New York University’s Fusion Film Festival Recognizes Filmmaker Joanna Arnow and Producer Daniela Taplin Lundberg
The Fusion Film Festival, NYU Tisch School of the Arts’ student-run film festival celebrating women and nonbinary creators in film, TV and new media, will screen new works and host panels on showrunning, nonfiction filmmaking, and making work with social impact from April 10-13 at the Tisch School of the Arts, 721 Broadway in New York City.
The festival opens with an invitation-only luncheon April 10 honoring Daniela Taplin Lundberg, founder of Stay Gold Features, with the 2024 Fusion Industry Visionary Award. Over the next three days, the festival will screen two debut features—Joanna Arnow’s The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed and Tisch alum Annie Baker’s Janet Planet—before concluding with the screenings of finalists and an awards presentation.
“Fusion’s programming lineup this year offers unique opportunities to hear from cutting edge women leading both the creative and business side of our industry with events like our Brand Storytelling panel driving cultural change,” says Co-Director Rem Jie.
For 22 years, the Fusion Film Festival has focused on the women who are thriving in all corners of film and television.
“The festival inspires students—nonbinary, female, or otherwise—to be fearless in pursuing the stories that matter and to listen to diverse points of view,” says Shreeya Jayabharathi, another of the festival’s three co-directors.
Adds Co-Director Farah Qureshi, “I’m proud to be part of a mission that not only celebrates the work of student filmmakers, but also amplifies the voices of women and nonbinary creators in an industry that historically has been dominated by men.”
Arnow, the writer, director and star of The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed is being honored for her debut feature, set for release April 26. The comedy-drama uses short scenes and innovative editing to tell the story of a disaffected Brooklynite. Variety described Arnow’s film as “raw, intimate, and most importantly, extremely funny.”
Lundberg is the founder of Stay Gold Features, an independent film finance and production company focused on championing singular visions and untold stories. Her credits include the upcoming Goodrich, starring Michael Keaton and Mila Kunis, Joe Bell starring Mark Wahlberg and Connie Britton, and Harriet, starring Cynthia Erivo, who earned an Oscar for her role.
Prior to founding Stay Gold, Lundberg produced more than 20 films, including Hello, My Name is Doris and the Golden Globe winner, The Kids Are All Right. Lundberg is host of the Hollywood Gold podcast and she serves on the executive board of the producers branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
“Daniela founded Stay Gold Features with the unwavering commitment to women behind the camera, women in positions of leadership, and stories of consequence and heart, without regard to risk or reading the marketplace” says Susan Sandler, Tisch film and TV professor and the festival’s faculty advisor. “Everything she represents in action, taste, and courage brings her into Fusion’s lens of hope for emerging filmmakers.”
Below is the schedule for the 2024 festival. The events will be held in Tisch Theater 006 at 721 Broadway, unless otherwise noted. They are free and seating is first-come, first-served. This year’s festival is sponsored by Canon, Adobe, Final Draft, Avid, AbelCine, and Gotham Sound.