The organization is an educational forum for media professionals and a network for the exchange of information and resources.
[citation needed] NYWIFT was founded in 1977 by New York producer/director Lenore DeKoven and Hollywood Reporter bureau chief Morna Murphy Martell.
[citation needed] It is a component of the Women in Film network, which consists of 40 international chapters and has more than 10,000 members.
[citation needed] NYWIFT produces over 50 programs and special events annually, which are meant to recognize and encourage the contributions of women in the field of entertainment.
[3][4] As of the announcement, "The Writers Lab" is the only initiative in the world for female screenwriters over forty years old.