

The ever popular red carpet step-and-repeat photo opportunity.

(All images courtesy of Terry Greenberg)

The post WIFT around the World: Postcard from the 2026 Palm Springs International Film Festival appeared first on New York Women in Film & Television.