NYFA
Faculty Directory

Faculty Directory

Till Neumann

Till N. Neumann was born and raised in Munich, Germany. He worked in Film Production before coming to New York City where he worked for hands on as a cinematographer. Till has compiled an impressive resume, shooting over thirty short films, numerous commercials, music videos, and over ten feature films as well as directing numerous commercials, shorts, and a feature film. He spent 3 years living and working in Los Angeles but decided his home and inspiration was and always has been New York.

Till Neumann’s work on El Camino received great reviews from Roger Ebert. He received awards for Best Cinematography for his film The Bakery at the Interpret film festival, as well as a special award for his cinematography at the CineVegas festival for his work on the movie 5up 2down along with best short film awards for The Strange Case Of Marie France at the Newport International Film Festival and the Rhode Island International Film Festival.

Kristen Nutile, ACE

Kristen Nutile, ACE, is a documentary editor and filmmaker based in New York City.

Kristen recently co-edited the film TURN EVERY PAGE, directed by Lizzie Gottlieb and released by Sony Pictures Classics. Kristen holds editing credits on FATHOM (AppleTV +), ART & KRIMES BY KRIMES (MTV Documentary Films), LOVE, GILDA (Magnolia Pictures), ADRIENNE (HBO), DEEP RUN (Netflix), EVERY DAY IS A HOLIDAY (PBS). She edited UNFINISHED SPACES, which won an NY Independent Spirit Award and is part of the permanent collection at Museum of Modern Art. Kristen had the opportunity to work on WEED THE PEOPLE and BUSINESS OF BIRTH CONTROL, directed by Abby Epstein and Executive Produced by Ricki Lake. Kristen edited HEROIN(E) which was nominated for an Academy Award, a Peabody Award and went on to win an Emmy Award.

Kristen has directed eleven films. Her own work intersects experimental and non-fiction filmmaking. Kristen’s films have shown around the world, including the Sundance Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival. In 2006, Kristen collaborated with legendary filmmaker, Albert Maysles and Tanja Meding on SALLY GROSS – THE PLEASURE OF STILLNESS, about critically acclaimed dancer and choreographer, Sally Gross.

Lanre Olabisi

Lanre Olabisi is an award-winning writer/director whose films have aired on HBO, Showtime, Netflix, and Hulu. Most recently, he has directed episodes of ABC’s “The Rookie” and its spinoff “The Rookie: Feds.” His short film “A Storybook Ending” streamed on HBO, leading to his participation in the HBOAccess Directing Program and the Disney Entertainment Television Directing Program.

Lanre’s feature films include “August the First” and “Somewhere in the Middle,” both distributed worldwide by Film Movement. His films have played in over 125 film festivals worldwide, including SXSW and Karlovy Vary. He has been nominated for an IFP Gotham Award and a Black Reel Award.

Lanre has taught at NYFA since 2008.

Edward Parks

Edward Parks is the co-founder and executive producer of Higher Content, a production company founded in 2015 with the goal of fostering bold new talent, character-driven stories, and collaborative filmmaking. He formerly founded RIVAL PICTURES, where he produced several award-winning films such as Special, Luv, Caucus and Space Station 76. In 2011, he won the Producers Guild Award for the documentary Beats Rhymes and Life, and was also nominated for a Grammy. In 2017, he produced indie thriller Super Dark Times, which was released by The Orchard in addition to a western, The Ballad of Lefty Brown, starring Bill Pullman, Jim Caveziel and Peter Fonda which A24 released in December 2019. In 2018, he produced, Darkness Visible, which was entirely shot in Kolkata, India with the support of the British Film Institute.

In April 2020, his latest film, Stray Dolls, was released by Samuel Goldwyn films which stars Bollywood star Geetanjali Thapa along with Olivia DeJonge and Cynthia Nixon.

He recently moved back to New York City after spending the past 20 years working in Los Angeles. He’s an adjunct professor at his alma mater, the University of Southern California and also teaches at the New York Film Academy in NYC where he teaches the next generation of creative producers.

