The NYWIFT Podcast

Hot off last week’s episode, which dived into the historic SAG-AFTRA & WGA contracts, we keep the parity conversation going by talking with Whitney Anne Adams – co-chair of the Costumer Designers Guild (CDG) Pay Equity Committee – about their Pay Equity Now campaign.

The CDG Local 892 is vying for equity with their male-dominated craft counterparts. The guild, which is made up of 87% women, is at the lowest tier of the IATSE pay scale and includes cinematographers, grips, and production designers. Not only is the disparity clear when looking at the current scale, but the discrepancy has continued to increase by 3% each year, a trend they want to put a stop to for future generations of women. 

We also highlight the New York City Public School Film Festival and the Spring 2024 schedule for the Made in NY Talk Series. In Katie’s Korner, Senior Director of Community & Public Relations Katie Chambers tells us about NYWIFT’s Science in Motion series at BAM. 

To be featured on the podcast email us at [email protected]. For more great content go to NYWIFT.org.

Special thanks to⁠ Elspeth Collard⁠, the creator of our podcast theme song.

Social Media:

NYWIFT: Instagram:⁠⁠ @NYWIFT⁠⁠ / Twitter/X⁠⁠ @NYWIFT⁠⁠  /  #NYWIFT

CDG: IG: @cdglocal892 / @CDGlocal892

Whitney: IG: @waacostumedesign / Twitter/X: @WhitneyAAdams

Tails From A Costume Designer Podcast: @talesfromacostumedesigner / Twitter/X: @tailsfromacd

Rebecca Damon, Executive Director of New York Local, Labor Policy and International Affairs for SAG-AFTRA tells Catherine Woo about the recent SAG-AFTRA strike and its aftermath, including how new members and supporters can get involved. They talk about the importance of advocacy and solidarity to pave the way for the next generation of artists.

Lisa Takauchi Cullen is the President of the WGA East and represents marginalized writers as co-chair of the Committee for Inclusion and Equity and founder of the Salon network of affinity groups; she also started and runs Diverse Writers of the East, databases of underrepresented WGAE and Pre-WGA writers. She and Catherine discuss protections for writers and building community before and after joining the Guild.

This week’s hosts discuss Sundance and give viewing recommendations. In Katie’s Korner, Senior Director of Community & Public Relations Katie Chambers tells us about NYWIFT’s Science in Motion series at BAM. 

To be featured on the podcast email us at [email protected]. For more great content go to NYWIFT.org.

Special thanks to⁠ Elspeth Collard⁠, the creator of our podcast theme song.

Social Media:

NYWIFT: Instagram:⁠⁠ @NYWIFT⁠⁠ / Twitter/X⁠⁠ @NYWIFT⁠⁠  /  #NYWIFT

REBECCA DAMON: Instagram: @rebeccadamon / Twitter/X: @RebeccaDamonNYC / Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.damon 

SAG AFTRA NY: Instagram: @SAGAFTRA  / Twitter/X: @SAGAFTRANY / Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SagAftraNy 

LISA TAKEUCHI CULLEN: Twitter/X: @LisaCullen / Instagram: @Lisa_Yakeuchi_Cullen

WGA EAST: Instagram: @WGAEast / Twitter/X: @WGAEast / Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WGAEast  

Latasha Gillespie, Global Head of DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility) for Amazon MGM Studios, Prime Video and Freevee tells Tammy Reese about the importance of inclusivity in regards to hiring studio positions, actors and crew and within shows and films they choose to produce. She also highlights her new initiative to prioritize mental health in the workplace.  

Penni Malloy-Harper talks with Abbesi Akhamie (director-writer-producer), Ellie Foumbi (lead actress), and Yety Akinola (producer-costume designer) about their new short The Incredible Sensational Fiancée of Dr. Seyi Ajayi. In the whimsical pan-African city of Alkebulan, a brilliant scholar plots revenge after discovering her fiances' engagement with another woman, sparking a hilarious rollercoaster of love, deception, and unexpected empowerment.

Tammy and Penni discuss TV and film recommendations.

To be featured on the podcast email us at [email protected]. For more great content go to NYWIFT.org.

Special thanks to⁠ Elspeth Collard⁠, the creator of our podcast theme song.

Social Media:

NYWIFT: IG⁠⁠ @NYWIFT⁠⁠ / Twitter/X⁠⁠ @NYWIFT⁠⁠  /  #NYWIFT

Latasha: IG: @latashagillespie / Twitter X: @im_latashag

Incredible Film IG: @theincredibleshortfilm  

Our podcast team member Penni Malloy-Harper, who received Spotify recognition for having the Top Episode of The Year on our show, brings us an outstanding interview with Script Supervisor Dawn Gilliam. Her credits include an iconic list of movies and television shows such BOYZ N THE HOOD, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Hunger Games, Lost, and Marvel's Agents of Shield. She also teaches an online course, “The Art of Continuity.” 

Also, Janine McGoldrick has an impactful conversation with Jeanie Finlay, one of Britain’s most distinctive documentarians, about her new film Your Fat Friend. Made over 6 years, it charts the rise of writer and activist Aubrey Gordon from anonymous blogger to NYTimes best selling author and beloved podcaster. Her aim? A paradigm shift in the way we see fat people and the fat on our own bodies.

