Faculty Directory

Sophia Bilynsky

Sophia is a respected leader in the design world with over 20 years of experience reshaping brand and business strategies across multiple sectors. Known for her innovative thinking, she blends classic design principles with new technologies and contemporary social insights to create branding that truly connects in today’s world. Growing up in Philadelphia to immigrant parents, Sophia weaves together global perspectives on art, identity, and culture to transform everyday ideas into meaningful experiences that speak to diverse clients and students alike. Throughout her career, she’s partnered with major companies, non-profits, and educational institutions to craft unique visual narratives that prioritize sustainability, accessibility, and ethical design—values she believes are crucial for preparing the next generation of creative talent.

Oscar Bleetstein

Oscar Bleetstein brings over 20 years of experience in the financial services sector, where he has held a number of senior positions at some of the most prestigious global financial institutions, including Credit Suisse, Merrill Lynch, AIG and Chase. While Oscar has developed expertise in a wide range of financial areas, his core focus has been on alternative asset classes, commodity derivatives, and trading strategies. His client base consists of hedge funds, mutual funds, sovereign wealth entities, family offices and ultra-high net worth individuals. A native New Yorker, Oscar previously lived in Asia and in Europe, and has traveled extensively.

Thinking globally and acting locally is a motto he puts into practice every day. Oscar is on the advisory board of a.i.r. NYC, a Harlem-based, non-profit organization dedicated to keeping asthmatic children and adults healthy, active, and out of the hospital.

Oscar holds a degree in international relations from the Georgetown School of Foreign Service and holds a Certificat d’Etudes Politiques from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences-Po).

Joseph Bonier

An active Sound Mixer and Sound Designer, Joseph graduated with a BA from the University of Maryland. Joseph also has a degree for Recording Engineering from the Recording Connection. He has worked as Boom Operator and Sound Mixer for numerous features, TV shows and shorts. He also worked as an Engineer at Avalon studios in Washington DC and Matrax productions in Philadelphia, PA.

Lea Tolub Brandenburg

Lea Tolub Brandenburg has been teaching, acting, and directing for over 30 years.

She’s worked in film, theatre, commercials, industrials, and voice-over. Currently, she teaches Directors Craft in NYFA’s
online short-term programs. She’s directed seven original short films and hundreds of scenes/shorts in her acting for film classes. As a casting director, she’s cast two features and a number of commercials. She wrote, directed and produced the short: And Again. The film was an official selection of the Big Apple Film Festival and GenCon. She is the co-author of “The Actor’s Workbook: How to Become a Working Actor”. In 2015 she received an MFA in Film from Vermont College of Fine Arts demonstrating that you never stop learning and growing as an artist.

Kyle Branzel

KYLE BRANZEL is a highly sought-after musical theatre coach, trusted by some of Broadway’s most thrilling performers. Drawing from a wide variety of theatrical experience as Director, Music Director, Actor, and Pianist, Kyle empowers actors in NYC and around the world to develop their artistry holistically and navigate their careers with integrity. His innovative approach to physical acting training and physiological vocal coaching have helped many clients and students book roles in films, TV shows, Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, national tours, regional productions, and cruise ships. Current teaching appointments: Musical Theatre Instructor at New York Film Academy, Musical Theatre and Movement Instructor at Jen Waldman Studio, Guest Lecturer of Musical Theatre at Western Illinois University, Head of Acting at Omaha Conservatory of Music’s SoundWaves Summer Institute. Previous: Hartt School of Music, Roosevelt University. Founder: Rock U, a comprehensive and dynamic approach to performing popular music. Member: Actors’ Equity Association. BFA Musical Theatre: Roosevelt University. kylebranzel.com

Lauren Ann Brickman CETL Director—NY Campus; LAS Associate Chair

As an actor Lauren has appeared on screen in such projects as FBI: most wanted, Bull, Gloria Bell, Alterlatino, Stuffed with Lisa Lampanelli, and much more including being a former house performer at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade & a company member of The Story Pirates. As an educator Lauren has worked at Adelphi University, Montclair State, CUNY City Tech, CUNY Queensborough, and the University of Iowa where she earned her MFA in acting. Lauren is also a published writer for periodicals such as Glamour magazine & freelance director. She is also the 1/2 of the comedy duo we Stan together.

