Page 104 – NYFA

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Alum Enrique Pedráza Botero on the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Filmmaking Alum Enrique Pedráza Botero doesn’t just write and direct films—he also helps other filmmakers bring their documentaries to life through his work at the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program (DFP). While Sundance is synonymous with its prestigious film festival, its documentary film program and creative labs are working year round to bring new and unique voices to the world of nonfiction cinema.

Botero is originally from Colombia and first enrolled at New York Film Academy’s New York campus in 2010, before finishing his studies at NYFA-Los Angeles where he earned his BFA in Filmmaking. “I miss my time at NYFA,” Botero tells the Academy. “I loved the school and their open-minded philosophy about the approach to the work … I connect to the importance of discovering your interests and voice as a filmmaker by actually shooting and seeing through the camera, not necessarily when you have it all figured out.”

Following graduation, Botero worked as Manager of Programming at Ambulante California before working with the Sundance Institute. The Documentary Film Program at Sundance was established in 2002 and comprises both the Documentary Film Fund and the creative labs where films are workshopped and filmmakers mentored to become stronger storytellers. With a rolling application process, the DFP receives countless submissions each year, and looks for passionate and emerging filmmakers, particular those with unique cultural perspectives and personal connections to ongoing social issues.

That worldly perspective is something Botero connected to even while studying at NYFA. “I also really appreciated how global my class was, and the opportunity to see how other people thought about story in other parts of the world,” says Botero, “how people thought creatively and aesthetically, and get a chance to understand how expansive that notion of story really is, something that is so rigged in history and culture.”

He adds, “I realized how much more compelling and complex my stories could be if I saw my ideas from a personal perspective and my place in the world.”

The Documentary Film Fund looks to support nonfiction films at all stages in production, and gives out nearly $1-$2 million in grants to over 40 projects each year. To apply, filmmakers must submit a written proposal and line item budget, as well as visual samples of their work. If footage hasn’t already been shot for the documentary, a mood reel and/or previous work of the director should be included. According to Botero, the DFP isn’t looking for a staid summary of the project but rather a strong feel for the artist—their voice, their artistic statement, the character access and connection they have to the subject of the film.

The DFP Creative Labs are residential workshops, where filmmakers live and breathe their projects over the course of an entire week. There is an edit and story lab, which takes place in the mountains of Utah at the Sundance Resort as well as a music and sound design lab, where directors have the opportunity to work with talented up and coming composers from around the world, and sound designers from Skywalker Ranch. Both labs take place in June and July every year. At the labs, filmmakers can expect a trusted space where they will work with mentors, often filmmakers who have gone through the labs themselves, in an exchange of knowledge, and where they can learn to look at their work and the footage they’ve shot with new perspectives. Each director-editor team is paired with a contributing editor (an emerging nonfiction editor aiming to make the jump into feature-length editing), and are pushed to be more creative and experimental with their own current takes on their project.

Botero cites the 2019 documentary Always in Season as a perfect example of a film that was successfully workshopped through the edit and story lab. Director Jacqueline Olive had been working on her footage and material for over eight years, but it was through the labs that she was finally able to see her story in a new context and truly unlock her creative side by learning to better visually communicate her themes. The documentary finally came together as a powerful story of lynching in the rural South. The film premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival in the US Documentary Competition.

In addition to the Film Fund and Creative Labs, the Sundance Institute is launching Collab, a learning platform designed for emerging filmmakers which aims to help students looking to expand their community and participate in curated masterclasses. Botero tells NYFA that anyone can open an account to receive access to both free and paid content, including a robust list of resources as well as weekly events and conversations. “It is open to artists globally, which is something we’re excited about!” adds Botero.

More information about the Documentary Film Program and how to apply to the Film Fund and Creative Labs can be found here. The New York Film Academy thanks alum Enrique Pedráza Botero for sharing his insight into his fascinating work at the Sundance Institute, and encourages all NYFA students and alumni to seek further resources like those provided at Sundance to strengthen their creative vision and storytelling skills.

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Acting for Film Student Santiago Achaga Wins TVyNovelas Award

Argentinian actor and social media star Santiago Achaga has won the coveted TVyNovelas Award for Best Young Actor. A graduate of the New York Film Academy (NYFA) 4-Week Acting for Film program and current student in the Filmmaking program, Achaga received the award for his portrayal of Claudio Meyer on Like, la Leyenda (Like, the Legend), a popular teen telenovela from Mexico. His work on the show also netted him a nomination for an Eres Award for Best Actor.

