Page 105 – NYFA

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) HOSTS FULBRIGHT ASSOCIATION LA CHAPTER’S ANNUAL “FULBRIGHT FILM FESTIVAL”

On May 4, 2019, New York Film Academy College of Visual & Performing Arts (NYFA) hosted the Fulbright Association LA Film Festival. The exciting and unique event was created by the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Fulbright Association to showcase the best recent films that were directed, produced, acted, shot, or scored by current Fulbright grantees and Fulbright alumni of the prestigious Fulbright Program — the U.S. government’s flagship international exchange program. The Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State supported the activity.

The 2019 Film Showcase included evocative documentary films and breathtaking narrative films from extremely talented filmmakers hailing from Egypt, Sri Lanka, Peru, United States, Estonia, Ukraine, Spain, Mexico, Armenia, Costa Rica, Denmark, and the United Kingdom.

The daylong event, which was held at NYFA’s Los Angeles campus, included film screenings at the NYFA Theater at 3300 Riverside Drive in Burbank. A panel of industry experts followed the screenings; “Hollywood for Fulbrighters” featured accomplished Fulbright Alums in very relevant positions in the industry.

The President of the Fulbright Association-LA Chapter, Dr. Jose Siles, and NYFA’s Dean of Students, Dr. Susan Ashe, opened the event. In her remarks welcoming the audience, Dr. Ashe thanked the many volunteers that worked for months to put the event together, including the Festival’s panel of judges.

Dr. Ashe gave special recognition to NYFA’s own Professor Miguel Cruz, a film and television director, Fulbright alum ’05, NYFA Director of Fulbright Initiatives, and the Vice President of the Fulbright Association-LA chapter, for his invaluable contribution to the Festival.

“It was exciting to see so many talented storytellers,” says Dr. Ashe. “To know that NYFA is affiliated with Fulbright, and gives a platform for bright students to share their voice and vision, is truly inspiring.”

The “Hollywood for Fulbrighters” industry panel, moderated by Crickett Rumley, NYFA’s Film Festivals Advisor and faculty in the College’s Screenwriting department, offered the audience insightful information about how the inherent diversity that is associated with the Fulbright Program can be an advantage in the current Hollywood landscape. The ensuing discussion included accomplished Fulbright alums and key players in the industry: Santiago Pozo, considered one of the foremost authorities in the advertising world for marketing entertainment and film to U.S. Latino audiences; Arturo Diaz, Netflix Manager for International Originals; Mikko Alannen, showrunner for the National Geographic Channel and screenwriter of feature film The 33, starring Antonio Banderas; and Miguel Cruz, film and TV director and NYFA’s Professor and Director of Fulbright Initiatives.

The lively event ended with a reception that allowed participants—including current Fulbright scholars and students, Fulbright alumni, and NYFA students—to network with representatives of foreign consulates (including Manuel Valle, Spanish Trade Commissioner) and representatives of the Fulbright community (including Ann Kerr, California’s Fulbright Enrichment Program Coordinator), as well as share their own experiences in the Fulbright program and the film industry. “It was extremely inspiring and touching to see how the vision of Senator Fulbright of promoting mutual understanding among people from different countries, cultures, and social backgrounds was so well-reflected and empowered by the work of our Fulbright filmmakers,” says Dr. Jose Siles, President of the Fulbright Association-LA Chapter.

Dr. Siles adds, “Organized by the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Fulbright Association, hosted by the New York Film Academy, and sponsored by the The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright Association LA Film Festival was a total success and set the basis for a yearly event that will continue sending out loud to the world the Fulbright message through the big screen.”

The U.S. Department of State’s Fulbright Program is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.

New York Film Academy is proud to have hosted more than 60 Fulbright students from over 35 countries to date.

