Dec 5, 2025 | News, Event
WIFTI (Women in Film and Television International) is excited to announce the upcoming Global Lens online event in partnership with WIFT Australia and WIFT Victoria: Storytelling at the Edge of the World. Australia’s screen industry has become a model for gender equity, First Nations leadership, accessible filmmaking and strong public-policy frameworks. With Screen Australia’s 2025 Gender Matters KPI Update demonstrating parity or above in several key categories, this Global Lens session, moderated by WIFT Australia Chair Leanne Tonkes, offers an opportunity to highlight what Australia is doing effectively and what global peers can replicate.
This panel looks to explore:
- Key findings from the new Gender Matters report
- First Nations-led creative practice
- Inclusion frameworks that genuinely shift workplaces
- Industry-wide collaboration between agencies, creators, and community organisations
- Practical steps international chapters can implement immediately
This is an opportunity for WIFTI members to hear directly from some of Australia’s leading changemakers.
Date: Thursday 18 December 2025 / Friday 19 December 2025
📍Online: SIGN UP HERE
Time Zones:
- Australia: 8:00 AM AEDT, Friday 19 December 2025
- Los Angeles: 1:00 PM PST, Thursday 18 December 2025
- New York: 4:00 PM EST, Thursday 18 December 2025
- London: 9:00 PM GMT, Thursday 18 December 2025
Moderator: Leanne Tonkes – Chair, WIFT Australia
Leanne Tonkes is a veteran Australian producer across a varied slate in film, television and digital and long-running CEO of Sense & Centsability. Her productions include Stan’s first original film project, The Second, feature film My Mistress and series This Is Desmondo Ray! Tonkes is currently producing West Australian production, Prawn Curry Christmas, under the 2025 West Coast Visions initiative and Written in the Stars, directed by Fawzia Mirza.
Based in Victoria, Leanne envisions a bold new chapter for WIFT, one driven by deep industry collaboration, national influence, and international strategic alliances that elevate the visibility, agency, and creative leadership of Australian women in screen.
Featured Panelists:
Dianna La Grassa – COO and Head of Screen Bus Stop Films
Dianna is an award winning producer having created over 45 short films and moving into longer form content. She is a proud woman of the disability community and comes from a CALD background and is also an immigrant to Australia. A NIDA trained actress and an MBA graduate she combines her passion for the arts and business to create inclusively made films advocating for authentic representation on both sides of the camera. Dianna is on the Board of WIFT Australia and is a disability advocate promoting and elevating the voices of our community.
Rosie Lourde – Producer, Writer, Actor
Rosie Lourde is an award-winning multi-faceted filmmaker with a passion for advocacy. Amongst many projects, Rosie is an EP on sport docu-series YOUNG BLOODS (TikTok), comedies WHITE FEVER (ABC/Stan), and feature SWEET MILK LAKE. She directed romcom ROMANCE ON THE MENU (Netflix) and DEADHOUSE DARK – DASHCAM (Shudder), and produced STARTING FROM NOW (YouTube) which now has over 250 million views online. As an actor Rosie features in TOTAL CONTROL (ABC), ONE NIGHT (Paramount+/Netflix), and HOUSE OF GODS (ABC). Rosie was a member and the Chair of Screen Australia’s Gender Matters Taskforce (2020-25), and was previously an Investment Manager of Screen Australia’s Online Production fund.
Sarah Price – Co-Founder, Damulgurra Stories
Sarah is a multi award winning Casting director, marketing director and experienced production professional with over 20 years experience. Sarah co-founded the Northern Territory’s only dedicated casting business, Castaway NT 7 years ago and is also an emerging NT based producer. Sarah holds graduate degrees in business and Marketing, including a Master Screen Business, AFTRs( 2022) . The sole accredited and dedicated casting director ( Casting Guild of Australia member) in the Northern Territory, Sarah has grown the business from an interesting side hustle to a thriving and in demand business. Castaway NT has developed a database of NT talent from The Red Centre to the Top End and everywhere in between and has worked on everything from major film and TV productions to short films as well as collaborated with some of the most respected producers and casting directors in the industry, building a reputation for finding the unfindable talent . In 2025 Sarah was named by Inside Film magazine a “Rising Talent”, in the Casting Director category.