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The younger brother of popular model and actress Macarena Achaga, Santiago Achaga is also a singer and musician. He composed and recorded several pieces for Like, and earned scores of fans for his emotional ballads. His first commercial single, “Solo Estamos Los Dos,” will be released at the end of May.

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The actor has worked in Argentina, Mexico, and the U.S., and moved to New York City to study at NYFA’s renowned Acting for Film program. He got his start as a model and was later cast as a recurring character on Heidi Bienvenida a Casa (Heidi, Welcome Home), an Argentinian telenovela for Nickelodeon’s Latin America brand, MundoNick. He played Junior in the show, which is an adaptation of the classic children’s book by Johanna Spyri.

More recently, Achaga starred in Palau, a feature length film that tells the story of radio evangelist Luis Palau. Filmed in Argentina, the film had a two-day release across the U.S. and Latin America in early April, and continues to screen in churches and cinemas across the two continents. Achaga plays the titular religious leader as a young man on his way to becoming a missionary.

The New York Film Academy congratulates Santiago Achaga on his continued success and looks forward to his future projects!

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Hosts First Annual John Burroughs High School Film Festival

New York Film Academy (NYFA) was proud to host the first annual John Burroughs High School Film Festival earlier this month on May 5. The festival featured four films made by the young students. Students used their own equipment—smartphones, high-quality cameras, and sound equipment—to film their movies, which ranged in length from two to 10 minutes.

John Burroughs has a film club filled with students that have a great passion for film. The president of the film club approached NYFA in the fall of 2018 with interest in visiting the campus and starting a film festival. NYFA was very excited to help them achieve this goal.

A 1-week workshop scholarship was awarded to one of the filmmakers, chosen by the audience. The winning film was the four minute short, Time Machine.

The festival garnered the attention of the LA Times, where journalist Andrew J. Campa wrote about the event and interviewed John Burroughs High School Film Club President Orion Spatafora and NYFA Senior Outreach Specialist Jody Burns.

“It was so much fun to see the students’ hard work pay off,” Burns told the LA Times. “It was so exciting for us at New York Film Academy to see the hard work they put into their films. The students also loved getting to see their work on the big screen in a theater setting.”

The festival was small this year, but both NYFA and Spatafore expect more students of John Burroughs to participate in the second annual event. “We’re already planning next year’s film festival now,” Spatafora told the LA Times. “We want more students involved, and we want to get this out to the community.”

New York Film Academy congratulates the filmmaking students on jobs well done and looks forward to next year’s John Burroughs High School Film Festival!

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New York Film Academy (NYFA) Celebrates Red Nose Day 2019

On May 7, 2019 New York Film Academy (NYFA) Community Outreach in Los Angeles partnered up with our campuses in New York and South Beach, Miami to participate in “NYFA Red Nose Day 2019” for the international campaign to raise funds to end childhood poverty around the world.

The students, faculty, and staff of New York Film Academy actively participated in the event across all three campuses by donating and having their photos taken with red noses to raise awareness of Red Nose Day, the national fundraising campaign to end child poverty.

New York Film Academy board member and award-winning actor Matthew Modine came by to support the cause and brought along his Stranger Things co-star Sean Astin. This year, in addition to Red Nose day mascot Red, we were introduced to his friends with superhero powers to help keep children in the world safe, healthy, and educated: Scarlet, Rojo, Ruby, and Rusty.

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To date, the Red Nose Day campaign to help to end child poverty has raised nearly $150 million. The fundraiser is supported by NBC, Walgreens, Mars/Wrigley, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. You can read more about the charity here.

Red Nose Day will return to NBC on Thursday, May 23, 2019. The campaign’s iconic “Red Noses” are available at Walgreens stores around the country. Please support the fundraiser here. Together, we can make a difference in lives of children all over the globe!

Check out all of the great photos our students, staff, and faculty took for Red Nose Day below!
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New York Film Academy (NYFA) Photography Students Attend Palm Springs Photo Festival

This May, The Photo Arts Conservatory at New York Film Academy Los Angeles (NYFA-LA) attended the Palm Springs Photo Festival for the fourth consecutive year in a row.

Each year, the festival provides an opportunity for our students to meet with legendary photographers, share their portfolios in the celebrated portfolio review program, check out the latest photo gear, enjoy evening presentations by world famous image makers, and attend cutting-edge seminars, symposiums, and networking events. NYFA Photography students gain incredible insight into the current photo market and make new connections with industry leaders.