The Los Angeles Chapter of the Fulbright Association and NYFA congratulate the following talented filmmakers that were selected for the 2019 Fulbright Film Festival & Showcase:

SELECTED DOCUMENTARY FILMS CATEGORY
Lucía Florez (Peru)
Adrineh Gregorian (Armenia)
Pedro Peira (Spain)
Kelly Richardson (USA)

SELECTED NARRATIVE FILMS CATEGORY
Laura Ávila (Costa Rica)
Abdallah ElDaly (Egypt)
Lasse Elkjær (Denmark)
Ishani Jayamaha (Sri Lanka)
Vlad Klimchunk (Ukraine)
Madi Lääne (Estonia)
Nataliya O’Lea (Ukraine)
Alejandro Márquez Vela (Mexico)
Catherine Taylor (United Kingdom)

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Announces Matthew Modine Masters Scholarship Recipients

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 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.

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 personally awarded each year by award-winning actor Matthew Modine, who recently announced his candidacy for the presidency of SAG-AFTRA.

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.

Modine Scholarship — From L to R: Matthew Modine, Lucia Flores]

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.

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.

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.”

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.”

“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.”

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Hosts Fulbright Association LA Chapter’s Annual Fulbright Film Festival

On May 4, 2019, New York Film Academy (NYFA) hosted the Fulbright Association LA Film Festival. Created by the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Fulbright Association, the unique and exciting event showcased the best recent films that were directed, produced, acted, shot, or scored by current Fulbright grantees and Fulbright alumni of the prestigious Fulbright Program—the US government’s flagship international exchange program. The Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State supported the activity.

The 2019 Film Showcase included evocative documentary films and breathtaking narrative films from extremely talented filmmakers hailing from United States, Estonia, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Peru, Ukraine, Spain, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Armenia, Costa Rica, and Denmark.

The daylong event was held at NYFA’s Los Angeles campus and included film screenings as well as a panel of industry experts–Hollywood for Fulbrighters–featuring accomplished Fulbright Alums in very relevant positions in the industry.

The “Hollywood for Fulbrighters” industry panel, moderated by Crickett Rumley, NYFA’s Film Festivals Advisor and faculty in the College’s Screenwriting department, offered the audience insightful information about how the inherent diversity that is associated with the Fulbright Program can be an advantage in the current Hollywood landscape. The ensuing discussion included accomplished Fulbright alums and key players in the industry: Santiago Pozo, considered one of the foremost authorities in the advertising world for marketing entertainment and film to U.S. Latino audiences; Arturo Diaz, Netflix Manager for International Originals; Mikko Alannen, showrunner for the National Geographic Channel and screenwriter of feature film The 33, starring Antonio Banderas; and Miguel Cruz, film and TV director and NYFA’s Professor and Director of Fulbright Initiatives.

“It was extremely inspiring and touching to see how the vision of Senator Fulbright of promoting mutual understanding among people from different countries, cultures, and social backgrounds was so well-reflected and empowered by the work of our Fulbright filmmakers,” says Dr. Jose Siles, President of the Fulbright Association-LA Chapter.

The U.S. Department of State’s Fulbright Program is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. New York Film Academy is proud to have hosted more than 60 Fulbright students from over 35 countries to date.

The Los Angeles Chapter of the Fulbright Association and NYFA congratulate the following talented filmmakers that were selected for the 2019 Fulbright Film Festival & Showcase:

Selected Documentary Films Category
Lucía Florez (Peru)
Adrineh Gregorian (Armenia)
Pedro Peira (Spain)
Kelly Richardson (USA)

Selected Narrative Films Category
Laura Ávila (Costa Rica)
Abdallah ElDaly (Egypt)
Lasse Elkjær (Denmark)
Ishani Jayamaha (Sri Lanka)
Vlad Klimchunk (Ukraine)
Madi Lääne (Estonia)
Nataliya O’Lea (Ukraine)
Alejandro Márquez Vela (Mexico)
Catherine Taylor (United Kingdom)

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY (NYFA) MFA CINEMATOGRAPHY ALUM TIAN LIU FINDS CONTINUED SUCCESS

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Alum Tian Liu has been keeping very busy since graduating from the Fall 2015 MFA in Cinematography program. Liu has been steadily growing her career as a filmmaker and building her portfolio with credits as a cinematographer, photographer, and producer on several professional projects.

