WIFVNE is pleased to announce Laina Barakat will be WIFVNE's New Hampshire state co-chair with Jaci Kjernander. 

Laina Barakat is an Independent Film Writer, Director and Producer. Her film career began with an internship for Either/Or Films during Post Production and Distributions of The Sensation of Sight (David Strathairn, Ian Sommerhalder, Jane Adams, Ann Cusak). The first film she produced, Only Daughter, premiered at Cinequest Film Festival and picked up various awards across the country including Audience Choice Award at New York No Limits, and NH Film of the Year at New Hampshire Film Festival. While working with Kingston Road Pictures in late 2015, Laina Associate and Line-Produced a documentary film in Grand Rapids Michigan called More Art Upstairs, which premiered at Hot Docs in 2017 and won the Audience Choice Award at Tribeca Film Festival.

Barakat formed Wayward Ark Productions in 2016 to take creative control of her projects, and empower young filmmakers in the Monadnock Region. She has written, directed and produced seven short films which have garnered awards including Audience Choice Award for Best Drama at New England Film Festival, Best NH Performance at NH Film Festival, the Judge's Award for Best Comedy at Iron Mule Film Festival, Audience Choice Award at MONIFF, and Best Shorter Short Comedy at London Comedy Short Festival.

Her first feature film as a director, Light Attaching to a Girl, premiered at RiverRun Film Festival, then went on to New Filmmakers New York. It is currently touring the festival circuit.

Laina co-founded and was Executive Director for the Monadnock International Film Festival during its first three years. She currently lives in Marlborough, New Hampshire and while balancing her film pursuits, she is the General Manager of 58 year old organization, Monadnock Music.

WIFTI is delighted to introduce the new WIFTI Board, elected at the General Assembly on August 22, 2022. For the first time in WIFTI history, WIFTI is represented on all six continents, a big moment for our network!

The new and returning members cannot wait to begin the work of growing and strengthening our networks around the world. 

RETURNING MEMBERS

Sarah Inya Lawal, WIFT Africa

Ajoke Silva, Forum of Women and Film and TV Nigeria

Rubaiyat Hossain, WIFT Bangladesh

Tsiako Abezadze, WIFT Caucasus

Susan Brinton, WIFT Vancouver (Vice President)

Brigitte Monneau, FCTMN Montreal

Helene Granqvist, WIFT Sweden (President)

Nicole Ackermann, WIFT Germany (Treasurer)

Susan Liddy, WFT Ireland

Patricia Watson, WIFT New Zealand (Vice President)

Katrina Graham, WIFT Australia

Nerissa Scott, WIFV New England

NEW MEMBERS

Serena Mmifinyana, Women in Film Guild Botswana

Marjaana Mykkänen, WIFT Finland

Domizia De Rosa, WIFTM Italy

Katerina Kaskanioti, WIFT Greece

Osnat Bukofzer, WIFT Israel

Nadean Rawlins, WIFT Jamaica

Susana Campos, WIFT Brazil

Cynthia Lopez, New York WIFT

Kirsten Schaffer, WIF Los Angeles

Note:  WIFVNE is a member of WIFTI, so WIFVNE members are members of WIFTI.

WIFVNE is delighted to announce an addition to its Board of Directors:  Angela Onwuachi-Willig.

Angela Onwuachi-Willig is dean of Boston University School of Law and the inaugural Ryan Roth Gallo & Ernest J. Gallo Professor of Law, the nation’s first endowed professorship in critical race theory. Prior to joining BU Law in 2018, she served as Chancellor’s Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley.

Dean Onwuachi-Willig is a renowned legal scholar and expert in racial and gender inequality as well as anti-discrimination law. She writes in a variety of areas, including employment discrimination, family law, and critical race theory. She is author of According to Our Hearts: Rhinelander v. Rhinelander and the Law of the Multiracial Family from Yale University Press, and her articles have appeared in leading law journals such as the Yale Law Journal, California Law Review, Michigan Law Review, Georgetown Law Journal, Northwestern University Law Review, and Vanderbilt Law Review, to name a few.

Earlier in her career, Dean Onwuachi-Willig clerked for the US District Court of the Northern District of Ohio and the US Sixth Circuit Court. She practiced law as a labor and employment associate at Jones Day and Foley Hoag. In 2010, she was elected to the American Law Institute (ALI), and 2011, she was a finalist for the Supreme Court of Iowa. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Grinnell College, where she now serves on the board of trustees; a JD from the University of Michigan; and a PhD in sociology and African American studies from Yale University. In 2021, Dean Onwuachi-Willig was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.

Connect with Dean Onwuachi-Willig on LinkedIn.

WIFVNE is pleased to announce Jaci Kjernander will be WIFVNE's New Hampshire state co-chair with Christine Altan.

