Mission Statement
New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) connects, educates, and advocates for women to accelerate diversity in media.
Vision Statement
Equity for all women in media and entertainment to better reflect our world and transform our culture.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement
At New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT), we believe media has the power to change hearts and minds. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are integral to our greater mission and at the core of who we are and what we do. As we strive to strengthen gender parity in the entertainment industry, we create, operate, and innovate using DEI as a guide to intentionally foster positive change for our talent in the workplace, our staff and on our board, and in all of our content and programming.
Overview
The preeminent professional association for women in the New York entertainment industry, NYWIFT brings together more than 2,500 women and men working both above and below the line. NYWIFT is part of a network of 50 women in film chapters worldwide, representing more than 15,000 members. NYWIFT produces over 50 innovative programs and special events annually, including the Muse Awards for Vision and Achievement, which honors women in front of and behind the camera, and Designing Women, which recognizes costume designers, makeup artists and hair stylists in the industry.
The NYWIFT Women Calling the Shots showcase of short films made by women filmmakers will take place at the 33rd Annual Hamptons International Film Festival (October 3-13, 2025).
A partnership between the Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) and New York Women In Film & Television (NYWIFT), Women Calling the Shots is in its 22nd year. The series gives voice to the creative visions of women through film and video, including scripted, documentary, animation and experimental works.
NYWIFT invites its members, as well as members of Women in Film chapters worldwide to submit their short films for consideration for this program that is curated by NYWIFT and HIFF. No submission fee is required for applications.
ELIGIBILITY: Members of one of the Women in Film & Television chapters worldwide. Proof of Membership is required from a staff or board member of your chapter. (Proof of membership does not apply to NYWIFT members.)
The Women in Film (WIF) member submitting the film is the contact person. (Note: The WIF member must have a credit on the submitted film.)
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Shorts Only. Films must be 20 minutes or less in running time. (There will be no exceptions for films with extended running times.)
Film Submission: Submit an online link. (Password must be good through October 31st, 2025. The submission will be disqualified if the review panel is unable to screen the work with the link.) Non-English films must have subtitles.
Please have close captioning added to your film or have the film files ready for closed captioning to be added.
Completion Date: Films must have been completed after January 31st, 2024.
*Previous submissions will not be accepted.
Submitted films must not have been released theatrically or received a U.S. television broadcast.
Submitted films must not have been released publicly online prior to the fest.
Please Note: Submitting a film for the Women Calling the Shots showcase does not qualify it as a submission for the main slate of The Hamptons International Film Festival.
Submissions must be received by Monday June 30, 2025 (11:59pm Eastern Time).
Questions? Contact programs@nywift.org.
NYWIFT has partnered with iWomanTV to showcase the work of our talented membership through our 7th annual online film festival. Members are invited to submit their short films, TV pilots and webisodes to the NYWIFT Shorts Festival!
Submission Guidelines:
- Projects must be under 40 minutes long.
- We will not accept projects completed prior to 2019.
- The project must feature a current NYWIFT member in a key creative role. The NYWIFT member must be the person to submit the film to the festival. (If you are not yet a NYWIFT member, but would like to submit your project, email membership@nywift.org to join the organization.)
- All participants must allow iWomanTV to host member’s content for 1-year on a non-exclusive basis. Members must also follow iWomanTV on social media as well as promote their film airing on iWomanTV.
Deadlines to Submit:
Regular – June 23rd at 11 PM ET
Late – July 3rd at 11 PM ET
Final – July 7th at 11 PM ET (A $25 fee will be incurred between the regular and the late deadline.)
We will not accept projects after the final deadline of July 7th at 11 PM ET.
The New York Women in Film & Television Member Screening Series is a unique opportunity for NYWIFT members to showcase their work in a theatrical setting. The series features a diverse array of projects from both established and emerging filmmakers in celebration of our community of women filmmakers.
The NYWIFT member screening is open to all current members of NYWIFT. Films are selected and notified on a rolling basis for screening in the series. Due to high demand, screening is not guaranteed though we do our best to accommodate as many members as possible. Films may be short or feature length and may be paired with other film(s) for the screening. All genres are welcome. Projects must feature at least one current NYWIFT member in a key creative role. Films should have been completed within the last 4 years.
If you have submitted your film in the past we encourage you to submit it again now for future consideration.
The series takes place September through November and January through June.
For the 2022-2023 season, we are envisioning a mix of virtual and in-person screenings, subject to change. Due to high demand, we cannot guarantee everyone an in-person slot. But alternately if you have a strong desire for your film to screen virtually, please note it in your submission.
Screenings are followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker / creative team.
Please note: By submitting your film, you confirm that you have or are able to attain the rights to screen this film in a public setting.
Please be aware that a public NYWIFT screening may disqualify you from submitting to certain other festivals. By submitting your film to us, you acknowledge that you are ready and willing for your film to screen publicly now.
If you have any questions, please contact Katie Chambers at kchambers@nywift.org.
About The NYWIFT Member Screening Series
The New York Women in Film & Television Member Screening Series is a unique opportunity for NYWIFT members to showcase their work in a theatrical setting. The series features a diverse array of projects from both established and emerging filmmakers in celebration of our community of women filmmakers.
Generally, we feature a mix of virtual and in-person screenings. Due to high demand and the rising costs of in-person theatrical presentations, we cannot guarantee everyone an in-person slot. If you have already confirmed an in-person screening on your own and are looking for NYWIFT to co-present, please reach out to us asap at communications@nywift.org in addition to submitting here. Alternately, if you have a strong desire for your film to screen virtually, please note it in your submission.
Screenings are followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker / creative team.
Eligibility
The NYWIFT member screening is open to all current members of NYWIFT.
Films are selected and notified on a rolling basis for screening in the series. Due to high demand, screening is not guaranteed though we do our best to accommodate as many members as possible.
Films may be short or feature length and may be paired with other film(s) for the screening.
All genres are welcome.
Projects must feature at least one current NYWIFT member in a key creative role.
Films should have been completed within the last 4 years.
If you have submitted your film in the past we encourage you to submit it again now for future consideration.
Please note: By submitting your film, you confirm that you have or are able to attain the rights to screen this film in a public setting.
These screenings are considered public. Please be aware that a public NYWIFT screening may disqualify you from submitting to certain other festivals. By submitting your film to us, you acknowledge that you are ready and willing for your film to screen publicly now.
Special Opportunity with the SOHO International Film Festival
NYWIFT Members have the unique opportunity to have their short film selected for a special NYWIFT Member Screening Shorts Showcase at the SOHO International Film Festival. Films selected for this showcase will also be considered official selections of the festival. If you would like your short to be considered for the SOHO Showcase, please note this on your application.
Deadline: While submissions for our general series are rolling, all SOHO submissions must be received by May 31.
If you have any questions, please contact Katie Chambers at kchambers@nywift.org.
What is Fiscal Sponsorship?
NYWIFT's fiscal sponsorship allows filmmakers to access foundation and government grant funding that may only be accessible to nonprofit organizations or fiscally sponsored projects. It also provides the incentive to donors that their contribution to the project is a charitable deduction for income tax purposes.
This program does not fund film projects. Instead, NYWIFT acts as a nonprofit umbrella organization for filmmakers and videomakers who are seeking to raise funds and require nonprofit status to do so. Funds raised by project directors is directed to NYWIFT who administers and disburses those funds back to project directors.
There is no application fee. NYWIFT takes an administrative fee of 7% for any funds raised through the fiscal sponsorship program.
How to Apply
Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. There is no deadline. You must be a NYWIFT member to be considered for fiscal sponsorship. (Become a member.)
Submit a one or two-page project proposal or treatment, a budget and the bios of key personnel. Please designate a single project manager who will be responsible for requesting funds and reporting to NYWIFT. Your application will be reviewed within two - three weeks. If your application is accepted you will be sent a contract.
DONATION
Donations can be made via a webpage that is created for each project. Checks should be made out to NYWIFT. Make sure to put the project name in the memo portion of the check.
Checks should be sent to:
New York Women in Film & Television
PO Box 55
Kings Park, NY 11754
Email emichel@nywift.org for further information.