New York Women In Film & Television Names Loreen Arbus Disability Awareness Grant Awardee NINA By Ravit Markus

New York Women in Film & Television will present the Loreen Arbus Disability Awareness Grant to award-winning writer, director, and producer Ravit Markus of New Love Films for her documentary feature Nina. The film completion grant, now in its 15th year, is provided through the generosity of longtime disability rights advocate Loreen Arbus and awards $6,500 to a woman filmmaker for a film on physical or developmental disability issues.

The announcement was made live on stage at the 2023 NYWIFT Creative Workforce STEM Summit at The Paley Center in New York City, which brought together STEM innovators with film and television thought leaders to discuss the intersection of science, technology, medicine and the media. NYWIFT Board Member Emelyn Stuart made the announcement and introduced Markus and a clip from the film.

Nina tracks Israeli Para-badminton champion Nina Gorodetsky's exciting three-year journey to try and defy the odds and fulfill her Paralympic dream without sacrificing her maternal desires. Gorodetsky aspires to conquer greater competitive heights while reckoning with the maturation of her body as both a mother and as an athlete approaching her 40th birthday. Her last chance to have another child clashes against her first, and possibly only, opportunity to participate in the upcoming 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Though she is advised by an all-male inner circle, it is Nina who must decide if she should get pregnant or continue her rigorous training schedule. But everything changes when the stopwatches of all the world's athletes come to a screeching halt due to a worldwide pandemic.

The project was chosen from a wide range of applications submitted by women filmmakers from around the country.

"The infinite potential of two marginalized communities about which I care deeply: women and people with disabilities, are brought together in the formidable Nina Gorodetsky. Ravit and her team have created a thoughtful and stirring documentary and I am thrilled to be a small part of their journey," Loreen Arbus said.

"Nina tells a powerful story of a woman defying the odds, undaunted in the face of any possible limitation imposed by her gender, physicality, society... or even a global pandemic. In addition to being a fine example of a thoughtful narrative on disability, it also speaks to the heart of this current moment for women worldwide hoping to 'have it all' in a world often stacked against them. Congratulations to Ravit Markus on her wonderful, nuanced work," said NYWIFT CEO Cynthia López.

Additionally, courtesy of Michele Spitz, Woman of Her Word will produce Nina's audio description asset as a post-production in kind grant. Her generous donation will allow for the film to be accessible for blind or visually impaired audiences.

"I'm very excited to work closely with Ravit to help make her latest film, Nina, equally accessible to low vision and blind audiences. A powerful story that will undoubtedly touch all audiences alike," Michele Spitz said.

ReelAbilities Film Festival, the largest disabilities film festival in North America, will provide captioning service for Nina as well as support of the film's outreach and distribution, through the ReelAbilities North American network of festivals and beyond.

"My co-producer Janine McGoldrick and I are honored that our documentary feature Nina is recognized by a trailblazing organization such as NYWIFT. Both of us would not be where we are today if not for their tireless work over the years. We are grateful to win the support of a visionary like Loreen Arbus, as well as the invaluable services of Michele Spitz, who has taken such a crucial lead on ensuring films are fully accessible, and NYReelAbilities that are ensuring films like mine are seen worldwide," said filmmaker Ravit Markus. "I can't wait to share with the world the tenacity, the humor and the charm that are Nina Gorodetsky. She and her badminton family were a joy to follow. Other early believers in this project were FWD-doc, Gesher Film Fund, and the Israeli Paralympic Committee, and I am excited to collaborate with them on the 2024 release that this grant is making possible."

Learn more about NYWIFT grants at https://www.nywift.org/fund-for-women-filmmakers/.

About New York Women in Film & Television:

New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) connects, educates, and advocates for women to accelerate diversity in media. As 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. NYWIFT brings together more than 2,500 women and men working both above and below the line. NYWIFT is part of a network of 60 women in film organizations worldwide, representing more than 15,000 members. NYWIFT is a nonprofit 501c3 public charity.

More information can be found online at: www.NYWIFT.org.

Follow on all social media platforms @NYWIFT.