“The part I enjoy most about the Palm Springs Photo Festival is that it gives me the opportunities to meet with a lot of great photographers of different genres,” shares Cindy Chiang, a 1-year Photography student at NYFA. “In addition to the portfolio review, which is helpful in itself, I’m inspired by different artist talks that enable me to think further about my own project.”

This year our students met with Paris Chong, curator of the Leica Gallery Los Angeles; Emily Shornick who is the managing photo editor for InStyle.com; and Virginia Heckert, curator in the Department of Photographs at the J. Paul Getty Museum, among others.

“Palm Springs was a very enriching experience,” says Maria Antonella Moisello (1-year Photography). I’ve not only learned a lot about my own work, but I’ve also had the opportunity to share with my colleagues and network with really cool people.”

In addition to portfolio reviews, our students attended a symposium on women photographers and were honored to attend this moving conversation. The speakers included Barbara Davidson, a three-time Pulitzer Prize- and Emmy award-winning photojournalist best known for her work on victims of gang violence in Los Angeles; artist Mona Kuhn’s whose work has been exhibited and/or included in the collections of The J. Paul Getty Museum, The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Pérez Art Museum, and many more; and Melanie Pullen, a fine-art photographer whose work focuses on both social values and taboos while purposely taking aim at the media’s exploitation of sex, gender, and violence.

Other lectures were given by industry legends such as Stephen Wilkes, Jay Maisel, Nadav Kander, and Duane Michaels.

“It’s incredible to get a chance to see so many legendary image makers speaking about their unique journey,” remarks Amanda Rowan, NYFA Photography instructor. “It’s a great way for our students to gain insight and perspective on there own creative journey.”

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New York Film Academy (NYFA) Documentary Filmmaking Alum CJ Ferroni on Switching Careers

Before graduating the 1-year New York Film Academy (NYFA) Documentary Filmmaking conservatory, CJ Ferroni was a middle school teacher. That job turned out to be the first step on a career-changing path that led Ferroni to NBC Peacock Productions, where he currently works on professional documentaries.

Ferroni taught at the middle school for several years, and started an extracurricular media club where he taught students to write, shoot, light, and edit short films and news stories. He then moved to Hong Kong for a year, where he taught SAT prep classes with a focus on the Verbal and Written sections of the test.

Through his years of experience as an educator, Ferroni came to the conclusion that important stories are the best medium to reach and teach the masses, and that documentary films are the best vehicle for those stories. “My students always loved when I would show them a documentary at the end of learning a new topic,” Ferroni tells NYFA. “It just seemed to cement everything, and they always paid attention and asked great questions after watching a film.”

When he returned to the States, Ferroni enrolled at NYFA’s Documentary school, where he learned the artistic and professional skills to become a documentary filmmaker from an award-winning professional faculty.

Soon after graduation, Ferroni got a paid internship at Warrior Poets, where he quickly became a researcher and then an associate producer—all within two years. While at Warrior Poets, Ferroni was able to work on various shows in research and development. After leaving Warrior Poets, he worked as an associate producer and camera operator on the documentary Machine Gun Preacher.

Ferroni then earned a freelance position at NBC Peacock Productions, working as an associate producer on a feature-length Alexander Hamilton documentary, which he also worked as a camera operator on. After the nine-month project, Ferroni stayed at NBC Peacock, where worked on several productions as second shooter and associate producer, including true crime documentaries and a mini-doc series on SEAL Team Six.

Ferroni then worked at Cakehouse Productions as a field producer and shooter for a food competition show on the Food Network, before working at Optomen Productions on a National Geographic show about great white sharks, a travel show about museums, and a documentary series about independent adults living with autism trying to find full-time employment.

Following those projects, Ferroni worked as a producer at Vice and worked on Action Bronson’s F*ck, That’s Delicious, which shot both domestically and internationally. “That show was a ton of fun to work on,” adds Ferroni.

Ferroni then returned to NBC Peacock, where he worked on several projects, including true crime documentaries, Dateline NBC, a documentary about Robert Mueller, and a feature-length special on the 35th anniversary of the comedy classic Ghostbusters.

After the Ghostbusters special, Ferroni was promoted to a full time staff producer and shooter for NBC Peacock. He now works on multiple shoots and interviews, including a four-part miniseries about the Obama administration, a true crime show titled Killer Motive, and a pilot doc series called A Day In The Life of the White House.