Sarah is also co – founder of Damulgurra Stories along with Larrakia filmmaker Cian Mccue – a new business launched in May 2025, that sets a new screen industry standard by providing resources, protocols and training focused on cultural integrity , collaboration and empowerment.
Grainne Brunsdon – COO / Screen Australia
As Chief Operating Officer at Screen Australia Grainne leads on Content and Operations – investment and initiatives across Australian screen content, including film, television, direct to audience, documentary and games; industry development and international programs. Grainne is a strategic leader with more than 25 years’ experience working in the creative industries, including as Head of Screen NSW, and leadership positions in international cultural relations with the British Council, and arts organisations in Sydney. As Head of Screen NSW, Grainne oversaw the state’s investment in the local screen sector, including industry development and international production incentives, and was the representative for global film cities for the UNESCO Cities Of Culture Network.
Nov 26, 2025 | News, Event
The annual event organized by WIFTMI – Women in Film, Television & Media Italy, returns in support of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
Where: ROME, November 29, 2025 | Palazzo Merulana
LET’S CHANGE THE SCRIPT!
The audiovisual industry for a culture free from gender-based violence
Third Edition | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Launched in 2023, this day of in-depth discussion aims to overturn the normalization of gender-based violence in media narratives and change the script on screen and in real life.
The key words for 2025 are awareness, responsibility, action, alliances, sharing.
The 2025 focus of LET’S CHANGE THE SCRIPT! is on the role of the audiovisual sector in preventing gender-based violence through emotional, romantic, and sexual education, in a national context marked by ongoing femicides and resistance to relationship education in schools.
The event is free to attend with prior reservation at the following link, while seats last. https://www.eventbrite.it/o/women-in-film-television-and-media-italia-74469290403
Discover the program here: https://wiftmitalia.it/cambiamo-copione-lindustria-audiovisiva-per-una-cultura-libera-dalla-violenza-di-genere/
We look forward to seeing you!
#Let’sChangeTheScript2025
Sep 19, 2025 | News, Event
Women in Film and Television Jamaica (WIFTJA) is proud to present its upcoming Industry Symposium: The Art and Business of Screenwriting Across Genres, a one-day event designed to empower writers and creatives across the Caribbean.
Date: Saturday, September 20, 2025
Time: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Venue: Department of Literatures in English, UWI Mona
This dynamic programme will feature:
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Keynote Address by acclaimed filmmaker Tanya Hamilton (Director, HBO’s Get Millie Black)
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Masterclasses:
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From Script to Screen: The Business Behind the Vision with Sarudzayi Marufu (Founder & Executive Producer, EURAS Films)
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Writing for Young Audiences with Kenia Mattis (CEO, ListenMi Caribbean Ltd.)
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Panel Discussion: After Ideation – Establishing a Writer’s Practice and Presence
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Screenwriting Accelerator Program spotlight, including a live pitch session
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Networking opportunities with industry peers and professionals
This symposium is all about building skills, sharing knowledge, and amplifying Caribbean voices on the global stage.
Supported by UNESCO’s Creative Caribbean and Participation Program, CARICOM, ACP-EU Culture, and The University of the West Indies, Mona.
For more details, visit: www.wiftja.org
Sep 10, 2025 | News
New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT), in collaboration with the Fulbright Association India Interest Group, invites you to a special virtual event bringing together two of India’s most acclaimed filmmakers, Aparna Sen and Deepa Mehta, in conversation with cultural leader Vishaka Desai.
The discussion will explore the artistry, passion and vision behind their groundbreaking work, looking at how cinema can spark change across cultures and generations.