John Briscoe

Editor of multiple commercials broadcast both in Western Pennsylvania as well as Los Angeles. Worked as a freelance contractor on various independent films, webisodes and commercials. Editor of an 8-episode “war time” style documentary independently and aired locally in Los Angeles. Director, Producer and Editor of various segments airing on Pennsylvania television including a commercial for Hyundai, as well as various local food establishments and businesses.

Lizzy Brooks

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Lizzy is an Actor, Singer and Screenwriter. BA: Columbia University- Art History. MFA: Brown/Trinity Repertory (Acting, Directing and Playwriting). Select credits include Broadway: Macbeth (u/s Lady Macbeth, Banquo); Regional Theater: As You Like It (Milwaukee Repertory Theater), Julius Caesar (The Hanover Theater) and Shoebox: A Roadside Picnic (ASF). Film and TV: The Storied Life of AJ Fikry (Hulu/Amazon Prime), New Amsterdam (NBC) and Hostages (NBC)

Todd Bruno

Todd Bruno is an award-winning actor and producer, and a native of South Florida. He is a graduate of The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater in New York and has a Theater degree from Vanderbilt University. Best known for Stratagem (2017), Palace (2018) and Proximity (2013), he is a veteran of more than 40 film productions and 50+ stage productions. Todd is on faculty at New York Film Academy, and his latest film Corona Camp is set to release this year.

Amanda Brzezowski Associate Chair of Filmmaking

Amanda Brzezowski received her MA in Film Studies from Columbia University. She has presented papers at multidisciplinary conferences held at Emory University in Atlanta and the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City. Previously Amanda worked at POV, the longest-running documentary series on PBS, screening documentaries in consideration for the series, and coordinating the annual Editorial Committee Meeting with programmers and independent filmmakers. Since 2013, she has screened documentary films in consideration for festivals including DOC NYC, Camden International Film Festival, and Tribeca Film Festival. Amanda has also directed short documentaries for local nonprofits to help raise money for community programs supporting children, seniors, cancer survivors, and musicians. Currently, she teaches in the Documentary Traditions & Aesthetics courses for the NYFA Documentary Conservatory programs and is the Associate Chair of Filmmaking.

Bruce Buckley

Bruce attended Sheridan for college where he studied art fundamentals. His primary focus was photography, shooting both 35mm and 4×5. Commercial photography was exciting and he did lots of studio work and architectural photography.

After earning his degree, Bruce took a job with the Canadian government working with microfilm. There he discovered computers and became curious about the possibilities of using them to make art. After nine years there Bruce returned to school to study technical illustration.

In 1987 he went to NAB where he met fellow Canadian Steve Williams who was at the conference presenting with Alias. A phone call from ILM in 1993 brought Bruce to ILM. At ILM he went to work right away on films including; Casper, Dragonheart, and Congo helping to develop systems and tools to make the artist’s work move seamless. In 1995 Bruce was headhunted away by Disney to come work on Dinosaur. Bruce’s credits include; Atlantis: The Lost Empire, The Incredibles, Monster House, Beowulf, Scott Pilgrim, Tree of Life, John Carter, Prometheus, Fate of the Furious, Kong: Skull Island, and Deadpool 2, to name just a few.

Today Bruce teaches at the NY Film Academy and is a Freelance CG/VFX Supervisor.

Joe Burke

Joe Burke is an award-winning indie filmmaker, actor, and director known for his heartfelt, character-driven stories and resourceful approach to micro budget filmmaking. Originally from Toledo, Ohio, he studied filmmaking and theater at Columbia College Chicago before earning his MFA in Directing from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. Burke gained early recognition with his debut feature Four Dogs, and recently world premiered his new award winning movie Burt, winning Best Comedy Feature at Cinequest, Best Picture at the Phoenix Film Festival, and the Special Jury Award at the Florida Film Festival. He’s been a film professor at NYFA since 2014.

Todd Buonopane

Todd Buonopane is an award winning actor, singer, director and story-teller. On Broadway, he starred as Jean-Michel in Cinderella, Amos in Chicago, Roger in Grease, and many characters in …Spelling Bee. He appeared Off-Broadway in The Butter & Egg Man, Henry & Mudge, and The New Yorkers at Encores! Touring audiences have seen him in The Play That Goes Wrong, Godspell, & Chicago (which he also performed in Tokyo, Seoul and Dubai.) Regionally, he has performed at the Alliance, The Old Globe, Asolo Rep, MUNY, Signature, Pasadena Playhouse, 5th Avenue, Ordway, Papermill Playhouse, Goodspeed, Maine State, the Argyle, North Shore and Barrington.TV credits include “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”, “Grey’s Anatomy”, “Braindead”, “Law & Order:CI”, and “30 Rock” (as Weinerslav). Todd is also a director, having directed productions of The Prom, Urinetown, Legally Blonde and Spelling Bee. toddbuonopane.com

Nancy Burson

Acclaimed artist/photographer Nancy Burson’s work is shown in museums and galleries internationally. “Seeing and Believing”, her traveling 2002 retrospective originating at the Grey Art Gallery, was nominated for Best Solo Museum Show of the Year in New York City by the International Association of Art Critics. She has served as a visiting professor at Harvard and was a member of the adjunct photography faculty at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts for five years.

Her work is included in museums worldwide including the MoMA, Metropolitan Museum, and the Whitney Museum in New York City, as well as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Center Georges Pompidou in Paris, the LA County Museum of Art, and the Getty Museum, MoMA (San Francisco), the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, and the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC, as well as many others. She has collaborated with Creative Time, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, and Deutsche Bank in completing several important public art projects in NYC.

Andrea Marie Bush

Andrea Marie Bush (she/her) is a multi-faceted teaching artist and performer based in New York City. She holds a BM and MM in Vocal Performance as well as an advanced certificate in Vocal Pedagogy from NYU Steinhardt, where she also served as Adjunct Instructor of Voice for three semesters. She is a graduate of the Summer Vocology Institute at The University of Utah.

A year after her undergraduate studies, Andrea was selected by Tony-winning director Bartlett Sher to join the 1st National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof as a principal and ensemble swing (500+ performances). Additional performing credits include The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Rona Lisa Peretti), Brigadoon (Fiona MacLaren), Titanic (Caroline Neville), and other featured roles. Film and TV work include SNL (NBC), The Night Agent (Netflix), Dexter: Resurrection (Paramount+), and The Devil Wears Prada 2 (20th Century Studios). 

A self-proclaimed “voice nerd”, evidence-based vocal pedagogy is at the core of Andrea’s education and teaching style; she has been fortunate to learn directly from leading voice scientists in the field of vocology, including Dr. Ingo Titze, Dr. Marco Guzman, Dr. Kittie Verdolini Abbott, Lynn Helding, Dr. Ana Flavia Zuim, Dr. Aaron Johnson (NYU), and many others. She was recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Voice and Speech Review for her book review on philosophical practices in the private voice studio. Andrea is a proud member of NATS and MTEA, both organizations in which she continues to pursue opportunities to further her education as a teaching artist. 

Michael Thomas Cain

Michael Thomas Cain is a writer, director, and producer for film and theatre. Michael is the founder of Forgotten Artist Productions (a full service production company), and in the last few years, this production company has produced several film projects (all written and/or directed by Michael) that have been screened at prominent international film festivals and collected numerous film awards and nominations at these festivals. The current movie Not Approved For Cancer Treatment, also written and directed by Michael, was recently screened at the Austin Revolution Film Festival, gaining 4 award nominations. In May of 2022, Michael wrote and directed the play version of “Not Approved For Cancer Treatment” in the New York Theater Festival. Recently, Michael’s play ENOUGH’S ENOUGH! was presented by the UR Here Theater Company in Fresno, California. In recent years, Michael wrote and directed WHERE ART LIVES (performed at UNDER St. Marks Theater) and “Eliminated” (performed at Manhattan Repertory Theatre) for the stage. In 2012, Michael wrote, directed, and produced ENOUGH’S ENOUGH! at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club as part of the NY International Fringe Festival. Michael has earned an M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing from Adelphi University and a B.A. in Communications/Theatre from Augusta College.