Faculty Directory

Michael J. Young President/CEO

Michael Young is the President and CEO of the New York Film Academy. Michael earned his Bachelor’s in Film and Visual Studies from Harvard University. His thesis film, McJew, was nominated for best documentary in the Student Academy Awards. After working as crew on films, commercials, and industrials in any role he could get, he went on to earn an MFA in Film Directing from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. He also studied acting for two years with the brilliant Meisner trained teacher, Suzanne Shepard. In 1992, NYFA founder Jerry Sherlock brought Michael to design its original curriculum of learning to make films by making films in an “intensive hands-on total immersion program,” and he helped start the school. In the years since, when not teaching or administrating at NYFA, Michael has worked on feature films, including as Cinematographer for the documentary Comrades and as Executive Producer on the documentary Turn Every Page, released in theatres in 2023 by Sony Pictures Classics.

David Klein Senior Executive Vice President/COO

Klein is the Senior Executive Vice President at the New York Film Academy. Klein received his Master of Fine Arts in Film Directing at New York University’s Graduate School of Film and Television in 1995. He has worked closely with NBC News, the Guggenheim Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and New York City public schools to create innovative media arts programs. In his current position at the Academy, he oversees the operations, development, and delivery of programs in the various disciplines taught, including Acting for Film, Filmmaking, Musical Theatre, Broadcast Journalism, and Cinematography, at the Academy’s locations across the globe. As a film director and producer, Klein is a recipient of the Tisch Excellence in Producing Award for producing several short films, including Gone With the Moon and Butterfly Dance starring Vera Farmiga. He was awarded the Warner Brothers Post-Production Award for a film he wrote and directed titled To Dye For.

Dan Mackler Senior Vice President/CSO/Dean of NYFA Los Angeles

MFA, NYU Tisch School of the Arts; BA, Dartmouth College. Russian film scholar. Consulted on Spike Lee’s 25th Hour. Director of feature film The Karaoke King.

Sonny Calderon VP Academic Affairs/CAO

MFA in Screen and Television Writing, USC. BA in Communications, University of Michigan. As co-founder, writer, and producer at Impressionista Films, created and produced award-winning branded entertainment for clients such as Hilary Duff, Miller Beer, DKNY, Ford Motor Company, Macy’s, DirecTV, and Martha Stewart.

Elli Ventouras Dean of NYFA New York

MFA, Parsons School of Design. M.A., New York Institute of Technology – summa cum laude. Currently Ms. Ventouras oversees the day to day Academic operations in the New York location. Previously, she was the Founding Dean for the New York Film Academy in South Beach where she contributed to the development of the Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree programs in Filmmaking and Acting as well as the Conservatory and short term programs.

As a director, producer and editor, her Award winning film Voices screened internationally at: Golden Gate Documentary Film Festival in San Francisco (Distinguished for Special Artistic Value), Festival Du Cinema de Bruxelles (winner for the La Realisation Integrale Award), Festival Du Court Metrage De Lyon (winner of Le Senario). Voices was also Semifinalist at Boston Motion Picture Awards and was requested and screened as part of the activities planned in Athens, Greece for the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Other screenings include The Queens Theater in the Park in Flushing NY, Panorama Film Festival in Thessaloniki, Greece; Drama Short Film Festival in Greece, Miami International Short Film Festival, Barcelona Short Film Festival, and the Hollywood International Student Film Festival. Her film Modern Greek Tragedy was nominated for best international film at the Drama Film Festival and screened at the Molodost Film Festival in Russia.

Dr. Susan Ashe Dean of Students, NYFA Los Angeles

Dr. Susan Ashe (she/her) is the Dean of Students for the Los Angeles Campus of the New York Film Academy. With a background in higher education and the film industry, Dr. Ashe brings a unique perspective to her role. She joined NYFA in January 2018 and oversees areas including student life, new student orientation, student clubs and events, housing, counseling services, student conduct, academic integrity, Title IX and sexual misconduct, student grievances, and CARE Team. As an instrumental member of NYFA’s team, Dr. Ashe serves on various NYFA leadership groups including the President’s Cabinet, NYFA’s Cross-Campus Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council and NYFA LA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council, NYFA’s Strategic Planning Committee, and more.