Thursday, September 25, 2025
7:30 am PT | 10:30 am ET | 8:00 pm IST
Free virtual event – Register here
Sep 3, 2025 | News
The 2025 edition of the Women in Film and TV Conference will take place on September 16, 2025, from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, at the Landmark Event Centre, Lagos, as part of this year’s Africa Creative Market (ACM).
Hosted by the Forum for Women in Film and TV Nigeria (FWIFT Nigeria), in partnership with Women in Film and TV Africa and Women in Film LA, the event brings together the most influential voices across film, television, and screen-based media from the African continent and the global diaspora. This year, the conference is expected to welcome over 1,500 participants, nearly doubling last year’s record of 800 attendees — making it the biggest gathering of African women in screen industries in 2025.
Themed “Creative Bridge: Empowering Talent, Accessing Ecosystems, Unlocking Markets!”, the one-day conference will explore co-production opportunities, narrative sovereignty, creative financing, market access, and the infrastructure needed to power global careers. Delegations and speakers are expected from Senegal, South Africa, Ghana, Cameroon, Kenya, Benin Republic, and several other African nations, as well as an international delegation from Women in Film Los Angeles and Europe.
“This is more than a conference — it is a movement. We are building the networks and systems needed for African women to thrive locally and globally,” said Joke Silva, veteran actress and President of FWIFT Nigeria. “With the incredible growth in participation, we are witnessing a real hunger for collaboration, visibility, and equity in our industry.”
“At Women in Film and TV Africa, we are building an empowered continental network that connects women to real opportunities, financing, mentorship, and global collaboration. This conference is a reflection of that commitment,” said Dr. Inya Lawal, President of Women in Film and TV Africa and Founder of Africa Creative Market. “Through ACM, we’ve created a powerful platform to translate these conversations into real access, visibility, and deals for African creatives.”
“We are proud to support this growing network of women leaders across Africa’s screen industries,” said Andria Wilson Mirza, Director of International Programs at Women in Film Los Angeles. “This conference is a powerful platform to build bridges between our global chapters and help drive meaningful change.”
The conference will be followed by the inaugural Women in Film and TV Africa Awards & Gala Night on September 17, 2025, also at Landmark Event Centre, hosting 300 top-tier industry guests to celebrate excellence, leadership, and impact by African women and institutions in film and television.
What to Expect: Empowerment, Access, and Opportunity
Participants can look forward to keynote speeches by seasoned global leaders, inclusive workshops on critical topics such as film finance, industry structure, policy advocacy, and capacity-building, and the opportunity to network with founders of international festivals and creative platforms, including Les Taranga Film Festival, Afro Cannes, Afro Berlin, the African Pavilion, and others.
Attendees will also enjoy curated showcases, high-level networking sessions, project pitching opportunities, and in-depth discussions on narrative equity and strategies for unlocking global markets for African women creatives.
Register to Attend:
Participants can register via the official link:
bit.ly/WIFatACM2025
For press and partnership inquiries, please contact:
admin@wiftafrica.org
+234 91 67667376
Sep 3, 2025 | News
WIF India has unveiled the six filmmakers selected for the country’s women-led delegation to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), following a nationwide competition that drew over 200 applications in just one week.
The selected filmmakers and projects are:
- Arshaly Jose – A Dandelion’s Dream
- Deepa Bhatia – Rabbit Hole
- Katyayani Kumar – Sons of The River
- Madhumita Sundararaman – The Guest House
- Paromita Dhar – Ulta
- Pramati Anand – A Late Autumn Dream
This groundbreaking initiative, supported by the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, marks the first time Indian women filmmakers will collectively represent the country at TIFF. The programme provides international visibility, mentorship, curated networking, and pitching opportunities to help bridge representation gaps and build long-term global pathways for Indian women storytellers.
The delegation will be coordinated with U.S. creative strategy firm Product of Culture and supported by mentors including WIF India, WIF LA, Oscar-winning producer Guneet Monga Kapoor, and members of the international selection jury.
Read the full Variety article here.
