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.

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

Prarthana Mohan Dean of Academic Affairs at Los Angeles Campus

Prarthana Mohan grew up in Chennai, India, where her grandfather, legendary composer M.S. Viswanathan, inspired her early love for cinema. She studied Visual Communication, directing the award-winning documentary Hush, before moving to the U.S. to pursue an MFA in Film Production at Chapman University, where she received the Leo Freedman Award for excellence in visual storytelling.

Her debut feature, The Miseducation of Bindu, executive produced by the Duplass Brothers, earned multiple awards and distribution with Marvista Entertainment. She has since directed All for Her, a true-life medical drama; Christmas is Canceled for Lionsgate, starring Dermot Mulroney, Haley Orrantia, and Janel Parrish; The Christmas Break for Fox Studios, an ensemble comedy starring Justin Long and India Mullen; and most recently Picture This for Amazon, starring Simone Ashley.

Alongside her film career, Prarthana serves as Dean of Academic Affairs at the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles, where she mentors students and leads curriculum development, combining her passion for storytelling with her commitment to education.

Harrison Allen

Harrison Allen is a Brooklyn-based producer and executive producer. Before Harrison finished his undergrad studies at NYU, he produced THE LAST THING MARY SAW, starring Isabelle Fuhrman and Stefanie Scott which was released by Shudder in 2021. After working at Bleecker Street Media, Harrison co-created BrickHead, producing music videos for artists like Montell Fish and Claud. In 2022, Harrison moved to Intrinsic Value Films as their Head of Development and oversaw their slate of films for two years, leaving to lead produce ISLE CHILD which premiered at SFFILM in 2025. in 2024, Harrison joined Kebrado, a celluloid-only company, and lead produced SERENITY, an intimate feature documentary focused on opioid addiction, executive produced CONCESSIONS, a movie theater hangout flick starring Michael Madsen and Steven Ogg, and lead produced ANIMA, a road-trip film starring Sydney Chandler and Takehiro Hiro set to premiere at SxSW in 2026. In addition to his work at Kebrado, Harrison Co-Executive Produced THE SINGERS which earned an Oscar Nomination for Best Live Action Short at the 98th Academy Awards in 2026. Harrison has been an adjunct professor at the New York Film Academy since 2022 and has taught over 40 screenwriting and producing courses.

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

Jonathan Appell

Sound instructor Jonathan Appell has had an unusually diverse career. His work can be heard on TV shows like Ed and The Dana Carvey Show; movies like First Wives Club and Coyote Ugly; recordings by legendary artists like Carole King, Bette Midler, Billy Porter, and Grover Washington, Jr.; anime cartoons like The Gokusen and Shura No Toki; and literally hundreds of television and radio commercials – including several for which he also provided the voiceover (we said he’s diverse!).

In addition to his ongoing freelance audio work, Jonathan has also been teaching for the last 15 years. Beyond his impressive resume, his credentials include a Bachelor of Science in Audio Technology Instruction from SUNY Empire State College, an AVID Certified Pro Tools Instructor, a voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS), and an active member of the Audio Engineering Society (AES).

David Armstrong

David A. Armstrong has more than 35 years of film industry experience and holds an MFA in Cinematography from the prestigious American Film Institute (AFI) and a BFA from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). Starting as a camera assistant, he has risen through the ranks to become a cinematographer. He has over 100 feature film and television productions to his credit.

He is the first recipient of the ASC (American Society of Cinematographers) Student Heritage Award, and his AFI short film John received the Student Academy Award Gold and the AFI’s Franklin J. Schafer Award. He served as director of photography for James Wan (The Conjuring, Aquaman) on the Saw film franchise (Saw I-VI). As a key team member of the Saw franchise, he helped to create the Guinness Book of World Record for largest-grossing horror film franchise in history.

Armstrong also directs feature films, and has directed actors including Forest Whitaker, Ray Liotta, Peter Stormare, Common, Justin Chatwin, Stephen Lang, Michael Chiklis, Nikki Reed, and Martin Csokas. His most recent feature, The Assassin’s Code, a neo-noir thriller starring Peter Stormare (Fargo) and Justin Chatwin (Shameless), premiered at the 42nd Cleveland International Film Festival in April 2018, with theatrical release by Gravitas Venture and VOD in May 2018.

Andy Ashcraft

BA in Graphic Design, UCLA

Andy is the founder of Giantsdance Games. He has held game design positions at Sony Computer Entertainment of America (working on God of War and God of War II), Electronic Arts, THQ, Disney Mobile, Disney Consumer Products, and THQ.