Prior to joining NYFA, Dr. Ashe served as the Director of Student Conduct & Integrity at Cal Poly Pomona University. She holds an EdD in educational leadership from the University of Southern California, where she completed her dissertation research on “Whiteness: A Narrative Analysis on Student Affairs Professionals, Race, Identity, and Multicultural Competency,” an MS in higher education and student affairs from Indiana University, and a BA in international business from Rhodes College. Prior to her career in higher education, Dr. Ashe held positions in the film and entertainment industry, including at ICM talent agency and Trimark Pictures.

Dr. Ashe believes in the transformative power of art to educate and unite. She finds inspiration in the passion, enthusiasm, and creativity that NYFA students bring to campus, as well as the compelling stories they create. Committed to fostering student success, Dr. Ashe is dedicated to cultivating inclusive environments at NYFA, providing students with the support they need to develop their craft and refine their skills as aspiring storytellers.

Rosa Belerique Vice President of Institutional Research and Effectiveness

Rosa Belerique brings over 15 years of experience in higher education to her role as Vice President of Institutional Research and Effectiveness at the New York Film Academy (NYFA), a position she has held since 2017. With a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Communications and a Master of Science in Student Development in Higher Education, Rosa possesses a comprehensive understanding of the intricate dynamics of student success and institutional efficacy. Her journey in academia has been marked by a relentless commitment to advancing research and strategic planning initiatives, as well as fostering a culture of assessment and program review.

Rosa’s leadership extends far beyond the confines of her institution. As the 2021 President of the California Association for Institutional Research (CAIR), she played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of higher education research and planning in the state. Additionally, her involvement as a WASC Fellow, an Accreditation Leadership Academy (ALA) graduate and mentor, and her service on peer evaluation teams underscore her dedication to enhancing institutional quality and effectiveness on a broader scale. With her wealth of experience and dedication to the advancement of higher education, Rosa Belerique continues to leave an indelible mark on the field of institutional research and effectiveness.

Dr. Mary Samuelson Dean of General Education; Chair of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Dr. Mary Samuelson received her Ph.D. and MA degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and completed her undergraduate work in Cinema-Television and English Literature at the University of Southern California (USC). For the past four years, Mary has taught courses and advised students in the Cinema and Media Studies and Writing Programs departments at UCLA, the Cinema-Television department at Los Angeles Community College (LACC), and here at the New York Film Academy (NYFA). Her essays “Radical Moment: The National Recovery Administration and Hollywood’s ‘New Deal’” and “Wartime News Flow: Government and Studio Newsreels, 1941-1945” will come out in collections focusing on film and the law (September 2016) and the U.S. newsfilm (June 2016), respectively. Mary’s dissertation “The Patriotic Play: Roosevelt, Antitrust, and the War Activities Committee of the Motion Picture Industry” is slated for book publication in Spring 2017.

Daniel Abrusci

Daniel Abrusci is a multi awarded audio engineer with over 12 years of experience.
He has worked in recognized studios such as Quad Studios (Nashville, USA)
10K Islands (Los Angeles, USA) and Red Squid Studios (Miami, USA).
Daniel started learning pro tools in 2007 right after graduating high school and he was working in audio post production by 2008.
He has a Bachelor’s degree in audio engineering and a Master’s degree in sound design and mixing for film, TV and Videogames.
He enjoys recording and mixing music, doing sound design and mixing a variety of projects like feature films and documentaries.
Daniel has been teaching sound to film students at the New York Film Academy since 2016.

Some of his credits include:
MUSIC
– Enrique Iglesias ft Wisin, Conrad Sewell, Marta Sanchez, Todd Morse (The Offspring, H2O), Major Lazer.
TV:
BBC, NBC, Cbeebies, Nickelodeon, History channel, Georgia Lottery, Florida lottery, Walgreens, Gatorade, Scout boats, Samsung, Sony, Care Plus, Toy’s r us, Waze, Epic in motion, Delta Airlines, Telemundo, among others.
FILM:
– Dawg Fight, 30 for 30 (The U part 2), UMA, Cadena perpetua (Life sentence) short film, Devuélveme la vida

Lisa Abukusumo

Lisa Abukusumo is an instructor at the ESL School at NYFA. She has over two decades of experience in ESL education, including roles in education management as Academic and Center Director, where she oversaw and developed ESL programs in partnership with post-secondary institutions. She is a teacher trainer and course developer for De Salle, México Norte and founder of English 4 Hollywood, bridging artists and entrepreneurs with the dealbreakers of the English language. Lisa is CELTA certified and holds a BA in Theatre, CUNY.