Even years later, Ferroni’s lengthy and impressive portfolio has its roots in his original career in education. “As a former teacher and current filmmaker, I’ve learned that a great story can captivate and inspire anyone,” he tells NYFA. “It is not your business to compare your expression or determine how good it is, but rather to keep the channel of inspiration open.”

New York Film Academy congratulates Documentary Filmmaking alum CJ Ferroni on all his success following a career change from middle school educator, and wishes him the best of luck moving forward.

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY (NYFA) MATTHEW MODINE MASTERS SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED

The first four recipients of the inaugural year of the prestigious New York Film Academy College of Visual & Performing Arts (NYFA) Matthew Modine Masters Scholarship have been announced. The grantees are Leeni Linna (MFA Filmmaking), Jose Miguel Perez-Alcazar (MFA Filmmaking), Nicholas Rosolino (MFA Acting), and Lucia Flores (MFA Documentary).

The scholarship provides financial assistance to outstanding candidates of the school’s Master of Fine Arts (MFA) programs in select disciplines. To qualify, recipients must demonstrate the values set forth by NYFA to further the art of visual storytelling. Candidates are nominated by faculty or staff, and the chosen grantees receive $5,000-$10,000 per year based on criteria including an audition or portfolio submission, academic performance, professional experience, and participation in the arts. Up to ten scholarships are awarded each year.

Two of this year’s Matthew Modine Masters Scholarship awardees, Jose Miguel Perez-Alcazar and Lucia Flores, are attending the New York Film Academy as Fulbright Program grantees. The Fulbright Program is an international scholarship program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. It awards approximately 8,000 grants annually to students, teachers, and professionals from over 160 countries. NYFA is proud to have welcomed over 60 Fulbright students from more than 35 countries to date. In addition, NYFA is privileged to have Fulbright Program alumni as part of its faculty, including NYFA Director of Fulbright Initiatives Miguel Cruz. Professor Cruz, Fulbright alum ‘05, also serves as the Vice President for the Fulbright Association Chapter of Los Angeles.

From L to R: Nicholas Rosolino, Matthew Modine, Leeni Linna, Jose Miguel Perez-Alcazar
Leeni Linna is an Estonian filmmaker currently studying at NYFA’s Los Angeles campus, and holds both a BA and an MA in film directing from Baltic University. A recipient of the Baltic American Freedom Foundation grant, Linna has directed commercials, short films, and documentaries, and is currently working on developing her first feature film as part of her MFA experience. “I see her as being the next Kathryn Bigelow,” said NYFA Professor Miguel Cruz. “She is that talented.”

Jose Miguel Perez-Alcazar is a journalist and filmmaker from Madrid. In addition to being a Fulbright grantee, Perez-Alcazar is also the recipient of a very competitive talent-based grant award from the Ministry of Art & Culture of the Spanish Government. Perez-Alcazar was recommended for the scholarship program by the Fulbright Commission in Spain. He speaks four languages, and has studied in Mexico, Argentina, and Holland as well as Spain.

Nicolas Rosolino is a seasoned stage actor with more than 15 credits to his name. His background includes leads in such major musical productions as The Pirates of Penzance, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Beauty and the Beast. The trilingual actor has trained extensively in a variety of techniques, including Stanislavski, Laban, and Grotowski. “He is not afraid to take major creative risks in his acting work,” said Charles Richter, Director of Theatre at Muhlenberg College. “He is an extraordinary talent.”

Lucia Flores is a Peruvian documentarian and activist whose work gives voice to minorities. Her latest project follows an expectant mother from the Andes, and details the indigenous people’s rituals around childbirth. Her previous work covers the relationship between the indigenous people and their land, as well as how the people of the Andean-Amazonian region adapted to climate change using traditional knowledge. For her next film project at NYFA — while being supported by the Fulbright Program — she is teaming with fellow grantee Perez-Alcazar to tell the story of transgender women working on the Amazon River.

From L to R: Matthew Modine, Lucia Flores

“Filmmaking is very important for our culture and its continued development,” said Modine. “Films help us to understand each other better, often exposing us to personal fears and unpleasant superstitions toward the ‘other.’ Through a skilled storyteller’s film lens, documentaries shed light into the darkness and help make the ‘monsters’ go away. Similarly, feature films can illustrate the possible, and can open our eyes to worlds and realities beyond our own. Congratulations to all our inaugural grantees–I eagerly await the projects you will create.”

