We've built a free and private community for underpresented filmmakers & their supporters to hire, find work, level up, and connect with each other.
We offer Microgrants to support projects or professional development for our members, prioritizing applications that celebrate and uplift women, non-binary & GNC creators.
We host virtual and in person events to connect & educate our members on all aspects of filmmaking from development to production to post.
We've launched our pilot Pano Pairs program this summer to connect our members to further support each other.
We program screenings to share, highlight, and amplify the outstanding work of our underrepresented filmmakers.
As we enter our 7th year in operation, much has changed within the organization. What started as a small in-person meet-up in a room at NYU has grown to a thriving network of over 6k filmmakers. In the past, a lot of our networking happened in person, in New York City only. We look forward to bringing back in-person events (hopefully this year!) but the move to virtual programming increased accessibility for many folks, and allowed new filmmakers to find and join us! Our members now span not only the US, but the world, reaching as far as the UK, Australia, South America, and beyond! Our new online platform – the Network has helped countless members find crew, get hired, and seek advice.
With this rapid growth, we at NYC Women Filmmakers (NYCWF) started to feel that our current name was a bit limiting. In an effort to better encompass our unique brand and offerings, we’ve debuted a new name and logo for 2022.
Pano, from panoramic / panorama, reflects our commitment to the wide spectrum of artists we serve – above and below the line, women, non-binary, and GNC folks. We hope that in this new name you will feel reflected, included, and proud to be a part of our community.
Don’t worry – our mission hasn’t changed. We are still the organization that you know and love – dedicated to advancing the careers of women, non-binary, GNC creators in Film, TV & Media. We remain a safe, inclusive, and encouraging community to collaborate, ask questions & share your wins. Join us on the Network to crew up, get hired, and build your network of diverse & underrepresented filmmakers!
Latest Updates
The second Pano Pride Month watchlist is themed around perseverance. All four of these films focus on strong LGBTQ+ characters that overcome obstacles to achieve their goals. Whether it be getting back into stand-up comedy after transitioning or leading the first LGBTQ+ political party in the Philippines, these protagonists persevere through gender and sexuality-based discrimination to find inner-peace and happiness. We hope you can take inspiration from these brave real and fictional characters.
A Fantastic Woman directed by Sebastián Lelio
This drama centers around transgender protagonist and nightclub singer Marina, who must process the passing of her older lover while enduring scrutiny from his family members.
Julia Scotti: Funny That Way directed by Susan Sandler
In this documentary film, Sandler captures the inspiring story of Julia Scotti, delving into her career as a stand-up comedian and her experience of starting to transition at age forty-seven.
Moonlight directed by Barry Jenkins
This Academy Award-winning film focuses on three significant chapters in the life of Chiron, a queer, black man raised in Miami during the height of the crack epidemic.
Out Run directed by S. Leo Chiang and Johnny Symons
Out Run follows a group of ambitious transgender women that lead the Ladlad Party, the only LGBTQ political party in the world, as they rally to elect a trans woman to the Philippine Congress.
It is estimated that 70% of writers among historically marginalized groups engaged in unpaid work compared to 53% of writers among non-marginalized groups. Want to promote a more equitable film industry and connect with link-minded individuals? Join the Pano network #linkinbio #diversevoices
Source: Think Tank for inclusion & Equity "Behind the Scenes: TTIE The State of Inclusion & Equity in Writing for TV" Spring 2022 Report
Throwback to our Documentary Filmmakers Mixer earlier this month co-hosted by @docnycfest, @browngirlsdocmafia, @womenmakemovies, @filmfatalesorg, and @mayslesdocumentarycenter. Want to attend our next event and be part of a network committed to diversity and inclusion in the film industry? Join the Pano Network. #linkinbio
#panomixer #diversevoices
Have you applied for our new mentoring program Pano Pairs? Applications close at the end of the month, so don't wait! Click the #linkinbio to apply. Not a member? You can visit our website to join today! Questions about the Pairs program? Check out the Vimeo link in our bio! #panopower #mentoringmatters #accountabilitypartners #supportindiefilm
You're invited to our next event! Join Pano and @catalystories for a two-day virtual symposium on Working in Television featuring events with Keynote Speaker & Director @maggiekiley.director, Writer @thatelaineloh, Editor @danieljamescott and many more! Each day of seminars will run from 12-4 pm EST | 9am-1pm PST. Furthermore, both days will end with a happy hour for attendees to network and socialize!
Swipe for the full schedule and RSVP via the #linkinbio *Panels/panelists subject to change. #panopower #workingintv #directingtv #editingtv
The Pano Network is delighted to announce the winners of our second round of Microgrants! The final Jury included Christine Swanson @cswanson44 (P-Valley; Roswell, New Mexico), Anu Valia @anuvalia (She Hulk: Attorney at Law, Never Have I Ever), Joanna Naugle @jnaugz (The Bear, Ramy, Co-Owner of Senior Post), and Laura Fielder @lj.fielder (Board Member, The Black TV & Film Collective). We’d like to give a special shout-out to Stephanie Choriatis, who won our first-ever Color Grading Grant provided by Marika Litz @marikalitzcolorist. To everyone who applied, thank you for your effort and we encourage you to apply the next time around. On behalf of the Pano Board, we congratulate the winners and look forward to seeing your creative projects come to life!
Today we highlight our co-President, Lauren Sowa! In addition to running the org, Lauren is a New York-based actor and filmmaker.
As an actor, she has been featured on FBI (CBS), The Plot Against America (HBO), The Rainbow Experiment (Paramount+), and The Devil's Well (Amazon Prime). Upcoming: The indie feature Paris is in Harlem (Slamdance '22).
Training: BFA, NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Proud member of Actor's Equity and SAG-AFTRA.
In 2016, Lauren co-founded Form & Pressure Films to tell stories with social impact, while encouraging diversity and equality on set and on screen. Their first film, Marisol, won the 2019 HuffPost Impact Award and was licensed by HBO. Other films she’s produced can be seen on DUST, Tubi, Amazon Prime, and at film festivals all over the world. Select festival credits include: Slamdance, Nitehawk Shorts Festival, San Diego Latino Film Festival, Immigration Film Festival, Cinequest. She is also the co-president of Pano, a non-profit dedicated to women filmmakers and serves on the board of NYC Makes PPE, a disaster preparedness non-profit.
Lauren is a big-time animal lover, and has yet to meet a pretzel she doesn't like. When not acting, you can find her reading a good book, taking photographs, catching up on old films, and doing yoga! To learn more about Lauren visit her website laurensowa.com. #panonetwork #panopower
People of color are still considerably underrepresented among film writers. According to UCLA’s Hollywood Diversity Report, only 32.2% of writers on top Hollywood films are people of color. Looking to promote a more inclusive film industry and connect with individuals with similar goals? Join the Pano Network. #linkinbio
Source: The Hollywood Diversity Report 2022, UCLA Social Sciences #diversityinfilm #filmstatistics
Have you been enjoying our reels? The highlights we share here are from our full library of events in the Network. As a member, you can watch over 50 recorded events including How to Line Produce, Producing Your Short Film - A Guide for the Actor Creator, Marketing Your Film in the New Era, An Introduction to Working with an Intimacy Coordinator, a Workshop on Production Sound, Let’s Talk About Film Programming, and much more! Join or upgrade today to take advantage of this excellent perk! #alwayslearning #levelup #panopower
