New and Renewing Members (Jan 2 - 30, 2024)

Lulu Bennani-Smires

Susan Borke

Kayona Ebony Brown

Cintia Cabib

Liang Cai

Claire Callahan

Elizabeth Centenari

Frank Cervarich

Namita Chopra

Adrienne Cleary

Elyse Cosgrove

Deryl Davis

Ari Davis

Danielle Davy

Rebecca Doherty

Maxine Downs

Lynda Erkiletian

David Geraci

Maureen Gosling

Jonathan Gruber

Catherine Hand

Bernice Harleston

Maureen Cohen Harrington

Tanya Hutchins

Heather Hutt

Yari Jamali

Stephanie Kolar

Ellen Lent

Jennifer Marcano

Megan Marcotte

Elise Markle

Evangeline Mitchell

Maggie Mulloy

David Nathan

Sue O'Hora

Teresa Palaia

Andrea Palombella

Brian Pascale

Robyn Peterson

Renata Phillippi

Jill Ray

Linda Robbins

Andrea Rogers

Douglas Ryan

Anne Saul

Alex Schor

Robin Smith

Patty Stern

Daria Strachan

Kristen Udowitz

Laura Waters Hinson

Nicole West

Corporate Supporters:

Marks & Harrison

Someplacehere Media

Video Action

Having Fun at WIFV Holiday Party!

Upper Right: The door prize winners! CJ Crim, Andre Lutiere, and Namita Chopra (L to R) Door prizes donated by Final Draft, OCTFME, Connie St. John, and WIFV

Photo Credit: Hillary Reskin

DISTRICT OF SECOND CHANCES Premiere at DCIFF

Please join Wynette Yao for the DC premiere of DISTRICT OF SECOND CHANCES, a 77-minute feature documentary that follows three men who were sentenced in their youth to life in prison. Thanks to forward-looking "second chance" legislation, Pete, Gene and Colie have the chance to plead for release. The film "grabs your heart immediately, without being naive. It's a very healing and endearing film." (Merle Worth, Filmmaker) 

A production of FAMM Foundation, the documentary was directed and produced by Wynette Yao, and filmed and edited by Travis Edwards. The original score is composed by Ian McLeod's Cleod9, with additional music by Joseph Jeauxsmeaux Wilson and Dupont Brass. Get your tickets here. 

DISTRICT OF SECOND CHANCES offers a different approach to fighting violent crime at a time when Washington, DC is struggling with this issue. DC activist Tony Lewis said--"Given the debate going on now, it's an important, must-see film." Pulitzer Prize winning author James Forman, Jr. wrote: "Through raw, intimate human stories, this film shows us how Washington, DC has decided to welcome home a generation it once abandoned. Honest and hopeful, this film is guaranteed to soften hearts, lift spirits, and change minds."

The film had its world premiere at the Dances with Films Festival in NYC on Dec 3, 2023. 

Exclusive DC Premiere of BURST THE SILENCE 

Rolling Pictures announces an exclusive showing of the feature film BURST THE SILENCE on February 19 at the Miracle Theatre in Washington, DC. Based on the musical LIGHT YEARS, which premiered at Signature Theatre in 2018, the film is a musical fable about a father and son and a gift that gives voice to a haunted past. BURST THE SILENCE features Bobby Smith, Marcy Harriell, Nick Blaemire, Dylan Silver, Declan Fennell, Susan Rome and Robbie Schaefer.  With an indie folk-rock score by Robbie Schaefer, BURST THE SILENCE is a poignant memoir about forgetting and remembering and being lost. And being found.  The film is directed by Eric D. Schaeffer and produced by Mark Maxey and Rolling Pictures. Purchase tickets here

Limited seating available.   

$20 for film and Talkback with Creatives and Cast

$45 for film, Talkback with Creatives and Cast, and Souvenir Book which includes a download for the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.

MIRACLE THEATRE  535 8^th Street SE Washington, DC   FEBRUARY 19 at 7pm

Cunningham in London

"I’m writing this while in route back home to Maryland. I honestly struggled with what I should focus on about my first trip to the UK, but… the one thing that became prominent in my mind (and usually does) is what I am grateful for.

Aside from the enlightening array of films screened at the London Short Film Festival, including my own (SENSES), the panel discussions, particularly one on the importance of team collaboration, were exactly what I needed during this period of my life. Although I’ve successfully produced six short films and another is in the works, I do recognize that I am embarking on new territory with my goal of producing my first feature-length film." Read Alyscia Cunningham's full blog here

WIFV Mems at CenFlo Fest

Susan Perz, PhD (SAVING JAGUARS AND OURSELVES) and sheri ratick stroud (ENCORE LEARNING: 20 Years and Growing) were both at the Central Florida Film Fest with their docs! Both Perz (left) and ratick stroud (right) will be at other festivals with their films this year!