The scholarship is sponsored by Golden Globe-winning actor and filmmaker Matthew Modine, who is a member of the New York Film Academy’s Board of Directors and a master class instructor at NYFA. He is instantly recognizable to fans of the Netflix global mega hit Stranger Things, which won the 2017 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble, and as Private Joker from the iconic film Full Metal Jacket. Called “one of the best, most adaptable film actors of his generation” by legendary New York Times film critic Vincent Canby. Modine has worked with many of the film industry’s most acclaimed directors, including Christopher Nolan, Stanley Kubrick, and Spike Lee.

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Photography’s FAYN #006 Has Its First Shoot

FAYN magazine is a the fashion and art publication created by students and faculty of the Photo Arts Conservatory at New York Film Academy (NYFA) to celebrate and explore photography each semester, culminating in a printed publication.

For this next issue of FAYN Magazine, NYFA Photography students shot their first original content event inspired by the theme of Issue #006: “The Unseen Body.” Here is what student editor and writer Mina Khouzam says about the event:

“A night of truth, of vulnerability, a night of acceptance, of appreciation. Welcome to the space we collectively called home. With egos checked at our open door, fellow students from NYFA Los Angeles joined us for a photoshoot that was developed in the spirit of collaborative creation.

“Each subject was asked two questions: What part of your body, like physically out there, makes you feel most vulnerable? Everyone’s got something that they associate with a superficial weakness, intrinsically woven in the stories that make us who we are. What part is most powerful? Yes, powerful. What part of you makes you feel strong and confident? That part of you with the most compliments, that part of you, if all else failed, still carries the brunt of the beauty you perceive to have?

“What sparked as a thought, blossomed into a photo session and a conversation about self, society, and social-awareness—that human condition we’re all going through, we’re going through it together … We are excited to share the full story with you in our upcoming issue. And invite you to ask yourself these two questions. We’re all beautiful, this reminded us.”

The photos were shot by FAYN’s editorial power-trifecta of Maddie, Um Kalthum and Maria-Antonella, and assisted by FAYN editors Yingda Shang, Thom Myers and Cindy Chiang. Myers also photographed behind-the-scenes images of the shoot.

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New York Film Academy (NYFA) Documentary Filmmaking Students Shoot Mini-Docs in Belize

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Documentary Filmmaking students are off on another international expedition this spring, traveling to Belize in Central America from May 19 through May 25.

The Documentary Filmmaking department is partnering with Adaptation Fund in collaboration with Belize Fisheries Department on the Marine Conservation and Climate Adaption Project implemented by the government of Belize (MCCAP).

The crew is led by NYFA Documentary Faculty Chair – Los Angeles, Sanora Bartels, and includes students Cassandra Bauer, Ayu Logan, Jackson McGuire, and Ashley Valsin, who are working alongside NYFA Documentary alum Mollie Moore.

The crew will shoot and edit several short (90-120 second) mini-docs that will be used by Belize Fisheries Department for dissemination of information and to highlight the project’s positive effect in alleviating climate change.

The crew landed in Belize on May 19, and on May 20 set sea to Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve. On Turneffe, the students will interview local fishermen and beneficiaries of MCCAP’s work. They will also capture the work of administrative and scientific leaders connected to MCCAP and the Adaptation Fund. They’re really looking forward to shooting underwater footage concentrating on Marine Protected Areas, mangroves, fishing livelihood (seaweed cultivation), and coral restoration.

After Turneffe, the students will return to Belize City and edit the mini-docs as well as host a screening on their final night of the expedition. Once back in the US, the NYFA Documentary Filmmaking students will join the Adaptation Fund campaign by posting their films on social media in support of climate adaptation programs. Stay tuned to check out their finished work!

UPDATE (9/10/19): Adaptation Fund was thrilled with the work of NYFA Documentary students, and included their videos on their YouTube channel as well as in a written story found here.

“Thanks so much to both Belize Fisheries for hosting and facilitating the filming project, and NYFA for their interest in this project and pursuing it,” says Matt Pueschel, Adaptation Fund Communications Officer. “It really turned out great, and seemed to be a great experience for all sides. I think the resulting videos are also impactful and will help spread the word of the importance of climate change adaptation.”

Here are the four videos filmed by NYFA-LA students while in Belize: