Fusion Film Festival 2019

2019 SCHEDULE

NYU Tisch School of the Arts | Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film & TV

THURSDAY, APRIL 4 6:30pm Fusion’s Woman of the Year MASTERCLASS with AMY SHERMAN-PALLADINO THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL Cantor Film Center, 36 East 8th St

FRIDAY, APRIL 5 3pm DOCS IN THE WORKS COMPETITION Watch finalists pitch to top industry judges Tisch Theatre 006, 721 Broadway 7pm SHIRIN NESHAT: VISIONARY MASTERCLASS Festival Centerpiece Event & Reception Tisch Theatre 006, 721 Broadway

SATURDAY, APRIL 6 12pm NIA DACOSTA’S LITTLE WOODS Screening & Conversation Tisch Theatre 006, 721 Broadway 3pm JOSEPHINE DECKER: MOVEMENT WORKSHOP MADELINE’S MADELINE director offers the film’s core experience RSVP at fusionfilmfestival.com 6:30pm FUSION COMPETITION SCREENING & AWARD CEREMONY Cantor Film Center, 36 East 8th St

All events are FREE and open to the public with seating on a first come basis.

FUSION FILM FESTIVAL 17TH ANNIVERSARY

WITH

FUSION’S WOMAN OF THE YEAR

AMY SHERMAN-PALLADINO APRIL 4 - 6, 2019

www.fusionfilmfestival.com

FUSION’S 2019 WOMAN OF THE YEAR:

AMY SHERMAN-PALLADINO Amy Sherman-Palladino began her career in the entertainment business as a staff writer on Roseanne during the show’s third season, evolving into story editor and supervising producing posts. During her four seasons on Roseanne, Sherman-Palladino was nominated for Emmy and Writers Guild Awards and was honored with a Peabody.

In 2000, Sherman-Palladino created the beloved television series Gilmore Girls, which ran for seven seasons and went on to become the WB’s most popular series. As creator, writer and executive producer, she brought to life the engaging story of a thirtysomething single mother (Lauren Graham) running a bed-and-breakfast in a small Connecticut town while raising her teen daughter (Alexis Bledel). The show, with its strong relationships and dense, fast-paced dialogue, earned widespread critical acclaim, with Time magazine listing Gilmore Girls among its “100 Best TV Shows of All Time.”

Among later projects for Amy Sherman-Palladino was the Fox comedy The Return of Jezebel James, starring Parker Posey and the ABC Family dance drama Bunheads, starring Sutton Foster. 2016 brought the highly anticipated return of Gilmore Girls to Netflix as a four-part miniseries. Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life reunited much of the original cast, tracing the characters’ lives across each season: Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. Sherman-Palladino served as executive producer, writer and director alongside her husband and frequent collaborator, writer/producer/ director Daniel Palladino.

Currently, Sherman-Palladino is serving as creator, executive producer, director, and writer of the Amazon series, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The series won eight Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series, and Sherman-Palladino made Emmys history with wins for both Comedy Writing and Comedy Directing. In its first two seasons The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has also earned three Golden Globes, five Critics’ Choice Awards, three SAG Awards, two PGA Awards, a WGA Award, and a Peabody Award. The series is currently in production on its third season.

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LETTER FROM

FROM OUR FACULTY ADVISOR

THE DIRECTORS Hello and Welcome to the 17th Fusion Film Festival!

We couldn’t be more thrilled to honor the wonderful artists and storytellers changing the entertainment industry today, from our honorees to finalists, team members, NYU students, faculty, and alumni, we are so proud to be a part of this community. Fusion is dedicated to making a positive impact, and in the wake of the “Time’s Up” and #MeToo movements, we are even more devoted to being a part of the initiatives working to eradicate misogyny, criminal behavior, and inequality in the arts, and in every industry.

This past year we have had the privilege of meeting and showcasing many impactful female-identifying storytellers and their collaborators doing amazing things in the fields of film, TV, and new media.

We have also had the honor of working with a phenomenal team of over seventy individuals who everyday bring their creativity and vision to empower marginalized voices, support one another, and build a future where all genders are valued equally.

We’d like to take this time to thank our fantastic sponsors, faculty judges, alumni judges, and industry judges, who have all given remarkable amounts of their time, energy, and resources to the festival.

We would also like to thank our wonderful and extremely hard-working faculty advisor, Susan Sandler. Susan passionately guides us in our work, and we would not be where we are today without her.

We hope that you enjoy every moment of this festival, and we thank you for being a part of Fusion’s legacy. These are difficult times politically, but never lose hope that we can and will continue to fight for intersectional feminism, inclusion, and love until we achieve true equality and representation.

With love and gratitude, The Co-Directors Allison Cavanaugh Priya Khanolkar Audrey Leach

SUSAN SANDLER

An especially rich chapter of Fusion 2019 has been the engagement of Fusion Alumni in our full festival process.

Thank you, Fusionistas, for returning to the Fusion garden with all your talent, energy and mentoring gifts!

With Joy and Love, Susan

(L. to R. Cidney Hue, Susan Sandler, Natalie Erazo, Nicole Quintero Ochoa)

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LETTER FROM

DEAN GREEN It’s a wonderful occasion to come together to celebrate the 17th Fusion Film Festival! We are so proud of this film festival because it’s an outstanding example of how Tisch students can create important new initiatives. I am especially grateful to Susan Sandler, a member of the Kanbar Institute faculty, who from the beginning has been the guiding force, advisor, and mentor to so many.

The Fusion Film Festival gives us the opportunity to have important conversations. It also brings us together to celebrate women like Amy Sherman-Palladino as the Woman of the Year.

Amy is the Emmy and Golden Globe Award winning creator of The Gilmore Girls and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which stars Rachel Brosnahan, a Drama alumna, and is written by another alumnus Daniel Goldfarb, Assistant Arts Professor in our Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing. Amy, we thank you and we’re honored to celebrate you!

I’m grateful for Emma Heald and Gina Abatemarco, two students, who 17 years ago sought Susan’s support in creating a way to celebrate women. Together, they built Fusion around collaboration and made it possible for others to join in building a festival that now offers programming throughout the year.

I offer my deepest appreciation to the 2019 Fusion’s Co-Directors Allison Cavanaugh, Audrey Leach, and, Priya Khanolkar, all seniors in the Kanbar Institute’s Film & Television department, plus the 75 volunteers who’ve given their time, talent, and energy to make the Fusion Film Festival a vital part of NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

Your collective work is changing the world, and we are so proud!

Allyson Green Dean

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LETTER FROM

DEAN BURKE It is exciting to have the opportunity to support Fusion Film Festival in its seventeenth year. Founded by undergraduate students Gina Abatemarco and Emma Heald in 2003, and guided by faculty advisor Susan Sander, Fusion offers vital programming designed to celebrate diversity and intersectional feminism, as well as provide mentorship opportunities to current students.

With its vibrant on-campus presence—featuring 75 team members this year alone—Fusion reminds us all of our responsibility to do what we can to promote change here and outside of NYU. Each year, Fusion builds on its legacy, offering new programming to our students in the form of screenings, panels, mentorship, and more. I admire their ongoing commitment to the important work they do as well as their determination to see the industry change for the better.

This year, Film & TV seniors and Co-Heads Allison Cavanaugh (’19), Audrey Leach (’19), and Priya Khanolkar (’19) have worked with Professor Sandler to coordinate an unprecedented slate of events.

Highlights include: the December screening of Destroyer, followed by a Q&A with director and UGFTV alumna, Karyn Kusama, a Masterclass with Grad Film alumna Desiree Akhavan in March, and a full festival program, featuring Woman-of-the-Year recipient Amy Sherman-Palladino, Iranian director Shirin Neshat, and many others, culminating with the Fusion Showcase and Award Ceremony honoring current students and alumni across fourteen categories.

The annual swell of support in the form of donated time, funding, and space speaks to how integral Fusion is to Tisch and I am proud that this annual event highlighting the work of women continues to thrive well into its second decade. I extend my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to everyone who works to make Fusion possible this and every year.