Maya Patridge

Maya is an actor and teaching artist based in Brooklyn. She holds a BFA in Drama from NYU, Tisch School of the Arts (Meisner Studio, Experimental Theatre Wing). She teaches at the Terry Knickerbocker Studio and New York Film Academy, she is also a guest artist at Manhattan Theatre Club. Recent acting credits: a new musical, Scammed Into Love, at Theater for the New City, and a staged reading of a new play, The Adventures of Orlando and Virginia, with The Acting Company at The Public Theater. https://mayapatridge.com

Adrien Pellerin

Adrien Pellerin is a musical comedian based in NYC. He has music-directed numerous improvised musicals all over the world, including Baby Wants Candy at the Edinburgh and Adelaide Fringe Festivals, and Blank! The Musical at Green Room 42. He produces Shitzprobe, a monthly show that invites Broadway stars to improvise musicals for their first time. His digital series, Night Crew, was released by Comedy Central in 2019, and Adult Swim released his short, STAYDIUM, in 2020. He’s written and performed in multiple musical sketch comedy shows, and created Stupid Music Videos, a Rizzle Original Series. His work has also been featured by Funny Or Die, Vulture, Mashable, UCB, The PIT, and NYC Public Access TV. Insta: @adrienpellerin More at www.AdrienPellerin.com

Jessica Peter Assistant Director

Jessica Hemanth Peter is an accomplished filmmaker, makeup artist, and visual storyteller with over a decade of experience in photography, media arts, and film. Her expertise spans art direction, special effects makeup, and conceptual photography, with her work published in international magazines and recognized for its distinctive aesthetic and narrative depth. Rooted in her Indian heritage and enriched through her professional journey in the U.S., Jessica brings a unique cultural and artistic perspective to every project. She has taught film and media arts at the New York Film Academy, mentoring students in set design, cinematic storytelling, and screen makeup. Currently, she serves as the Assistant Director of the Teens Summer Program in New York City, where she oversees creative education initiatives and fosters a collaborative environment for aspiring young filmmakers. With a strong academic background in English literature and theological studies, Jessica’s work is driven by both visual excellence and meaningful storytelling.

Lindsey Phillips

Lindsey Phillips is a documentary filmmaker and editor based in Brooklyn, New York. In her work, she celebrates unique traditions and idiosyncrasies of place, culture, and communities, finding the humor and humanity in complex places. She is known for directing and editing The Exceptionally Extraordinary Emporium, a film about the significance of costuming in New Orleans, My Name Is Marc, And You Can Count On It, about Cleveland’s late-night commercial cult icon Marc Brown and, recently, Rhythm’s Gonna Get Ya, a city symphony of the challenges NYC subway commuters face.

Her award-winning films have screened at numerous festivals across the country, appeared on PBS’s Reel South and MailChimp, and her editing work has been featured on The New Yorker, Time Magazine, Vox, CNN’s Great Big Story, and The Washington Post. Phillips was part of the 2019 UnionDocs Collaborative Studio residency, holds a Certificate in Documentary Arts from the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, and graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in Digital Media Production

Christopher Piccione

With 16 years of acting experience, honed at esteemed New York City institutions like HB Studio, Kimball Studio, and The Barrow Group, Christopher Piccione brings a wealth of on- screen knowledge to the New York Film Academy. A veteran of television, some of his credits include The Blacklist, Manifest, Law & Order: SVU, Blue Bloods, FBI: Most Wanted, and many more. His extensive work also spans into short films and independent features, where he’s earned several “Best Actor” awards at film festivals worldwide. Beyond his acclaimed performances, Christopher is also an accomplished filmmaker, having written, directed, and overseen post-production on his own short films and in collaboration with
other filmmakers globally. This will be his third year sharing his diverse expertise with students at NYFA.

Ben Mehl Acting for Film Instructor

Ben Mehl is best known for his role as Dante on Netflix’s YOU. He has taught Movement and Shakespeare’s Clowns at the NYU Graduate Acting Program, where he also received his MFA and completed a teaching mentorship in Movement under Jim Calder and Voice under Scott Miller. He teaches at the New York Film Academy, HB Studio, and has also taught at The Public Theater, Red Bull Theater, Vim Vigor, Clown Gym, the Refugee Youth Summer Academy, the New School and as a private coach. He is a member of The Actors Center and a volunteer at the 52nd Street Project. Acting credits include: TV: YOU, THE GOOD WIFE, SUPERNATURAL INVESTIGATOR. Film: VIRAL BEAUTY, THE FLY ROOM, OFF-DUTY.Off-Broadway: THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR, SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL; (Red Bull Theater); PERICLES, COMEDY OF ERRORS (Public Theater). Regional: THE CRUCIBLE, YENTL (Cleveland Playhouse); TROUBLEMAKER (Berkeley Repertory Theatre); SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION (Williamstown Theatre Festival); HENRY V (Two River Theater); LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST (Chautauqua Theater Company). Other New York: DANNYKRISDONNAVERONICA, JULIUS CAESAR (Wheelhouse Theater); AT THE TABLE (Fault Line Theatre); HABIT (P.S. 122)