Both films were well received and Perz was featured in a filmmaker Q&A. More info from Perz - My film isn't just about saving jaguars--it's really about finding ways to protect the Amazon Rainforest and the Pantanal Wetland located 500 miles south of the Amazon. Both are struggling after five years of extreme drought - 60 of 62 areas of the State of Amazonas were in a state of emergency from fires in fall 2023 . I filmed SAVING JAGUARS in the Northern Pantanal during the summer of 2022--the only year, out of the last four, that it didn't burn. Local people in these areas of Brazil are fighting fires with very little equipment to save their homes, jaguars, and wildlife. What can we do to help? If we use small local banks or credit unions instead of the big banks--our money is not used to support fossil fuels or deforestation since small banks and credit unions loan money locally.

The Forest Act is a bill in Congress right now that would require corporations to prove that their supply chains do not include materials from areas that have been newly deforested. Contact your representative! A similar bill has already passed in the U.K. You can learn more about SAVING JAGUARS AND OURSELVES and find links for actions you can take here. Perz also created a website to help people understand 10 Main Aspects of Climate Change Discussed at COP28--AND it also has a Climate Action Treaty where you can choose up to 24 items that you would support as part of a Citizens' New Deal Package of Actions and Legislation. Help save the planet here.

I appreciate WIFV for all the many ways it provides support to filmmakers! WIFV has made a huge difference in helping me feel I am not alone on this journey and by providing real and affordable knowledge and skilled information that has been so valuable in so many ways! Susan Perz PhD

Clean Cuts & Asgard's Wrath 2

In collaboration with Sanzaru Games, Inc. and Oculus Studios, our team here at Clean Cuts Interactive is excited to announce the release of “Asgard’s Wrath 2”!

In this epic adventure, players continue to pursue their ultimate goal of stopping Loki’s mayhem throughout the mortal realms. One of the largest in scale action RPGs experienced in VR to-date, players battle monstrous enemies, solve god-size puzzles, and explore several playable realms in a fight for the fate of reality.

This game has it all: A fully featured 100+-hr campaign with four playable characters, a roguelite mode with asynchronous multiplayer gameplay, mind-bending anomalies in mixed reality, and more. Trust us when we say this will absolutely blow you away and really is a full-size undertaking in AAA VR gaming.

More than four years in the making, a team of seven Clean Cuts Interactive sound designers spent thousands of hours creating, crafting, and implementing the custom sound design for this landmark title. From unique weapons to signature sounds, boss monsters to tailored spells & abilities: You hear it, we touched it.

Capital Irish Film Festival

February 29 - March 3

CIFF 2024 will open with the East Coast premiere of award-winning Irish director Lisa Mulcahy’s LIES WE TELL (Best Cinematography in an Irish Feature, Galway Fleadh 2023 - Eleanor Bowman), fresh from its American Premiere at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. The film is a sharp, taut, suspenseful and gritty gothic drama with a feminist twist, adapted by Elisabeth Gooch from the revered Sheridan Le Fanu novel, Uncle Silas. The cast includes Agnes O’Casey (Bingham Ray New Talent Award Winner at the Galway Fleadh; RIDLEY ROAD), David Wilmot (THE WONDER), Holly Sturton (SMOTHER) and Chris Walley (YOUNG OFFENDERS). The film is slated for February 29, 7:00 p.m.

The festival's closing film is the East Coast Premiere of VERDIGRIS (Best Independent Film, Galway Fleadh 2023; Best Narrative Feature, Kerry Film Festival 2023; Best Feature Film, Irish Film Festival London 2023; Audience Award–Best Irish Film, Newport Beach Film Festival 2023) by Patricia Kelly, an exciting new voice in Irish cinema. This edgy debut feature depicts an unlikely friendship and the diverse social realities of two women from opposite ends of Dublin (Geraldine Mc Alinden and Maya O’Shea). Using incredible humor and charm, the film tells a powerful story about class, female friendship, and empowerment. VERDIGRIS is slated for March 3, 6:45 p.m. Get passes here

Narrative Script Development Fellowship

Application Deadline - February 9

Through the nine-month WIFV Narrative Script Development Fellowship, open only to WIFV members, accomplished film professionals will work with 4-6 Fellows to take feature-length scripts from page to production. Three meetings per month with mentors – will workshop the scripts through all aspects of pre-production and development. The Fellows will also meet monthly, forming a cohort to support each other as they move out of the Fellowship. By program’s end, the Fellows will have a shooting script, budget, a plan to make their films and access funds, OR a project they can successfully pitch to producers outside of their teams. 

Application process starts here. There is a $50 application fee. Applicants must be WIFV Members in good standing. Application deadline for the 2024 program is February 9, 2024. More info here.

The WIFV Narrative Script Development Fellowship is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov. Additional support was received from OCTFME/202 Creates and the Gem Star Foundation.