Hosts Janine and Tammy Reese discuss the current awards season and recommendations to keep you entertained for the rest of the year!

To be featured on the podcast email us at [email protected]. For more great content go to NYWIFT.org.

Special thanks to⁠ Elspeth Collard⁠, the creator of our podcast theme song.

Social Media:

NYWIFT: IG⁠⁠ @NYWIFT⁠⁠ / Twitter/X⁠⁠ @NYWIFT⁠⁠  /  #NYWIFT

Dawn Gilliam: IG @DawnGilliam

Jeanie Finlay: IG @JeanieFinlay/ Twitter-X @JeanieFinlay/ 

Your Fat Friend: IG: @yrfatfriendfilm⁠ / Twitter-X ⁠@yrfatfriendfilm

Another double header is coming your way! This week we are honored to speak with:

EmmoLei Sankofa, Music Composer for Hulu’s The Other Black Girl, a dynamic thriller about an editorial assistant who gets excited when another black girl is hired only to discover something sinister is going on at the company.

Sarah Burke, CBS New York Vice President & News Director who has helped the station’s growth by producing important content that impacts the day-to-day lives of the diverse communities across the Tri-State area. 

Hosts Katie Chambers and Catherine Woo discuss the tentative deal reached in the Actor’s Strike and the UCLA TV Diversity Report, which for the first time tracked the disability status of actors and the news isn’t good. 

To be featured on the podcast email us at [email protected]. For more great content go to NYWIFT.org.

Special thanks to⁠ Elspeth Collard⁠, the creator of our podcast theme song.

Social Media:

NYWIFT: IG⁠ @NYWIFT⁠ / Twitter/X⁠ @NYWIFT⁠  /  #NYWIFT

EmmoLei: IG @EmmoLei / Twitter-X @EmmoLei / Facebook / YouTube / IMDB

Sarah: Twitter-x @DunLapBurke

CBS NY News: IG: @cbsnewyork / Twitter-X @CBSNewYork

We have two powerhouse women joining us this week! Heard of a film called Barbie? Suzana Peric, the film's Supervising Music Editor and NYWIFT Muse Honoree, tells us all about working on the smash-hit film.

[email protected]. For more great content go to NYWIFT.org.

Tammy Reese has a great interview for us! Our mini-episode features NYWIFT member Mirejah Cruz, an actor and a writer with a background in sketch comedy. She wrote and produced Hell Week with the intention of sparking a conversation around Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder and bringing awareness to the realities that women face while living with PMDD.  

To be featured on the podcast email us at [email protected]. For more great content go to NYWIFT.org.

Special thanks to Elspeth Collard, the creator of our podcast theme song.

We don't have just one great interview for this this week...we have two!!

First, NYWIFT member Lucia Grillo takes us through her multifaceted career here and in Italy while Cristina Cacioppo, programmer of Nitehawk Cinema, tells us about the current River Phoenix Retrospective and the work that goes into being a film programmer.  

Hosts Tammy Reese and Penni Love-Harper provide a status on the writers and actors strikes, returning shows, highlight the AI panels at Advertising Week 2023, and suggest some movies to watch. 

We also have another segment of Katie’s Korner, a brief NYWIFT programming update from Senior Director of Communications Katie Chambers

To be featured on the podcast email us at [email protected]. For more great content go to NYWIFT.org.

Special thanks to Elspeth Collard, the creator of our podcast theme song.

Social Media:

NYWIFT: IG @NYWIFT / Twitter - X @NYWIFT  /  #NYWIFT

Lucia: IG @luciagrillo_calabrisellafilms / Twitter - X @LuciaVeganTV

https://www.threads.net/ @luciagrillo_calabrisellafilms 

Nitehawk Cinema: IG @nitehawkcinema  / Twitter - X @nitehawkcinema

We are back with another great season! 

This episode Tammy has a fun conversation with co-directors Charlie Gillette and Sara Metcalf about their short film Versace Softboi, a personal tale about stalking and inherent dangers of women in the online dating world. The film is an official selection at the New Voices Film Festival and Brooklyn Horror Film Festival.

Ravit Markus, director-producer of NINA, the 2023 NYWIFT Loreen Arbus Disability Awareness Grant winner, is in our Spotlight segment. Janine McGoldrick, co-producer of the film, chats with Ravit regarding the film’s development and how the grant has helped her post-production.

Tammy and Janine also discuss the current industry strikes and the NYWIFT resource page for those affected, the Emmys postponement, Drew Barrymore backlash and Covid cancellations. Also, Katie’s Korner highlights NYWIFT’s new Masterclass Series.

To be featured on the podcast email us at [email protected]. For more great content go to NYWIFT.org.

Special thanks to Elspeth Collard, the creator of our podcast theme song.

Social Media:

NYWIFT: @NYWIFT / #NYWIFT

Charlie: IG @charkable 

Sarah: @lostsrah

Ravit: IG: @ravitmarkus / FB: https://www.facebook.com/ravitmarkus

Time for the podcast team to hit the beach. We will be back in September!

You can reach us at [email protected] for inclusion in our Fall episodes.