Patricia Phillips

American actress and singer Patricia Phillips has altered the history of American Broadway theatre, twice. Known for her power-house soprano, Patricia’s is the first woman of color to portray the Tony Award winning role of Carlotta in the longest running show in Broadway history, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. She is also the only woman of color to appear in KINKY BOOTS on Broadway. Classically trained at Carnegie Mellon University, Patricia has a wide range of stage and film credits including the Emmy Award winning Live at Lincoln Center production of SWEENEY TODD starring EMMA THOMPSON, the US premier of JERRY SPRINGER THE OPERA at Carnegie Hall starring Harvey Keitel, the Tony Award winning productions of BAZ LUHRMANN’S LA BOHÈME (OBC), THE SECRET GARDEN (OBC) and THE SOUND OF MUSIC (OBC Revival). She can be heard on three original cast recordings on DreamWorks, Columbia and RCA.

Some of Patricia’s television credits include BILLY ON THE STREET, SHADES OF BLUE, THE TONY AWARDS and THE SOPRANOS. Her film credits include EVERYBODY’S FINE where she performed alongside Robert De Niro. Patricia has appeared as the guest soloist with many symphony orchestras including The Pittsburgh Symphony, The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, The Minnesota Orchestra, The Indianapolis Symphony, The Bay Area Symphony, The Harrisburg Symphony, The Sioux City Symphony, and The Virginia Symphony.

Patricia currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at The New York Film Academy and New Jersey City University. She taught previously at Carnegie Mellon University, NYU Tisch New Studio on Broadway and at The Hun School in Princeton.

Patricia Lives in the greater New York City area where she savors dual citizenship between the United States and Italy and she will always consider her son, DIF, her finest production of all time.

Robert Pietri

BFA, Carnegie Mellon University; MFA, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Dean’s Fellow. Robert has worked in several mediums and genres, from live-action narrative to animation and documentary. His films have been in competition at festivals around the world, including AFI/DOCs, Animafest Zagreb, Annecy, BFI London Film Festival, and the Tribeca Film Festival. Pietri served in the United States Marines Corps and worked for years as an art director before committing himself to filmmaking. His first feature, Semper Fidel, was shot in Havana, Cuba. Robert continues to work and develop projects internationally.

Johanna Pinzler

Johanna directs at regional theaters and college theater programs in New York City. She teaches acting, directing and comedy at Marymount Manhattan College and NYFA’s Professional Conservatory of Musical Theatre. She serves as an Artistic Associate at Summer Rep Theatre in Santa Rosa, CA.

Mike Poole

Mike Poole is a writer, comedian, and improvisor whose credits include The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Amber
Ruffin Show, Improv Everywhere, and The Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theater. He teaches improv and acting at AMDA and UCB Theater, and is excited to be returning to NYFA for their summer program.

Jacquelyn Portillo TA Coordinator

Jacquelyn Portillo is the 2025 TA Coordinator for the New York Film Academy’s Teen Summer Campus in New York City. She has been involved with NYFA since 2018 and brings a strong background in media production, video editing, photography, and graphic design. During the academic year, Jacquelyn works as a high school multimedia teacher and continues to pursue her passion for visual storytelling as a freelance photographer. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys exploring the arts and visiting museums throughout the city.

Michelle Potterf

Michelle Potterf’s Bio-
Michelle came to NYFA from a 9-year run in the Musical CHICAGO on Broadway where she played Go-to-Hell Kitty and the understudy for the lead, Roxie Hart. She was also chosen to work side by side with Ms. Ann Reinking as the Dance Captain for Chicago the Musical on Broadway. Michelle has also had the privilege of constructing and overseeing a special one night performance by the incredible Chita Rivera at the Hotel Pierre. Michelle has danced professionally in such productions as Crazy For You (International tour), The Will Rogers Follies (National Tour), Beauty and the Beast (Walt Disney World.) She has been a featured dancer in the remake of the Stepford Wives movie and as a featured Dancer in a National Ebay commercial directed by Sam Mendes, as well as many other TV appearances. She has also taught dance in the NYC Public school system through The National Dance Institute under the direction of the legendary Jacques d’Amboise. Michelle earned a BFA in Dance from Missouri State University. Currently she is head of the dance department within the Professional Conservatory of Musical Theatre at the New York Film Academy.

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