Faculty Directory

Natasha Wolfgang

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MFA, American Film Institute. Natasha is an artist, both traditional and digital. She started her career as a costume designer, and worked on period films in Europe. After moving to the US, she continued work in New York’s Off-Broadway theater scene. Natasha has also worked on shorts and features in various art department positions and has several years of experience working as an interior designer.

Jessica Wolfson

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Jessica Wolfson has directed and produced many critically-acclaimed documentary films and series. In recent years she produced “Sacred” (IDFA, DOC NYC, Tokyo International Film Festival); “Revenge of the Mekons” with Fred Armisen and Jonathan Franzen (“Top 10 films of 2014” by Village Voice); “A Girl and a Gun”; “Next Year Jerusalem” and “Crazy Sexy Cancer” (SXSW, aired on TLC and OWN). She has created award-winning media content for ESPN, MTV, Conde Nast, NYU, Canon and many nonprofit organizations. At IFC TV Original Programming, she developed and produced documentaries including “This Film is Not Yet Rated” by Kirby Dick (Sundance, SXSW, Seattle International Film Festival); “Wanderlust” by Academy Award nominees Bob Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman; “The Bridge” by Eric Steele; “Greg the Bunny”; and Emmy-nominated “Dinner for Five” with Jon Favreau. Jessica directed and produced Netflix’s award-winning and critically acclaimed “Radio Unnameable” (Cine Golden Eagle, Full Frame, Silver Docs, “Top 10 Films of 2012” by the New York Daily News). Jessica is a consulting producer and mentor for filmmakers through the IFP and Tribeca Film Institute, and is currently in production for Discovery Channel.

Suné Woods

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Suné Woods work takes the form of video installations, movement, photography, and collage. Woods is invested in holistic healing modalities and the wisdom that comes through interspecies relationships. 

Woods has served as Visiting Faculty in the CalArts Photography & Media Program, Visiting Lecturer in the department of Art, Film, and Visual Studies at Harvard University, and as Visiting Associate Professor at University of California Los Angeles in the department of Art. 

Wysandria Woolsey

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Wysandria Woolsey originated the role of The Sugar Bowl in Disney’s Broadway production of “Beauty and the Beast,” and is featured on the cast recording and in the national commercial. She performed the role of Carlotta in the Broadway production of “The Phantom of the Opera” and was in “Parade at Lincoln Center,” both directed by Hal Prince. Other original Broadway shows include: “Aspects of Love” and “Chess,” both directed by Trevor Nunn. In Europe she was Grizabella in the Austrian production of “Cats,” and has performed in numerous national tours including “Whistle Down The Wind” (dir. Hal Prince), “Zorba” with Anthony Quinn (dir. Joel Grey), “On the 20th Century” as understudy to Imogene Coca, and “Song and Dance” as stand-by to Melissa Manchester. She was a featured soloist in “The Music of Andrew Lloyd Weber” (dir. Arlene Phillips). Other regional and stock credits include: “City of Angels,” “Blood Brothers,” “A Chorus Line” and “Street Scene.” She has also appeared as a soloist with the Cleveland Pops Orchestra in both Cleveland and Breckenridge Colorado, and was featured in the Lincoln Center Tribute to Alan Jay Lerner and at in a “Tribute to Stephen Sondheim” at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Lori S. Wyman

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Lori S. Wyman, CSA, one of the most prominent Casting Directors in the southeast, has been casting films, television shows, and commercials in South Florida since 1979. Lori attended the University of Miami and she graduated with her Bachelors Degree in Speech and Communications and her minor in Education. She received her Master’s Degree from Nova Southeastern University (NSU) with a concentration in Drama Therapy. She pursued this degree in order to help actors with Audition Anxiety.

Upon graduating with her undergraduate degree, she aggressively pursued a casting career and immediately started working for ACT I Talent Agency. At the time, ACT I was the biggest talent agency in the State of Florida. Quickly building a reputation as one of the most outstanding talent agents in the business, she was asked by the company that was handling the Miami Vice casting if she would be one of their staff casting directors. While there, she worked on the Principal casting for “Miami Vice” during the 2nd and 3rd seasons. At the end of the 3rd season, she was approached by one of the producers of “Miami Vice” and asked to come work for them directly and head up their entire casting division. She did that for the duration of the series.

When “Miami Vice” wrapped, she was immediately asked to head up the casting offices of the Burt Reynolds series, “BL Stryker” and to cast the Florida episodes of Stephen J. Cannell’s “21 Jumpstreet” and “Wiseguy.” After these 3 series, Lori decided to make the lucrative move to commercials and feature film casting. In 1989 Lori was invited to become a member of the Casting Society of America, the professional organization of casting directors in the U.S.

She opened her own offices in North Miami Beach in the spring of 1990. With her own studio space, offices and equipment,
she was able to expand her business opportunities and provide a wider variety of services. Lori has also served on the Miami-Dade County Film, Print and Broadcast Advisory Board, helping to make decisions regarding the Film industry in Miami-Dade County. Lori is also a past vice-president of WOMPI, Women of the Motion Picture Industry, to whom she has contributed her casting services for many of their not-for-profit films that the organization produces for the good of the community.

Some of Lori’s more recent casting credits are MARCEL by Warner Bros on Apple TV, The Right Stuff on Disney Plus, HBO’s Ballers, Bloodline for Netflix, USA’s Burn Notice, The Glades and Graceland, and Starz’s Magic City. Lori is an EMMY nominee for HBO’S Recount and she has been nominated for 8 Artios and has won the prestigious Artios casting award 2 times for HBO’s Recount and Bloodline on Netflix.

Nicholas Yellen

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Nick founded NYCA, a Manhattan based literary agency representing screenwriters, directors, playwrights, TV writers, and novelists where he has set up projects at almost every major studio and TV network.

Nick co-founded Edwards-Yellen Entertainment (EYE), a literary management/film and television production company based in Los Angeles. While with EYE, the company had a 2-picture production deal with ABC-Productions. He produced I Know What You Did with Rosanna Arquette, the VH1 TV movie Out of Sync, Retribution for the SAT1 cable network, and the feature If Tomorrow Comes with James Franco. EYE also had development deals with many of the major networks and studios including ABC, Hearst Entertainment, VH1, Phoenix Pictures, Edward R. Pressman, Warner Bros., Alan Landsberg Productions, The Wolper Organization, Lifetime Network, All Girl Productions, and Wilshire Court among others. Nick also worked on the movie Intent for Columbia/Tri-Star.

Theatrically, Nick helped produce the musicals Lucky in the Rain, for the Goodspeed Opera House and Say Yes at the Berkshire Theatre Festival. Nick started his career in film and television at International Creative Management (ICM), then the world’s largest talent agency. After leaving ICM, Nick managed the Geffen Records recording artist Graveyard Train. Nick began his career as an FM-Radio disc jockey in Saratoga, NY and San Antonio, TX.

Andrew Young

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Andrew Young is an award-winning filmmaker, photographer, and professor based in New York City. His visual and lighting work has been featured in film festivals all over the world: from New York, Seoul, Edinburgh, and Cannes. Andrew loves hitting the campaign trail, having filmed and photographed progressive candidates like Senator Elizabeth Warren and former Congressman Joe Kennedy.

Andrew has an MFA in Cinematography from Boston University, and is now thrilled to be teaching film, photography, and visual storytelling at NYFA and SUNY WCC.

His creative work centers around the concept of magical realism, or finding meaning and magic in mundane things.

