As part of 2022 Women’s History Month, we invited some of NYFA’s own trailblazers to share their experiences and successes in the film industry.

Moderated by Director of Photography and NYFA professor Claudia Raschke, the panel showcased a collection of women cinematographers from across the industry. The invited guests included Martina Radwan, Shana Hagan, ASC, and Nancy Schreiber, ASC – all who shared their experience working in this field as well as advice for those looking to break into it professionally or simply gain more insight on what it takes to succeed at such an advanced level.

Claudia Raschke was born in one of the largest European ports near the Baltic Sea in Northern Germany. Throughout her childhood, the chain of movie theaters owned by her mother brought Claudia into the world of film. After college, Claudia studied the art and technique of cinematography on a practical level while working with some of the most prominent and accomplished international filmmakers. She is a founding member of the NYC Kamera Kollektiv, a boutique agency for documentary cinematographers, and a member of AMPAS.

Among her many notable award-winning films are: Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning RBG (Magnolia/ Participant/ CNN), Oscar short-listed JULIA (CNN / Imagine Entertainment/ Sony Classic), Critics Choice nominated FAUCI (NAT GEO/ Magnolia/ Disney+), NAACP Image Award-nominated MY NAME IS PAULI MURRAY (Amazon Studios/Participant Media), Oscar short-listed and Emmy winning BOYS STATE (A24), Oscar-nominated GOD IS THE BIGGER ELVIS (HBO), Oscar short-listed MAD HOT BALLROOM (Paramount), PARTICLE FEVER (Bond 360), THE FREEDOM TO MARRY (Argot Pictures). Her latest documentary series work titled LAND OF THE GIANTS (CNN Films /Vox Media) will air in the Spring of 2022 on CNN Plus.