NEW YORK WOMEN IN FILM & TELEVISION ANNOUNCES 17 PROJECTS FROM MEMBERS SELECTED FOR THE 2026 TRIBECA FESTIVAL- ALSO ANNOUNCES TRIBECA'S 25 YEARS OF WOMEN FILMMAKERS AT TRIBECA

New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) is pleased to announce that 17 projects from 16 members have been officially selected for the 2026 Tribeca Festival. The festival takes place June 2-14, 2026, both virtually and in-person in New York City. 

The organization will also officially partner with Tribeca to present a panel at its Storytelling Summit on Saturday, June 6, at 12 PM at Spring Studios.

NJ/NYC Area Event- The Lighthouse International Film Festival on Long Beach Island NJ Runds June 10-14th, 2026 - Featuring Films, Events and Special Guests Tony Shalhoub and Jason Alexander

Spring Film Festival Season is in full swing. If you're in NJ or the area, a great festival to head to is the Lighthouse International Film Festival on beautiful Long Beach Island, NJ. Held before the crowds return for the summer to this idyllic beach island, the festival offers a wide array or films events and parties against the backdrop of the ocean. It's 4 days of viewing films, meeting people, taking walks and dipping your feet in the sand and water. The festival has grown since it's inception and is widely recognized as a respected film festival, which is just a bus ride from Manhattan or Philadelphia. This year, Tony Shalhoub and Jason Alexander (returning for a second year) will hold special presentations for the attendees. Tickets are reasonable. See the website for all details: https://www.lighthouseff.com/ or read below for more info.

Note: SuzeeBehindtheScenes is a proud sponsor of the Lighthouse International Film Festival.

Women2Admire - Meet Casting Director Extraordinaire - Adrienne Stern of Adrienne Stern Casting: Read about What She Does and Her Tips on Being Cast

Meet Adrienne Stern, a highly-regarded professional in the entertainment industry, owner of Adrienne Stern Casting.     .

If you're in the entertainment industry, a casting director is one of those magical people that everyone wants to know. Fortunately, through mutual friends I can call Adrienne of a friend of many years, Even though I have been out with her and to many events with her I was still unsure of all she did. I just knew that everywhere we went people knew her, and that whenever she talked about her business it was excitement and professionalism. So now I found out. Read on to learn what a casting director does...

Feel Good Interview Series: Derek Theler of "Baby Daddy" — 10 Things to Know About Him Including What He Might Be If He Weren't an Actor, His Favorite Video Game, (Fortnite), His Cheat Food and More

By: Markos Papadatos

Derek Theler is an actor, writer, producer and model. He is best known for his starring role as Danny in the hit sitcom "Baby Daddy" opposite Melissa Peterman (as Bonnie Wheeler in the show). Most recently, Theler stars in the indie horror film "Deadlocked: Dad of the Dead," which was written and directed by Casey Jackson.

Theler shared 11 interesting and fun things about himself.

Feel Good Interview Series: Shayne Davis of "Vanderpump Rules" - His Preferred Music Genre, His Love of Pizza, The Motto He Lives by and 10 More Things to Know About Him

By: Markos Papadatos

Shayne Davis is an actor and reality television personality. He is best known as a cast member on Bravo's hit series “Vanderpump Rules.” He is also widely recognized for his various starring roles in popular vertical short-form drama series on multiple platforms. Read on to find out some interesting and exciting things about him.

Shayne's Favorite Flicks

Davis listed “Blood Diamond” and “A Nightmare on Elm Street” as his favorite movies.

Feel Good Interview Series: Odette Annable of Hallmark's "Kentucky Roses", TV Shows & Films - 10 Things to Know About Her: The "Old Lady" Hobby She Loves, On Being A Mets Fan, What She Would Pick as a Superpower and More

By: Markos Papadatos

Actress Odette Annable is best known for her various roles in film and television, which include Dr. Jessica Adams in the Fox medical drama series “House,” Beth McIntyre in the monster film “Cloverfield,” Aubrey Diaz in the ABC drama series “October Road,” Samantha Arias and Reign in “Supergirl,” as well as Nola Longshadow in “Banshee.” Most recently, Odette starred in the Kentucky Derby-based Hallmark film “Kentucky Roses” opposite Andrew Walker.

Odette shared 10 interesting and exciting things about herself.