Joey Zangardi-Dixon

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JOEY ZANGARDI-DIXON is the Director of Musical Theatre Recruitment at the New York Film Academy (NYFA) and has been in the entertainment industry for decades. He has worked in Casting for MTV, FOX, Nickelodeon, and NBC, as well as an Agent, Director, Teacher, and Performer. He now uses his industry experience to scout talent, teach workshops, and adjudicate acting and musical theatre auditions around the globe. Regional Performance Credits include: Les Miserables, The Wizard of Oz, Mame, 1776, Make Me a Song, On the Town, Follies, The Immigrant, and The Who’s Tommy. NYC Casting Credits include: VH1 / Vogue Fashion Awards, Say What Karaoke, Nickelodeon Live, Jail Bait, and MTV 2 Large. Joey has been fortunate to work on projects featuring celebrities, such as Madonna, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani and Jay-Z.

Tina Zaremba

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Tina Zaremba is a professional voice over actor. Based in New York City, she brings fifteen plus years of experience and has lent her voice to hundreds of commercials, promos, and corporate videos that include clients such as: BNY Mellon, Tide Plus Bleach, Airwick, Pantene, Blue Cross Blue Shield and the United Way.

In addition to working as a voice-over talent, Tina works with artists 1:1 as well as in workshops helping them create a blue print to developing a career in entertainment/new media as a soloprenuer.

She also teaches voice overs at New York Film Academy in NYC.

Tina studied theater at Western Michigan as well as The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute where she was a recipient of the Sidney Kingsley scholarship.

When Tina isn’t providing her voice to various voice over work, you can find her venturing around Harlem with her husband; son and French Bulldog Jojo.

To learn more about Tina go to http://www.tinazaremba.com

Joy Zhu Executive Vice President for the China Region

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Ph.D. in Higher Education Management, University of Pennsylvania. MA and BA in English Language and Literature, Heilongjiang University. Visiting Professor at Heilongjiang University, Beijing Film Academy, Sichuan University of Media and Communications.

Dr. Zhu has spent more than two decades cultivating international collaborations. Some of her responsibilities at NYFA include managing international student recruitment and creating localization strategies in China.

Prior to joining the New York Film Academy, Dr. Zhu was previously a faculty member at Harbin Institute of Technology. She has also served as President of U.S.-China Economic and Cultural Development Association, which aims to advance collaboration between American and Chinese educational institutions.

As a scholar-practitioner, Dr. Zhu’s academic interests include higher education internationalization and global engagement strategy. She co-authored American Film and Television Education and Works Research, published by All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce Press, and Film and Television Production at Chinese and American Art Colleges, published by Communication University of China Press.

Joshua Zecher-Ross

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JOSHUA ZECHER-ROSS has worked on over 100 productions in New York and around North America as a music director, supervisor, conductor, arranger, and electronic music designer, and has been a music director and accompanist at PCMT @ NYFA since 2014. Broadway: Be More Chill (conductor sub). Off-Broadway: Sweetee (music director/conductor), Broadway Bounty Hunter (rehearsal pianist). Recently: The Louder We Get directed by Lonny Price at Theatre Calgary. Other NY credits include songs in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and many shows at clubs and venues around NYC. Other regional credits include Barrington Stage Company, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, George Street Playhouse, Florida Studio Theatre, Sharon Playhouse, The Village Theatre in Seattle, WA, and The Little Theatre on the Square in Sullivan, Illinois. Joshua is also a musical theatre instructor at Actor Therapy, and he holds a Bachelor of music in vocal performance from the Steinhardt School at New York University. www.joshuazr.com @joshuazr1311

John Zuur Platten

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John is a creative director at Google’s Niantic Labs which makes Pokemon Go and Ingress. He is co-author of the acclaimed book The Ultimate Guide to Video Game Writing and Design. He has extensive experience in the game industry and film industry. John was a producer on the Sega CDs Ground Zero Texas and Double Switch. As a result of his relationship with Sega, John designed, produced and wrote the highly successful Sega CD Tomcat Alley. John’s work as designer, writer and producer on Johnny Mnemonic for Sony Imagesoft lead to an overall production agreement with Propaganda Code, during which he developed several titles for Philips Media. His many other game projects include The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, (Xbox, PC), I am Alive (Xbox, PS3, PC), Scooby-Doo 2005, Constantine, Red Ninja and Taxi Driver.