As a photographer, Liu has found success publishing her work in high-profile magazines and newspapers, including China Daily. Over 40 images she’s shot have been featured in Vogue Italia.

Her thesis film, The Piano, has screened at over 35 film festivals, and has picked up an impressive 28 awards for Best Cinematography. She has worked on over 40 film projects that used 16mm and 35mm film, and has shot several films as director of photography. Recently, Liu worked on a feature film in Louisiana, as well as a camera operator for Oscar-nominated cinematographer Dean Cundey, ASC (Jurassic Park, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?) on the feature documentary Motionless. Additionally, Liu has worked in New York City for the United Nations and an esteemed advertisement firm.

Liu originally hails from China, where she studied sports journalism. While teaching orphans math as a volunteer in Kenya, Liu felt inspired to photograph their experience. Those images were eventually published, and Liu realized she wanted to become a filmmaker. “I realized that images have power,” Liu tells NYFA. “It can tell others a story, it also can help people and give people a better life. I love telling stories and I want to be a visual artist.”

Following her dream, Liu opened a photo studio and enrolled at New York Film Academy. At NYFA, Liu earned her MFA in Cinematography while studying under Chair of Cinematography Tony Richmond, ASC, BSC (Don’t Look Now, The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Sandlot, Legally Blonde).

“Without NYFA,” Liu says, “I would not have been able to become a female Chinese cinematographer and do the kind of work I find so fulfilling.”

While the film industry works to course correct issues of gender inequality, women still make up a distressingly small proportion of working professional cinematographers. Liu has been a strong voice for female cinematographers, and recently gave a talk at USC about working in the industry as a female, Chinese cinematographer.

New York Film Academy congratulates Cinematography alum Tian Liu on her continued success in the industry and thanks her sharing her experiences with the filmmaking community.

Please note: NYFA does not represent that these are typical or guaranteed career outcomes. The success of our graduates in any chosen professional pathway depends on multiple factors, and the achievements of NYFA alumni are the result of their hard work, perseverance, talent and circumstances.

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY (NYFA) COMMUNITY SCORES TEN MTV MOVIE & TV AWARD NOMINATIONS

The nominees for this year’s MTV Movie & TV Awards have been announced and feature ten nominations for projects that members of the New York Film Academy (NYFA) community, including alumni, faculty, and guest speakers, have worked on. Additionally, NYFA Acting for Film camp alum Lana Condor earned her first nomination for the award show’s signature statuette, the Golden Popcorn.

Originally just the MTV Movie Awards, the ceremony first launched in 1992 before rebranding to the Movie & TV Awards to reflect the current age of streaming and peak TV. This year’s ceremony will be hosted by Shazam! star Zachary Levi in Santa Monica on June 15, and will air two days later on MTV.

The trendy award show prides itself on its progressive categories, using genderless groupings and typically not differentiating between media platforms, choosing instead to group broadcast, streaming, and theatrically released content together.

NYFA Acting for Film camp alum Lana Condor was nominated with her To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before co-star Noah Centineo for Best Kiss. The Netflix original film is also up for Best Movie, competing with BlacKkKlansman (co-starring NYFA guest speaker Adam Driver), Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Us, and mega blockbuster Avengers: Endgame.

Also nominated for Best Kiss are Jason Momoa & Amber Heard for the DC crowdpleaser Aquaman. NYFA Australia 1-Year Filmmaking alum Damian Lang worked on that film, as well as several others on Gold Coast’s Village Roadshow backlot.

The Best Show category features Game of Thrones and Riverdale competing with Big Mouth, Schitt’s Creek, and The Haunting of Hill House. Riverdale stars previous NYFA guest speakers Ashleigh Murray and Casey Cott. NYFA 3D Animation & VFX alum Alex LoRusso worked on some visual effects for the last few episodes of Game of Thrones’ final season, including The Last of the Starks and game-changing entry The Bells.