Copyright Alliance Applauds Outcomes of Fair Use Cases Involving ‘Appropriation Artist’ Richard Prince

On January 25, the district court for the Southern District of New York approved final judgments in two separate copyright infringement lawsuits, which were filed by photographers, Donald Graham and Eric McNatt, against appropriation artist, Richard Prince. On January 26, Copyright Alliance CEO Keith Kupferschmid applauded the case outcomes and issued the following statement:

The January 25 judgments in the Graham and McNatt copyright infringement cases involving Richard Prince are among the most important fair use decisions in decades. The outcome in both cases is extremely significant and provides us with insights into how last year’s Supreme Court decision in Andy Warhol Foundation v. Goldsmith will impact future copyright cases involving fair use. The court issued judgments in favor of all claims brought against Richard Prince in both the McNatt and Graham cases, including willful infringement of the photographers’ works. The Court dismissed all of the defenses raised by Prince and his co-defendants Larry Gagosian, Gagosian Gallery, and the gallery Blum & Poe, including a fair use defense, which Prince has used in the past to avoid liability for copyright infringement. Read full statement here.

State of the VA Film Industry - Richmond, February 6

The Virginia Production Alliance invites you to one of their biggest events of the year! The annual STATE OF THE INDUSTRY event is a celebration of film and video production in Virginia. Film professionals and those who aspire to filmmaking mix, mingle, get informed, and share information about the current state of the film industry. We will have updates from Andy Edmunds of the Virginia Film Office and legislative news and updates from Matt Benedetti. WIFV will have an information table there.

Tuesday, February 6, 6:00-9:00 pm RSVP here

Hardywood Craft Brewery - 2410 Ownby Lane, Richmond, VA 23220

Enjoy a complimentary drink ticket and light dinner! VPA Members are $5, guests are $10. This is a great opportunity to become a member of the VPA or WIFV!

WIFV Receives NEA Funding for Programs

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is pleased to announce the first round of recommended awards for fiscal year 2024, with 1,288 grants totaling $32,223,055. Recipients include organizations from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, recommended in the categories of Grants for Arts Projects, Challenge America, Research Grants in the Arts, and Research Labs. 

• View a state-by-state listing of the grants announced in this release
• View a listing of awards by discipline / grant category

The grant to WIFV will support educational and professional development programs for independent media makers in the Mid-Atlantic. 

In-person in Annapolis - February 6

We look forward to welcoming you at an in-person Happy Hour in Annapolis. Feel free to bring your favorite snack!  



Tuesday, February 6, 5:00-7:00 pm RSVP here

Thibodeau Media Group / Two Producers Studios

11 Lincoln Court, Annapolis, MD 21401

Marketing Oneself - February 7

A career in filmmaking is all about who you know. Learn from Laurisha Yniguez how to network effectively, establish yourself on social media, and share your work periodically to build and maintain your network. By the end of the session, you'll have practical tips and resources to build your brand. Read Ms. Yniguez's bio here.

Wednesday, February 7, 6:30 pm RSVP here

FREE for WIFV Executive Members (must be logged in and use discount code)

$15 for WIFV Members (must be logged in) and Students / $30 for public 

You will receive login information with your registration confirmation.

Event sponsored by Interface Media Group, 202Creates, and OCTFME. 

Coffees in February

New Member Coffee

Friday, February 2, 9:00 am RSVP here

You will receive login info for the zoom with your registration

Executive Member Coffee

Tuesday, February 13, 9:00 am RSVP here

You will receive login info for the zoom with your registration

Reel Moms Coffee

Friday, February 16, 10:00 am RSVP here

The two-minute film challenge theme is THOUGHTS.

Info on how to share your short will be with your registration.

You will receive login info for the zoom with your registration

KING RICHARD - February 19

WIFV Film Club invites you to join us for our February 2024 selection, KING RICHARD (2021). A look at how tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams became who they are after the coaching by their father Richard Williams. Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, written by Zach Baylin, starring Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, and Jon Bernthal. KING RICHARD is available to stream on Max and AppleTV and available to rent on Prime Video. 

Monday, February 19, 7:30-8:30 pm RSVP here

You will receive the Zoom login information with your registration confirmation.

Make sure you watch (or re-watch) the film in advance of the discussion.

Be prepared to share your likes, dislikes, and insights.

WIFV has been collecting (and suggesting) relief resources for freelancers, artists, and small businesses across the region. Access them here. 

Care for Creatives provides pay-what-you-can mental health support to the DC creative and entrepreneurial community. Individuals who reach out to the CCSC are matched with a clinical intern to support them through a solution-oriented therapy approach. All services are confidential and will be provided via tele-health.

Email CCSCFoggyBottom@gwu.edu and the Care for Creatives team will follow up with more information.