Jaci Kjernander is a New England-based actress, director, writer, and producer. After discovering the thrill of live theater at a very young age, Jaci has been a life-long performer. Her stage roles soon lead her to pursue a career in film, leading to a string of complex leading roles. She is drawn to playing tough-as-nails women hiding their sensitivity and often wielding a wicked sense of humor. Equally at home behind the camera, Jaci co-founded Dover Point Productions, where she is Head of Development. Under the Dover Point banner, her most recent project is the award-winning short film Out With It, which she wrote, produced, and directed.

Out With It won a dozen awards as an official selection at festivals, including Best Comedy at the Austin Comedy Film Festival and Best Director at the Portland Comedy Film Festival. Born in Boston, Jaci is a true New England seafarer at heart and makes her home on the New Hampshire seacoast. When not performing, producing, or directing, she can often be found behind the helm of her boat, Orca.

Learn more about Jaci at her website, or connect on Facebook or Instagram.

The Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) is hosting a short film competition.  Amateur filmmakers under the age of 30 are eligible for this young filmmakers contest.  Industry professionals including a producer from Bridgerton and an actress from Sanditon are members of the judging panel. Entry deadline is September 15, 2022. 

See the attached flyer for details.  JASNA young filmmakers contest.jpg

Thank you to WIFVNE Board member Rachel Thomas-Medwid for putting a spotlight on the cast and crew of her film PENNY at the private premiere event at the Cabot Theater in Beverly on July 16.

 

WIFVNE members, cast and crew, and film-goers attended the red carpet networking and screening event.

Thank you to photographers Desiree McMahon and Tyler Phinney for capturing the day! Just a small sample is shown here.

The June 1 edition Variety Magazine includes a number of articles highlighting production in Massachusetts.  A PDF of the print edition can be found here.  And look for these two editorials:

 

Written by Carole Horst, "Massachusetts’ Marina Studios Expands as Incentives Spur Production" includes a shout-out from Marina Studios founder, Marina Cappi.  Marina Studios is a WIFVNE Corporate Member:

Cappi notes, “We actually became a member of Women in Film, worked with them, and McKenzie [O’Connell, Marina Studios COO] and I gave a keynote speech for their big conference. … I think that’s a great step because there’s already a community based here in Massachusetts that directly addresses women” in the business. Her goal is to not only build studios, but also to produce.

And written by Gregg Goldstein, "Indies, TV Productions Embrace Massachusetts Incentives" covers a number of the productions recently shooting in -- and sometimes returning to! -- the Commonwealth. Some directors make it clear they want to shoot in the region:

For writer-director Brian Helgeland’s “Finestkind,” which will bow with a hybrid Paramount+/theatrical run, shooting in his New Bedford hometown was essential. “There was pressure to try to do it a different way, and we went up to Halifax, Nova Scotia, as a courtesy, but Brian made it clear — and I supported him a hundred percent — that unless the movie was shot in Massachusetts, he wasn’t interested in making it,” says producer Gary Foster of Krasnoff/Foster Entertainment.

Read the full stories at Variety.com

New Mexico Women in Film and the Santa Fe Actors Studio invite you to join them for The Artist's Way Summer Masterclass, Mondays, June 6 - Aug. 29 2022, 6 - 8:30 pm Mountain (5 pm PDST, 8pm Eastern)T

Leslie Fleming-Mitchell is one of the original Artist Way teachers and at the suggestion of creators Julia Cameron and Mark Bryan, she introduced the workshop to artists, writers and creatives in Paris and Rome. She's facilitated this process throughout the U.S. and Europe for 26 years.

It's a very fun, dynamic, interactive process of writing and exploring your creative self past, present and future, and it doesn't matter whether you think you're creative or not. If you've started the book, but never made it past chapter 4 you're not alone; the Artist Way was a group process before it was a book, and the group keeps you buoyant and accountable.

WIFVNE members receive a 18% off discount for the program. Please log in to view more about registering with the discount. 

BACKLIT featuring Carissa Spatcher--the fifth installment of the Backlit series by High Output and Women in Film and Video of New England--had its premiere screening on Friday, May 27th at the Rhode Island High Output location.

The evening included networking and refreshments in addition to the screening. After the videos, Carissa answered questions about her career as a grip and working on New England film sets.

Thanks to everyone who came out for the premiere.  Many thanks to the volunteer crew who helped in the making of the episode, to High Output for hosting the shoot and the premiere, and to Carissa Spatcher!

Photo by Alison Cupples-Archila. Carissa, right, standing. 

On Wednesday, June 1st, most WIFT Marketing Circle calls and content will be available to only paid subscribers of the WIFT Marketing Circle. WIFVNE members receive a discounted rate on monthly subscription.

Be sure and change your subscription to Paid if you’d like to continue to receive all of the resources for filmmakers and those in media that we put out on a daily basis, attend weekly calls, AND gain access to office hours. Following each call, the recording and additional resources are added to supplement the topics discussed. 

New to the WIFT Marketing Circle?  As a paid subscriber, you get access to all of the recordings and content!

What topics could the WIFT Marketing Circle cover that would support your endeavors?  Email wiftmarketingcircle@gmail.com.