Sincerely, Michael Burke Associate Dean of the Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film and Television

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Alumni Relations Madeline Schumacher Saachi Bhandari Ailin Lian Kendra Brown

EXECUTIVE BOARD Susan Sandler

Faculty Advisor

Allison Cavanaugh Priya Khanolkar Audrey Leach

Co-Director & Production Mgmt.

Co-Director & Alumni Relations Co-Director & Design

Amelia Boscov Jori Johnson Bailey Oliver Bernie Torres

Assoc.

Assoc.

Assoc.

Assoc.

Sarina Freda

Co-Head of Alumni Relations

Emma Demuth

Co-Head of Design

Emma Levine Guru Ramanthan

Co-Head of Editorial Co-Head of Editorial

Sophie Worscheh

Head of Finance

Symphony Blue Maddy Oliver

Co-Head of Marketing Co-Head of Marketing

Kale Radcliff Kaylee Scinto

Co-Head of Photo/Video Co-Head of Photo/Video

Gabi Christensen Brittany Santiago

Co-Head of Production Mgmt.

Co-Head of Production Mgmt.

Lizzie Essiedu Stephanie Lemesianou

Co-Head of PR Co-Head of PR

Alyssa Craig Polina Buchak

Co-Head of Programming Co-Head of Programming

Sonya Stepanova Ines Yildiz

Co-Head of Research Co-Head of Research

Kara Bartek Ellie Goldman

Co-Head of Sponsorship Co-Head of Sponsorship

Roni Polsgrove

Co-Head of Submissions

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Director Director Director Director

& & & &

Photo/Video Submissions Marketing Tech

Design Hyeseung Kim Nina Leitenburg Editorial Amy Chabassier Brandi Powell Caitlyn Bell Maxine Anderson Caroll Zeitune Veronica Kostinsky Finance Brandon Burnett Marketing Hui Ji Joyce Lee Miriam Ouldibbat Zoey Schilling Megan McMillon Keara Sullivan Candace Tan Photo/Video Amanda Gomez Rachel LaFond Hunter Livingston Thomas Lange Fiona Kane Lynn Fong Megan Mathieson Stella Green Valentina Garrett

FUSION TEAM Production Mgmt.

Sidhant Tilokani Emily Feng Kyle McGrath Becky Blackstone Will Lucas Audrey Roh Bethany Huang Megan Murphy Marcela Ortiz Zach Milonas Sara Bartel Caroline Cox Ruby Jean Dudasik Olivia Oweyeung Programming Olivia Malesco Olivia Pratt Ashley Tang Anna Peters Lauren DiMundo Carmen Anton-Garcia Danielle Owens Research Sammy Case Antonia Becker Sponsorship Mia Dixler Nana-Saa Kessie Submissions Katelyn Howard

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MISSION STATEMENT

FINALISTS

GRADUATE FILM

Celebrating Women in Film, Television, & New Media The Fusion Film Festival is New York University’s premiere festival dedicated to celebrating women in film, television, and new media, from students to industry professionals we admire.

Fusion was founded in 2003 at NYU’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts by two students in Undergraduate Film and Television, Emma Heald and Gina Abatemarco, with the mission of encouraging, promoting, and inspiring women filmmakers and the collaboration between the sexes. Since its inception, Fusion has been passionately guided by Kanbar UGFTV Professor Susan Sandler.

Fusion programming is all about celebrating diversity, inclusion, and intersectional feminism, as well as promoting deep mentorship. Programming is year-round, from the Submissions Launch event to Alumni Showcases and the “Coffee With” series. Every spring, Fusion mounts a multi-day film festival with screenings, industry panels, pitch meetings, master-classes, retrospectives, networking events, competitions in fourteen distinct categories, and student showcases.

Fusion has been proud to attract accomplished artists and entertainment visionaries such as Melina Matsoukas, Reed Morano, Christine Vachon, Jane Campion, Kasi Lemmons, Julie Taymor, Barbara Kopple, Stella Meghie, Miranda July, and Misha Green. We are also proud to stand with the Sundance Institute’s Women’s Initiative as an Allied Partner.