The MTV Movie & TV Awards also featured some documentaries, including RBG and Free Solo. Alex Honnold, the rock climber who free climbed El Capitan in Free Solo, was nominated for Best Real-Life Hero. The gripping documentary that captured his climb was edited by NYFA Documentary Filmmaking instructor and Academy Award nominee Bob Eisenhardt.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Supreme Court Justice profiled in RBG, was also nominated for Best Real-Life Hero. The film, shot by cinematography and NYFA Documentary Filmmaking instructor Claudia Raschke, racked up an impressive amount of MTV Award nominations. These include Best Documentary, Best Fight (for Ruth Bader Ginsburg vs. Inequality), and Most Meme-able Moment (for her nickname The Notorious RBG.)

New York Film Academy congratulates this year’s MTV Movie & TV Award nominees and wishes the best of luck to the NYFA community members up for a Golden Popcorn statuette!

Here is the full list of MTV Movie & TV Award nominees:

BEST MOVIE
Avengers: Endgame
BlacKkKlansman
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
Us

BEST SHOW
Big Mouth
Game of Thrones
Riverdale
Schitt’s Creek
The Haunting of Hill House

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MOVIE
Amandla Stenberg (Starr Carter) — The Hate U Give
Lady Gaga (Ally) — A Star is Born
Lupita Nyong’o (Red) — Us
Rami Malek (Freddie Mercury) — Bohemian Rhapsody
Sandra Bullock (Malorie) — Bird Box

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SHOW
Elisabeth Moss (June Osborne/Offred) — The Handmaid’s Tale
Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen) — Game of Thrones
Gina Rodriguez (Jane Villanueva) — Jane the Virgin
Jason Mitchell (Brandon) — The Chi
Kiernan Shipka (Sabrina Spellman) — Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

BEST HERO
Brie Larson (Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel) — Captain Marvel
John David Washington (Ron Stallworth) — BlacKkKlansman
Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) — Game of Thrones
Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man) — Avengers: Endgame
Zachary Levi (Billy Batson/Shazam) — Shazam!

BEST VILLAIN
Jodie Comer (Villanelle) — Killing Eve
Joseph Fiennes (Commander Fred Waterford) — The Handmaid’s Tale
Josh Brolin (Thanos) — Avengers: Endgame
Lupita Nyong’o (Red) — Us
Penn Badgley (Joe Goldberg) — You

BEST KISS
Camila Mendes & Charles Melton (Veronica Lodge & Reggie Mantle) — Riverdale
Jason Momoa & Amber Heard (Aquaman & Mera) — Aquaman
Ncuti Gatwa & Connor Swindells (Eric Effiong & Adam Groff) — Sex Education
Noah Centineo & Lana Condor (Peter Kavinsky & Lara Jean) — To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
Tom Hardy & Michelle Williams (Eddie Brock/Venom & Anne Weying) — Venom

REALITY ROYALTY
Jersey Shore: Family Vacation
Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta
The Bachelor
The Challenge
Vanderpump Rules

BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE
Awkwafina (Peik Lin Goh) — Crazy Rich Asians
Dan Levy (David Rose) — Schitt’s Creek
John Mulaney (Andrew Glouberman) — Big Mouth
Marsai Martin (Little Jordan Sanders) — Little
Zachary Levi (Billy Batson/Shazam) — Shazam!

