Thanks to all who joined us at our various events during Cannes Film Festival 2022, it was fantastic to see you and catch up, share stories and experience, and gather our collective strength!
Thank you to all who attended the IMDbPro Roadshow on 4/28/22! Please find the follow-up materials here with a breakdown of the items discussed in more detail.
As a WITI member, you are eligible to receive a 30% discount off your monthly or annual IMDbPro membership. To redeem this benefit, email Regina via assistant@wifti.net
Watch the meeting recording here.
Watch Salma Hayek Pinault’s acceptance of our IMDb “Icon” STARmeter award here.
Watch a fun sizzle reel celebrating IMDbPro’s 20th anniversary here.
Follow IMDbPro on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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You can meet WIFT representatives from our global community during two events in Cannes. The annual WIFT panel, organised by WIFT Israel, takes place on May 20th and our grand WIFTI reception takes place on May 22 (invitation only). We cannot wait to see you again in real life!
Information for our reception on May 22nd will follow soon, keep an eye out here and via our newsletter!
We are all shocked by Russia’s brutal attack on independent Ukraine, but our indignation should be backed up by concrete, responsible help for our Ukrainian sisters and brothers. Poland has become a natural place of refuge for many of them. Among them are also professionals working in film industry, majority of whom are women. They need a housing, food, basic necessities and also mental health services. In the future, we need to help them to return to work in their professions.
Polish film organizations are trying to provide help on an ongoing basis and work in cooperation with Ukrainian friends. First of all, our sisters and brothers need to rest. They often wait up to four days at the border. We are creating a list of organizations, companies and individuals that can provide refugees with temporary and later permanent housing. We are also creating a database of those who can later hire them in various film professions, who can also provide language lessons and professional skills for other markets. The Polish film industry is relatively small, so the help of filmmakers from all over the world will certainly be needed.
Many inhabitants of Ukraine fled as they were, without documents and money. We can help with the process of immigration paperwork now, even if they would like to move on.
We must remember that there are many filmmakers in Ukraine who do not want to flee. Who want to stay in Ukraine and provide us with documentary eyewitness accounts, cataloging the impact of the Russian invasion. Knowing how many influential people there are in the film world, they write from bunkers in their cities hoping to be heard and appealing to the whole world for help. They count on film industry leaders to pressure on international organizations and politicians, not to wait for the destruction of their country. They plea for support in making Ukraine a member of the European Union and NATO, and not succumb to the blackmail of the Russian President, Vladimir Putin.
We will send you a list of specific needs and addresses to which you can submit offers of your assistance.
Attached you will find the appeal of Ukrainian filmmakers from the Kyiv metro.
On behalf of Women in Film Poland
Renata Czarnkowska-Listoś
President
Women filmmakers make up only a tiny percentage of the whole industry in Bhutan; they are also less visible and marginalized within a male-dominated field.
Being Bhutan’s first female director, Karma Deki faced many challenges and fortunately, this propelled her to initiate Bhutanese Women in Film and Television to support women in the industry and to amplify their voices and work.
Her dream is to support every woman working in the film industry by highlighting women’s achievements, providing professional development support, and advocating for equity and women’s empowerment in this male-dominated industry.
Meet the inspiring women that are making films and advocating for women’s filmmaking craft in Bhutan!
February 21, 10am Central European Time / 3pm Bhutanese Time
Namgay Zam is an independent journalist, and also the Executive Director of the Journalists’ Association of Bhutan. She has more than a decade’s experience in all forms of media. Zam is a trainer and consultant for media and gender issues. She is a mental health advocate and an LGBTIQ ally as well. Zam is a Young Asia Leader and a Fulbright Humphrey Fellow.
Nyema Zam is the Founder and CEO of Samuh, the first of its kind OTT platform in Bhutan. She is a communication and media specialist with over two decades of experience in Media. She has worked with the National Broadcaster of Bhutan, BBS as a News Anchor, News Editor and as the Head of Marketing and Public Relation Division. She has also worked as a media and communication consultant for UNDP Bhutan, Tourism Council of Bhutan and Ministry of Economic Affairs. Nyema has a masters degree in strategic communications from the University of Western Australia and is passionate about collaborating with a wide range of agencies and communities in developing an inclusive creative eco-system in Bhutan. She is a mother to two teenage boys and loves reading, travelling and listening to music during her free time.
Sonam Yangzom is one of the few women filmmaker in Bhutan. She is a videographer, video editor, director and documentary filmmaker. She has devoted most of her career in film making. Her documentary, The Curse has won the Best Documentary in American Academy of Neurology 2016 and best documentary in Beskop Tshechu. Her documentary Lyonpo Ugyen Tshering’s milestones and Parkinson won the best documentary award in Bhutan Film Festival, 2017.