Our goal here at Fusion is to celebrate storytellers in the industry, as well as those in our own NYU community, feature incredible work, and have you leave feeling inspired by the art of great storytelling.

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PAPERBOY Ninna Pálmadóttir A small town paper delivery boy peeks into his neighbor’s window and connects with a traumatized woman.

BLACK GOAT Yi Tang A new girl at the nunnery menstruates for the first time after hearing a late night ghost story.

CHICKEN BOY Kayla Arend After being bullied at school and neglected at home, the chicken boy picks up a gun.

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FINALISTS

FINALISTS

UNDERGRADUATE FILM

JUST SCREAM

STRAY CAT

Ewurakua Dawson-Amoah When Emma decides to open up about a painful incident in her past, she soon realizes that even in a room full of people whose job is to listen, no one truly is.

Mulan Fu A stray cat named “Ah Q” builds a life-long friendship with a young Chinese girl.

DEAR STRANGER

SILHOUETTE CITY

Macarena Gaona A fiery young girl befriends an unlikely penpal who mentors her through her troubled life at home.

Poulomi Mukherji A shadow accidentally detaches from his human form and ends up stranded in New York City.

THE TERRESTRIALS

OBLIVION

Kit Zauhar A woman in the near future gets stuck in a virtual world between pure pleasure and her reality.

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ANIMATION

Ivy Danxiaomeng Huang A boy tries to turn back time, but fate has a different plan...

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FINALISTS

DOCS IN THE WORKS JUDGES & MENTORS

DOCS IN THE WORKS The Road to Sabarimala Shilpa Kunnaappillil A journey through the shifting identities of Kerala women, months after a ban on them entering an Indian temple is overturned.

JUDGES Wendy Ettinger Producer & Co-Founder Chicken & Egg Pictures Jenny Raskin Co-Executive Director Impact Partners Gianna Toboni Producer & Correspondent VICE

FINALISTS

DOCUMENTARY

Olivia Pratt 50 years after the Stonewall Riots, we see the lives of LGBTQ youth who are currently homeless in New York City through the eyes of trans-femme artist and activist Je’Jae Daniels.

ALAS

My Kingdom For a Horse

Ilona Szekeres On a Cuban rooftop, a single father creates a nest for his son and a hundred pigeons. Once the pigeons have wings, they fly away - however, they return.

But what about his son?

An exploration into the untold overpopulation crisis of wild horses in America, and the effect of their powerful symbol: Freedom.

FINALISTS

Mother Cake

HUMAN GIRLFRIEND

Stephanie Schiavenato

Genevieve Dunning A short documentary that explores the relationship between two young and goofy musicians performing in and around New York City.

Three women explore the afterlife of the afterbirth as they bury, research, and make pills out of the placenta.

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Emily Harrold Filmmaker

Chris White Executive Producer POV & America ReFramed

Fighting for the Forty

Lucy Smith-Williams

MENTORS Cheryl Furjanic Filmmaker in Residence in the Program of Culture & Media at the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences

40TH & STATE Micah Ariel Watson In the wake of the lynching of Emmett Till, 40th & State is an experimental requiem and ode to the Pentecostal church that loved him.

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FINALISTS

MUSIC VIDEO

SIGHT AND SOUND

TRUTH Julia Kupiec A teenage boy does the only thing he can to cope with his overwhelmingly cliched suburban family – he writes an angsty song about them.

MUD CAKE Lucie Pottecher A young girl admires her mother’s baking skills and attempts to recreate her chocolate cake in her garden.

FINALISTS DOG MOUNTAIN Ella Sinskey A young girl figures out a way to travel to her subconscious, leading her to fully recede into her dream self.

BLISTER

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FINALISTS TEMPTATION Zoë Yi (DP) Directed by Jackson Tisi and Raveena In a colorful video inspired by India’s jungle landscapes and fruits and 70’s Bollywood sets, Raveena is entranced by a mystical woman in a garden.