NYC Event - "The Big Bad" Play Runs May 7th-16th 2026- Produced by Healing TREE and Divine Riot and Written by Ren Dara Santiago It Explores Intergenerational Trauma and the Supernatural

The Big Bad is a new, groundbreaking and thought-provoking play that explores intergenerational drama, marginalized identities and the supernatural. It asks the timely question, “What drives us to keep moving through despair?” Produced by non-profits Divine Riot and The Healing Tree, it runs May 7th-16th at the Abrons Arts Center's Underground Theater, 466 Grand Street in New York City. 

For tickets visit: https://www.divineriot.org/the-big-bad. The play is written by Lanford Wilson Award-winning and Showtime series staff writer Ren Dara Santiago, who also wrote Healing TREE’s short film The Knock Shadow, which features two-time Emmy Award winner and three-time SAG Award winner Lea DeLaria (Orange Is The New Black) and is set for the 2026 festival circuit. 

Feel Good Interview Series: Sheaun McKinney of "The Neighborhood" on CBS — 10 Things to Know About Him Including The RomCom He Likes, The Ice Cream He Claims is the Best Ever Made, His Favorite Sport Hands-Down and So Much More

By: Markos Papadatos, #Powerjournalist

Editor's Note - The Neighborhood wrapped up it's long run on CBS. It's one of my favorite sitcoms, with the final season being a tribute to the comedy and character development throughout the series.

American actor Sheaun McKinney is known for his starring role as Malcolm Butler in the CBS sitcom “The Neighborhood.”

He is also known for portraying Dayshawn in the HBO dark comedy TV series “Vice Principals” and Wayne on the NBC sitcom “Great News.” He also had a supporting role in the film “Boss Level.”

McKinney shared 10 fun and interesting things about himself. Let's start with his fave flicks.

Calling all Young Writers: Youth Alliance for Writers and Poets Launches International Writing Contest for High School Students - A Unique Contest Judged by Students

The Youth Alliance for Writers and Poets (YAWP) is excited to announce their inaugural student-judged international creative writing competition and exchange, designed to build a literary community and avenues for feedback, amplify young voices, and connect student writers across borders. 

“We are excited to announce the YAWP Annual Writing Contest and Exchange, which aims to connect young writers with diverse perspectives across geographic divides and uplift work that resonates with younger audiences, so every young person can ‘sound their barbaric YAWP over the roofs of the world,’” said founder Livia Basche, a junior at the Bronx High School of Science. “Every young writer, regardless of location, deserves access to peer feedback, meaningful leadership and publication opportunities, and an audience and community built to support our creativity.”

Feel Good Interview Series: TV Broadway Star Julia Knitel of "Dead Outlaw" and "Operation Mincemeat" - She Talks About the The Best Advice She Ever Received, Her Favorite Films and More

By Markos Papadatos

Julia Knitel is an actress and singer who is known for her acting work in “Dead Outlaw,” for which she earned a Tony nomination for “Best Featured Actress in a Musical” for playing nine characters. Most recently, she is starring in “Operation Mincemeat” where she is playing multiple characters once again.

Knitel shared 10 interesting and exciting things about herself.

Julia's Favorite Films

On her favorite movies, she said, “I'm an old school girl, so I love ‘Beaches’ and ‘Hocus Pocus.’ I love anything with Bette Midler in it.” “I was on a Bette Midler kick the last couple of months, so those two are jumping out at me,” she added.

Feel-Good Interview: Daniel Lasker of "One Piece" - What Movie Inspired His Career, What He Thinks About Every Morning and 10 More Things to Know About Him

By Markos Papadatos

Daniel Lasker, who hails from Zimbabwe, is one of the stars of the popular series "One Piece" on Netflix where he plays the character Mr. 9. He is also known for his acting work in "Raised by Wolves" on HBO Max and the historical miniseries "Abraham Lincoln," where he played Robert Lincoln (the eldest son of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln).

The actor shared 10 interesting and fun things about himself.

Review of Dean Taucher's Play "Movies TV Mayhem" - A Whole Lot of "Inside Baseball" on the Entertainment Industry Keeps the Audience Engaged and Curious

By Suzanne "suzee" Ordas Curry

Do you really want to know what goes on the sets of some of your favorite TV shows and movies?

Maybe it's better not to know, maybe it's better to think that everyone is just one big happy family and gets along really well, like the characters do in their roles.

But if you do want to know more of the reality behind-the-scenes then go see Movies TV Mayhem, playing at Theater Row in New York City April 23rd - May 9th, 2026.

Movies TV Mayhem is the brainchild of writer Dean Taucher, who has spend decades on the sets of some of our most beloved TV shows and movies. And he's seen it all.