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Awkwafina (Peik Lin Goh) — Crazy Rich Asians
Haley Lu Richardson (Stella) — Five Feet Apart
Mj Rodriguez (Blanca Rodriguez) — Pose
Ncuti Gatwa (Eric Effiong) — Sex Education
Noah Centineo (Peter Kavinsky) — To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

BEST FIGHT
Avengers: Endgame — Captain America vs. Thanos
Captain Marvel — Captain Marvel vs. Minn-Erva
Game of Thrones — Arya Stark vs. the White Walkers
RBG — Ruth Bader Ginsburg vs. Inequality
WWE Wrestlemania — Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair

BEST REAL-LIFE HERO
Alex Honnold — Free Solo
Hannah Gadsby — Nanette
Roman Reigns — WWE SmackDown
Ruth Bader Ginsburg — RBG
Serena Williams — Being Serena

MOST FRIGHTENED PERFORMANCE
Alex Wolff (Peter) — Hereditary
Linda Cardellini (Anna Tate-Garcia) — The Curse of La Llorona
Rhian Rees (Dana Haines) — Halloween
Sandra Bullock (Malorie) — Bird Box
Victoria Pedretti (Nell Crain) — The Haunting of Hill House

BEST DOCUMENTARY
At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal
McQueen
Minding the Gap
RBG
Surviving R. Kelly

BEST HOST
Gayle King — CBS This Morning
Nick Cannon — Wild ‘n Out
Nick Cannon — The Masked Singer
RuPaul — RuPaul’s Drag Race
Trevor Noah — The Daily Show with Trevor Noah

MOST MEME-ABLE MOMENT
Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club — The Lilo Dance
Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood — Ray J’s Hat
RBG — The Notorious RBG
RuPaul’s Drag Race — Asia O’Hara’s butterfly finale fail
The Bachelor — Colton Underwood jumps the fence

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Showcases ‘New Faces of Hollywood’

On April 18, the New York Film Academy Los Angeles (NYFA-LA) Acting for Film department proudly presented their annual Alumni Industry Showcase – New Faces of Hollywood.

The event was held at the Burbank-based NYFA Theater. This year’s showcase, directed by Anne Moore, Associate Chair of Acting, was it’s most successful to date. The performances showcased NYFA acting school alumni in live scenes and short films written by them and directed by full time faculty, Michael McCartney.

“We had an incredibly talented group of alumni this year,” says Lynda Goodfriend, NYFA-LA Chair of Acting for Film.

“I couldn’t be more proud, and can’t wait to see where their careers take them,” adds New Faces of Hollywood director Anne Moore. “We already had alumni meet with top casting directors and had four alumni sign with representation.”

Some of the industry in attendance this year were casting directors from ABC, CBS, WB, Rapaport/Baldasare, Dea Vise, and Lisa London; talent agencies from Don Buchwald, Mavrick, Aperture, Black Apple Talent, and Daniel Hoff; and managers from Prestige, Evergreen, Marv Dauer, and The Beddingfield Company.

Here’s what some of the alumni had to say about their experiences in New Faces of Hollywood:

“The showcase was an absolute blessing and such an amazing experience! From the rehearsal process to the making of the film, I felt like I was put in the best position to grow as an actor and succeed on the night of the show. Having a room full of agents and managers is a priceless opportunity. To showcase my talents in front of industry personnel and establish those networking relationships was absolutely incredible. I encourage all alumni to participate in the future.”
—Josh Brooks, BFA

“The alumni showcase is such a rare and extraordinary opportunity. I highly recommend all alumni students audition for this group, because it truly does open doors and get your face out there. To be able to perform in front of all those industry individuals is such a blessing.”
—Ky Snider, BFA

“This was an eye-opening experience for me. The amount of time and work that go into creating a single moment that can be seen by all is incredible. It can take months or years to build up to a performance like this one, but people only end up seeing the final product.”
—Maeve Thompson Osgood, BFA

“An unforgettable experience that further pushed to break down my internal walls as an actor, while simultaneously granting amazing opportunities for my work to be seen.”
—Ryan Harrington, BFA

“The alumni showcase was a great chance to work with some of NYFA’s best. I was so lucky to work with Ky Snider as my scene partner. I always admired her work in the student-directed plays at NYFA, but never had a chance to work with her until the alumni showcase. This year we also had loads of fun writing and starring in our own little films, which are not only original but also great footage for our reels! The showcase generated some leads with agents, managers, and industry for me, making it a good springboard for my post-college career.”
—Miskar Chomse, MFA

“An unforgettable opportunity filled with growth, wisdom, and laughter that ignites a path towards success.”
—Elisa Nanty, BFA

This showcase represented the very best from the New York Film Academy AFA, BFA, and MFA programs who graduated from January 2018 through January 2019. You can check out their headshots, resumes and demo reels, please click here.

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New York Film Academy (NYFA) Broadcast Journalism Update – May 17, 2019

Avni Mahiji is a graduate of one of the New York Film Academy (NYFA) Broadcast Journalism department’s short-term workshops. She has a great on-camera presence, which we helped her develop. And she knows that to build your career you always have to be ready when opportunities present themselves.

Or better yet, you create your own opportunities. Recently she was doing anchor/presenter work on a small New York City-area TV station. It was a great opportunity for her to showcase her impressive skills.

Great job, Avni!

I’ve heard from some incoming students who want to know a bit about the neighborhood where NYFA is located. It’s a good question… Here are some pictures for them, as well as any graduates who are feeling a bit nostalgic.

So this is our neighborhood, downtown Manhattan.

This is a closer shot. NYFA is located in the building on the left.

We are at 17 Battery Place. Just look for the flags…

Now, strictly speaking, the next picture isn’t in “our neighborhood.” But each term, some students get the chance to visit NBC News for a behind-the-scenes tour. Their guide is MSNBC contributor Col. Jack Jacobs, who in and of himself is worth the trip uptown. They are on the set of the NBC Nightly News, regularly one of the most-watched network TV news programs in the country.

Finally, you’ll see much of New York through the lens of a camera like this. Believe it or not, all of our students leave NYFA capable of using this high-end HDTV camera. If you look closely, that is the soon-to-graduate Nicole Abebe hidden behind all that equipment…

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Community Earns Ten MTV Movie & TV Award Nominations

The New York Film Academy (NYFA) community earned ten nominations for this year’s MTV Movie & TV Awards. NYFA alumni, faculty, and guest speakers, were included in the trendy award show’s various categories, including NYFA Acting for Film camp alum Lana Condor, who earned her first nomination for the award show’s signature statuette, the Golden Popcorn.

This year’s ceremony will be hosted by Shazam star Zachary Levi in Santa Monica on June 15, and will air two days later on MTV. The ceremony first launched in 1992 as just the MTV Movie Awards, before rebranding to the Movie & TV Awards to reflect the current age of streaming and peak TV.

The popular award show prides itself on its progressive categories, using genderless groupings and typically not differentiating between media platforms, choosing instead to group broadcast, streaming, and theatrically released content together.

The MTV Movie & TV Awards features movies, television shows, and other media content, including documentaries. Feature docs RBG and Free Solo were among this year’s nominees. Alex Honnold, the rock climber who free climbed El Capitan in Free Solo, was nominated for Best Real-Life Hero. The gripping documentary that captured his climb was edited by NYFA Documentary Filmmaking instructor and Academy Award nominee Bob Eisenhardt.

The Best Show category features Game of Thrones and Riverdale competing with Big Mouth, Schitt’s Creek, and The Haunting of Hill House. Riverdale stars previous NYFA guest speakers Ashleigh Murray and Casey Cott. NYFA 3D Animation & VFX alum Alex LoRusso worked on some visual effects for the last few episodes of Game of Thrones’ final season, including The Last of the Starks and game-changing entry The Bells.

New York Film Academy congratulates this year’s MTV Movie & TV Award nominees and wishes the best of luck to the NYFA community members up for a Golden Popcorn statuette!