About Loreen Arbus:

Loreen Arbus, author, disability rights advocate, writer, and producer, is the President of The Loreen Arbus Foundation, The Goldenson-Arbus Foundation and Loreen Arbus Productions, Inc. She is a longtime member of The Writers Guild of America, SAG-AFTRA, Producers Guild of America, and The Authors Guild. Her philanthropy champions marginalized people including women and girls as well as the world's largest minority: people with disabilities. She has established and funds many scholarships that both enhance and elevate social consciousness around her philanthropic interests - scientific and medical research, public policy, the arts, media responsibility, human and animal rights. Arbus holds the distinction of being the first woman to head programming for a U.S. network, a feat accomplished twice (both at Showtime and Cable Health Network/Lifetime). She has been twice nominated for an Emmy. Arbus, widely recognized for her humanitarian and professional accomplishments, has received The Heart of Giving Award presented by President Bill Clinton in 2001 and was chosen as one (of 40) Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World 2002.

About Michele Spitz:

Michele Spitz of Woman of Her Word is a voiceover artist, producer, public speaker, philanthropist, and influencer most passionate about advocating for media accessibility and disability awareness. Michele is dedicated to selectively funding audio description post-production accessibility grants to ensure that media content is equally accessible to low vision and blind audiences. She has 10 years experience of producing, narrating, consulting, and project managing audio description assets for over 100 projects including film, broadcast and digital media. Michele promotes media accessibility awareness and audience inclusion through ongoing public speaking engagements for film festivals, universities, and various media outlets. She is committed to working closely with film clients to enlist their participation in advocating and promoting their film production's accessibility assets and advise on implementing and incorporating audio description deliverables throughout distribution and exhibition platforms for the shelf life of the film. Among creating audio description for many film genres and various subjects, Michele is a member of NYWIFT instating audio description grants for their annual disability film finishing fund and is also aligned with ReelAbilities, funding audio description film assets for their annual film festivals. Learn more: https://www.womanofherword.com/

About the Filmmaker:

Writer/Director/Producer Ravit Markus's latest documentary feature had its world premiere and won the Audience Award at the 2023 Slamdance Film Festival as part of the disability focused Unstoppable program. American Pot Story: Oaksterdam is a 10-year-follow-up on a group of Oakland underdogs who are the reason for the huge change we see today in California and worldwide in cannabis policy, and its social justice ramifications. It explores the power of the activist, no matter the cause. Her previous documentary features include the critically acclaimedYiddish Theater: A Love Story which she wrote and produced. It became a cultural phenomenon when it commercially played in theaters in Los Angeles, New York and Tel Aviv for months and months garnering raving reviews at the NY Times, LA Times, and Critics' Pick in the NY Magazine to mention a few, resulting in a 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes. It also made the list of the top 10 documentaries of 2007 in About.com.

Ravit co-produced Jewish Film Festivals' darling Rock in the Red Zone; and produced the Channel 4 UK documentary Porn Shutdown, which aired worldwide including on the Sundance Channel in the US, and received excellent reviews in The Guardian and the London Time Out. Ravit's currently in post on a documentary feature about Israel's champion of wheelchair badminton, Nina Gorodetsky, and her journey to the Tokyo Paralympics. Ravit holds a dual BFA in Screenwriting and Directing from The Film and TV Department at Tel Aviv University and is based in Los Angeles.

About NYWIFT Board Member Emelyn Stuart:

NYWIFT Board Member Emelyn Stuart embodies all things are possible when you marry purpose, passion, serious work ethic and commitment. Producing wasn't an obvious path for this businesswoman who doesn't deem herself an innate "creative" but it has proven to be a great fit for an extraordinary woman that has allowed making a difference propel her to uncharted territory. With a degree in business and less than a decade in the industry, Stuart has exemplified leadership and provided inspiration to filmmakers globally. A vast range of projects that includes a successful off-Broadway play makes Stuart different from her collaborators, but also garners her recognition internationally. Her wildly successful web series,12 Steps to Recovery, earned Emelyn the Best Producer award at the 2011 LAWebfest. Stuart is partly responsible for multiple award-winning feature films including The Turnaround and Title VII. Her feature film Life Is Too Short premiered to sold out audiences in New York during its debut screening and in 2017 it was awarded Best Feature Film domestically and internationally at various film festivals. In 2018, Stuart opened an independent movie theater in New York called Stuart Cinema & Cafe. It will offer distribution deals to independent filmmakers and be a resource hub for artists. Now in 2022, she is building a multiplex movie theater in NY. This will make her the first Afro Latina to own a multiplex in NY.

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