New York Film Academy – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

SPOTLIGHT September 2025: Anu Valia, Filmmaker, WE STRANGERS

August 31, 2025September 1, 2025 Leslie Combemale Anu Valia, CollegeHumor, immigrant parents, Kirby Howell-Batiste, leslie combemale, New York Film Academy, NYU, reframe, ReFrame Rise, sundance institute, tisch school of the arts, We Strangers, women in film

A recent Movie of the Week for AWFJ, We Strangers, bowled over the entire MOTW team. Though it is writer/director Anu Valia’s feature film debut, it shows a remarkable agility with storytelling and a clear commitment and trust with her collaborators both above and below the line. Valia is no stranger to creating art onscreen, having helmed and penned the Sundance Film Festival darling Lucia, Before and After, which won the Short Film July Award at the fest in 2017. She’s also been directing for the small screen for years. Shortly before the release of We Strangers, it was announced she was selected as one of the filmmakers in the WIF (formerly Women in Film) and ReFrame’s new class of ReFrame Rise for 2025 and 2026.

SPOTLIGHT

SPOTLIGHT April 2025: LISA CORTES, Film Producer, Director, Activist

March 30, 2025March 30, 2025 Leslie Combemale All In: The Fight for Democracy, Cortes Filmworks, Def Jam, Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, lee daniels, lisa cortes, little richard i am everything, liz garbus, Monster’s Ball, New York Film Academy, New York Women in Film and Television’s Muse Awards., precious, Shola Lynch, Yale

Lisa Cortés is the perfect example of a woman who found the less-traveled way to success, and did so not once but twice. She is an inspiration for all aspiring women in film, whether they’re working above or below the line, who believe in their talent and have a vision for themselves and their careers. She has gone from bringing new artists and music to fans around the world to completely pivoting to a new career, creating award-winning films that expose the world to subjects ‘overlooked by the mainstream’. Each new project promises another fascinating often under appreciated or understood subject. We can’t wait to follow her as she brings each one to the screen!