CAN YOU GET ME HIGH? Directed by Tajayona Harris Peformed by Murielle “Can You Get Me High?” is not a plead but a challenge.

Can you stimulate me? If not, then I’ll be on my way...

RISING STAR

Emily Nicole Gurland

LAST STOP

Dealing with emotional turmoil post-breakup, Ramsey is faced with the option of wallowing in their pain or opening up to the possibility of new love.

Sequoia Sherriff After falling asleep on the subway, a young woman finds herself stuck in a strange new reality between life and death.

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HONORABLE MENTIONS

HONORABLE MENTIONS

GRADUATE FILM

MUSIC VIDEO

Dominica Eriksen - Saint Catherine of Bensonhurst

&burn

Molly Gillis - Now You Know

Artemis Polemis

Jamie Dack - Palm Trees and Power Lines Emilie Silvestri - April in Winter

UNDERGRADUATE FILM Christina Vislocky - Stay Giselle Bonilla - Virgencita Hannah Crane - 4 Hours a Night Hannah Namnoun (DP) - The Wiccan Trials Rebecca Schuchat - OTTO SOLOMON JULY 2004

ANIMATION

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DOCUMENTARY Zoë Yi (DP) - Hummingbirds in the Trenches Andrea Chung - Finding Naseebi

SIGHT & SOUND Olivia De Camps - Nowhere Laine Elliott - I’m Glad It Was You Bernie Torres - Fireworks: A Eulogy

RISING STAR

Jillian Ostrander - Today We Are

Johanna Xue - Pepper

Abigail Austin - New Inside

Sophia Wang - Dead Horse Bay

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FINALISTS

FINALISTS

FEATURE SCREENPLAY UNDERGRADUATE

Maya’s Untitled Story - Morgan Cunning Maya, a young Mexican girl, decides to run away from her foster family’s toxic household to visit her real mother.

Earth You Are - Isabel Weiner A young woman struggles to connect with her family while attempting to reconcile her faith with her life’s unfortunate circumstances.

Whirlpool - Emory Parker Emeline strikes up a relationship with her daughter’s friend. As feelings intensify, Emeline must choose: her daughter’s happiness or her own.

Take Care - Bo Shim A woman reluctantly returns home to care for her cancer-stricken brother and gets entangled in the chaos of her Korean-American family.

GRADUATE

The Profile of Dorian Gray - Alexandra Timmer Contemporary spin - Dorian’s relationships with a once-hot photographer and a digital socialite transform him and lead to viral tragedy.

Sustenance - Daeja Jackson When the recipe to her life is thrown out of whack, a young chef must rediscover her love for food all while trying not to fall in love with her new top chef boss.

In My Father’s House - Abbesi Akhamie A young woman’s desire to confront her estranged Nigerian father leads her on an unexpected journey of self-discovery.

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HALF-HOUR PILOT UNDERGRADUATE

The Damnation Game Isabella Bailey After being murdered, a corrupt businessman finds himself in Hell, competing in a game show to save his soul.

Angel Dust Nikki Haririan A young drug dealer leaves her abusive relationship and joins a convent to discreetly deal drugs as a nun. The correct spelling of my name is Nikki Haririan.

Racing High Eda Ozbay and Ari Gutman When a student body presidential election hits this elite suburban high school, chaos ensues.

GRADUATE

LIT Jen Rudin Molly and Eve are identical twin sisters. One sister wakes up with a terrible hangover on 9/11. She’s the lucky one.

Lashes Young Eun (Grace) Kim A new receptionist navigates the complicated world of a eyelash salon with a neurotic manager, unfriendly technicians, and demanding customers.

Hellscape Jyotsna Hariharan Karuna and Shaama, two 3000-year-old grim-reapers, go on the run from their boss Yama, the God of Death. finding unexpected refuge in small-town Montana.

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FINALISTS

FACULTY JUDGES

ONE HOUR PILOT UNDERGRADUATE

Cult Molly Scharlin Ben-Hamoo An author joins a live-in cult for research for his next book.