Adriana Elisa Alegre PhD

Adriana Alegre is a biologist, originally form Argentina. She hold a doctorate degree in Biological Sciences. She is an energetic communicator, passionate about increasing awareness of environmental issues and sustainable use of natural resources. She have a strong academic background in Biology and a vast experience in Research. Since 2008 she have been teaching at several institutions in Florida, Lecturer associate rank III at NSU, MDC, BC and an academic instructor at New York Film Academy at South Beach branch. Her areas of expertise are Biology, Botany, Entomology, Zoology & Environmental Science. She have a passion for exploration and discovery. She have more than 14 years of teaching experience at a great diversity of college students. She have successfully built biology projects and coordinated scientific research programs in applied entomology. I have also performed scientific and technical research in a laboratory environment.

Alexa Alemanni

BA in History & Theater, Vassar College.
Alexa started as an actress on Emmy-winning drama Mad Men for four seasons, for which she won a SAG Award. In television, she has staffed on TNT’s The Librarians and sold a pilot to Tornante with Intrigue Entertainment. In feature films, she wrote Something Borrowed, the sequel to the 2006 hit Something Blue for Black Label Media, and the adaptation of the book Serpent’s Bite by Warren Adler for Grey Eagle Films. Alexa sold the feature I Won’t Be Home for Christmas to UCP for USA. Another feature project, The Lion in the Library, was recently set up with Prodigal Entertainment and Level Forward. She has projects in development with Team Downey, Hello Sunshine, and A Thousand Ships. For the Screenwriting Department in LA, she teaches Scene Study, Script To Screen, Writing The Feature Film, Writing The TV Pilot, Masters Character Workshop

Harrison Allen

Harrison Allen is a Development Executive and Producer currently working at Kebrado, a celluloid-only film company run by Brian Tetsuro Ivie. While in the undergrad film program at NYU, Harrison produced THE LAST THING MARY SAW (2021), a period piece thriller starring Isabelle Fuhrman, Stefanie Scott, and Rory Culkin. The film was acquired by Shudder and was released internationally in 2022. After graduating, Harrison became a producer at BrickHead, producing music videos for artists like Frances Forever and Montell Fish. Harrison joined Intrinsic Value Films to oversee both film and television development for two years before moving to Kebrado, shooting two films between roles, CONCESSIONS starring Michael Madsen and Steven Ogg for which he served as an EP, and ISLE CHILD starring Samantha Mathis, Sam Robards, and Ben Wang, for which he served as a Producer. Both films are currently in post-production and are slated for 2025 releases. In 2022, Harrison became an adjunct professor at the New York Film Academy where he continues to teach BFA screenwriting and current event courses.

Alexis Alleyne-Caputo

Alexis Alleyne-Caputo is an interdisciplinary artist presenting work of her master project Afro Dairies™. Afro Diaries is a collection of work by, for, and about women of color, offering a window into the landscape of miscarriages women endure. The work reflects and refracts the critical issues of identity, cultural differences, and human rights, and draws from myriad issues and concerns that create conflict and inequality in society. She is a graduate of Goddard College (MFA), New York University (MA & BS/MA), and is a certified Arts in Medicine practitioner. A university professor and lecturer, Alleyne-Caputo is faculty at the New York Film Academy, where she teaches movement and has taught at the University of Miami (2014- 2017) New World School of the Arts at Miami-Dade College (2010-2015), as guest artist at Harlem School of the Arts and served as art consultant at Florida Memorial University.

Anne Alvergue

Diana Anpilohova

Diana is a 3D animator, 3D generalist, and educator originally from Ukraine, now based in the United States, where she earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Animation and Visual Effects.
Despite being early in her professional career, Diana has already contributed to several impactful projects. She worked as a 3D animator on the Emmy Award-winning YouTube series Tab Time with Tabitha Brown and was part of the animation team for the Netflix-released feature film Don’t Move.
During her undergraduate studies, Diana was recognized with the “Young Talent” award in The Love of Nature in the 21st Century competition by the European Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters (2021). She is also a proud member of the Eurasian Creative Guild in London