The West Ward Isabel Weiner Friends and family in Newark, New Jersey struggle with relationships, mental illness, and a lack of opportunity.

Grimm Reapings Rose Loprinzo A seasoned detective is put to the test when a series of murders is committed seemingly based on famous fairytales.

Thank you to our faculty judges who support and inspire us.

Mark Arywitz David Bagnall Karl Bardosh John Canemaker Christine Choy Christina DeHaven-Call Alice Elliot DB Gilles

GRADUATE

SULTANA Daeja Jackson In hopes of freeing her people, an enslaved woman must betray those she loves, by working alongside the loathed queen, to defeat a powerful enemy in the mythical kingdom of Mahina.

Malpractice Young Eun (Grace) Kim A rogue surgeon fired from the hospital starts an underground practice.

Ghosted Stephanie Donnelly A sixteen-year-old girl moves to a mysterious town where she has to deal with the teenage ghost haunting her bedroom.

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Chris Goutman Caran Harsfield Ronnie Kay Marygrace O’Shea Susan Sandler Tzipi Trope Harry Winer Enid Zentelis

ALUMNI JUDGES Vanessa Benton Leticia Bianco Ryan Carrion Natalie Cordero Natalie Erazo Grace Gao Cidney Hue

George Itzhak Anne-Marie Lee Nicole Quintero Ochoa Emory Parker Katelyn Rebelo Adriana Rios Piera Van de Wiel

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INDUSTRY JUDGES

HONORARY BOARD

We offer our deepest thanks to these judges from the highest levels of the entertainment industry for their dedication and support.

Ali Brown VP & Executive Producer PRETTYBIRD

Denise Rottina Production Manager Blue Sky Studios

Maya Edelman Animator

Derek Simon Writer/Producer

Wendy Ettinger Producer and Co-Founder Chicken & Egg Picture

Debra Solomon Animator

Anne Harrison Producer, ReVision Pictures

Janet Tamaro Writer/Executive Producer Hurdler Productions

Lawrence Mattis Partner Circle of Confusion

Gianna Toboni Producer and Correspondent VICE

Darian Lanzetta CAA Motion Picture Agent

Basil Tsiokos

Katy McAffrey Gersh Agency TV LIT Agent Jenny Raskin Co-Executive Director Impact Partners

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Programming Associate, Sundance Director of Programming, DOC NYC Film Program Director, Nantucket

Chris White Executive Producer POV & America ReFramed

Gina Abatemarco Fusion Co-Founder Maryse Alberti Cinematographer Elizabeth Avellan Producer Michael Burke Associate Dean/ Film, TV, New Media NYU/Tisch Mystelle Brabbée Executive Director, Nantucket Film Festival Dean Allyson Green Dean of the Tisch School of the Arts Jane Campion Director Denise Di Novi Producer, Di Novi Pictures Kelly Edwards VP Talent Development, HBO Alison Emilio Director, ReFrame, Women In Film/ Sundance Institute Emma Heald Fusion Co-Founder Amy Heckerling Writer, Director

Karyn Kusama Director Miranda July Writer, Director, and Actress Barbara Kopple Filmmaker and Founder of Cabin Creek Films Yvonne McCormack-Lyons Executive Director, Women’s International Film Festival Nancy Meyers Writer, Director, and Producer Lynda Obst Producer, Rosen-Obst Productions Celine Rattray Producer, Maven Pictures Ezra Sacks Chair Undergrad Film, NYU/Tisch Susan Sandler Fusion Faculty Advisor and Professor, NYU/Tisch Barbara Schock Chair Grad Film, NYU/Tisch Julie Taymor Director Lauren Zalaznick Media Executive Founder & Curator The LZ SundayPaper

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2019

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

FRIDAY APRIL 5 3pm

DOCS IN THE WORKS COMPETITION Tisch Theatre 006, 721 Broadway Extraordinary opportunity to watch finalists present their docs in progress to top industry execs for live feedback and selection of winner!

THURSDAY APRIL 4 OPENING NIGHT 6:30pm Fusion’s Woman of the Year

MASTERCLASS with

AMY SHERMAN-PALLADINO THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL Cantor Film Center, 36 East 8th St MODERATED BY STUDENT SHOWRUNNERS: Vivian Gisle Peri Segel Heather Vaxer

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7pm

SHIRIN NESHAT: VISIONARY MASTERCLASS Festival Centerpiece Event & Reception Tisch Theatre 006, 721 Broadway Shirin Neshat is an Iranian-born artist and filmmaker living in New York. Neshat’s early photographic works include the Women of Allah series (1993–1997), which explored the question of gender in relation to Islamic fundamentalism and militancy. She has recently completed her second feature-length film, based on the life and art of the legendary Egyptian singer Oum Kulthum. Neshat is represented by Gladstone Gallery, New York and Brussels.

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SATURDAY APRIL 6 12pm NIA DACOSTA’S LITTLE

WOODS

Screening & Conversation Tisch Theatre 006, 721 Broadway Fusion is proud to present Little Woods, created and produced by an entire team of Tisch Undergrad Film & TV Alumna: Writer/Director Nia DaCosta, Producers Rachel Fung and Gabrielle Nadig.

A modern Western that tells the story of two sisters, Ollie and Deb, who are driven to work outside the law to better their lives.

3pm

JOSEPHINE DECKER: MOVEMENT WORKSHOP MADELINE’S MADELINE

Part of Time Warner’s 150 incubator, Sundance’s New Frontier Lab and one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film, Josephine Decker has been said to be ushering in a “new grammar of narrative” by The New Yorker, Her newest feature Madeline’s Madeline World Premiered at Sundance 2018 where it was called a “mind-scrambling masterpiece” by Indiewire and a “radical, breathtaking beauty” by The Village Voice. The film was recently nominated for Best Picture and lead Helena Howard for Breakthrough Actor at IFP’s Gotham Awards and received two Independent Spirit Award nominations as well. Josephine premiered her first two narrative features at the Berlinale Forum 2014 to similarly rave reviews.

Josephine is currently in post-production on her fourth narrative feature starring Elisabeth Moss about the writer Shirley Jackson and just directed an episode of HBO’s Room 104.

Her documentary, film and music video work has shown at the Museum of the City of New York, on Netflix, PBS and MTV and at hundreds of film festivals around the world.

6:30pm FUSION COMPETITION SCREENING

& AWARD CEREMONY Cantor Film Center, 36 East 8th St Join us for a stunning

Josephine will lead a workshop that brings theatrical and film

showcase screening of the

techniques together and focuses on how the body moving

finalists in the Fusion Film

through space can be a storyteller.

Festival 2019 Competition.

LIMITED attendance by RSVP only at www.fusionfilmfestival.com

We bring you the next generation of storytelling greats. Award presentations and reception will follow the screenings.

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Love Susan Sandler and all her Fusionistas!

Look forward to seeing you take over the world!

Your comedian fan, Jane Condon www.janecondon.com

Congratulations to the CANON Fusion Filmmaker Award Winners!

CongratulatesAmy Amy Sherman Sherman-Palladino, Congratulates Palladino, Josephine Decker, Shirin Neshat, Nia Dacosta Josephine Decker, Shirin Nashat and all the women in the 17th annual andFusion all theFilm women in the Festival!

17th annual Fusion Film Festival!

NYWIFT advocates for equality in the moving image industry and supports women in every stage of their careers.

The preeminent entertainment industry association for women in New York, NYWIFT energizes women by illuminating their achievements, presenting training and professional development programs, awarding scholarships and grants, and providing access to a supportive community of peers.

Join the conversation: @NYWIFT / #NYWIFT Learn more at www.nywift.org

HBO ad

Thank you, HBO, for believing in us!

-The Fusion Film Festival Team

The Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation is pleased to support the Fusion Film Festival and its work on behalf of women in the entertainment industry.

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Fusion is produced with generous support from Tisch Profunds: The Office of the Dean & The Tisch Undergraduate Student Council