Here is the full list of MTV Movie & TV Award nominees:

BEST MOVIE

Avengers: Endgame – WINNER

BlacKkKlansman

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

BEST SHOW

Big Mouth

Game of Thrones – WINNER

Riverdale

Schitt’s Creek

The Haunting of Hill House

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MOVIE

Amandla Stenberg (Starr Carter) — The Hate U Give

Lady Gaga (Ally) — A Star is Born – WINNER

Lupita Nyong’o (Red) — Us

Rami Malek (Freddie Mercury) — Bohemian Rhapsody

Sandra Bullock (Malorie) — Bird Box

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SHOW

Elisabeth Moss (June Osborne/Offred) — The Handmaid’s Tale – WINNER

Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen) — Game of Thrones

Gina Rodriguez (Jane Villanueva) — Jane the Virgin

Jason Mitchell (Brandon) — The Chi

Kiernan Shipka (Sabrina Spellman) — Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

BEST HERO

Brie Larson (Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel) — Captain Marvel

John David Washington (Ron Stallworth) — BlacKkKlansman

Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) — Game of Thrones

Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man) — Avengers: Endgame – WINNER

Zachary Levi (Billy Batson/Shazam) — Shazam!

BEST VILLAIN

Jodie Comer (Villanelle) — Killing Eve

Joseph Fiennes (Commander Fred Waterford) — The Handmaid’s Tale

Josh Brolin (Thanos) — Avengers: Endgame – WINNER

Lupita Nyong’o (Red) — Us

Penn Badgley (Joe Goldberg) — You

BEST KISS

Camila Mendes & Charles Melton (Veronica Lodge & Reggie Mantle) — Riverdale

Jason Momoa & Amber Heard (Aquaman & Mera) — Aquaman

Ncuti Gatwa & Connor Swindells (Eric Effiong & Adam Groff) — Sex Education

Noah Centineo & Lana Condor (Peter Kavinsky & Lara Jean) — To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before – WINNER

Tom Hardy & Michelle Williams (Eddie Brock/Venom & Anne Weying) — Venom

REALITY ROYALTY

Jersey Shore: Family Vacation

Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta – WINNER

The Bachelor

The Challenge

Vanderpump Rules

BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE

Awkwafina (Peik Lin Goh) — Crazy Rich Asians

Dan Levy (David Rose) — Schitt’s Creek – WINNER

John Mulaney (Andrew Glouberman) — Big Mouth

Marsai Martin (Little Jordan Sanders) — Little

Zachary Levi (Billy Batson/Shazam) — Shazam!

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE

Awkwafina (Peik Lin Goh) — Crazy Rich Asians

Haley Lu Richardson (Stella) — Five Feet Apart

Mj Rodriguez (Blanca Rodriguez) — Pose

Ncuti Gatwa (Eric Effiong) — Sex Education

Noah Centineo (Peter Kavinsky) — To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before – WINNER

BEST FIGHT

Avengers: Endgame — Captain America vs. Thanos

Captain Marvel — Captain Marvel vs. Minn-Erva – WINNER

Game of Thrones — Arya Stark vs. the White Walkers

RBG — Ruth Bader Ginsburg vs. Inequality

WWE Wrestlemania — Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair

BEST REAL–LIFE HERO

Alex Honnold — Free Solo

Hannah Gadsby — Nanette

Roman Reigns — WWE SmackDown

Ruth Bader Ginsburg — RBG – WINNER

Serena Williams — Being Serena

MOST FRIGHTENED PERFORMANCE

Alex Wolff (Peter) — Hereditary

Linda Cardellini (Anna Tate-Garcia) — The Curse of La Llorona

Rhian Rees (Dana Haines) — Halloween

Sandra Bullock (Malorie) — Bird Box – WINNER

Victoria Pedretti (Nell Crain) — The Haunting of Hill House

BEST DOCUMENTARY

At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal

McQueen

Minding the Gap

RBG

Surviving R. Kelly – WINNER

BEST HOST

Gayle King — CBS This Morning

Nick Cannon — Wild ‘n Out – WINNER

Nick Cannon — The Masked Singer

RuPaul — RuPaul’s Drag Race

Trevor Noah — The Daily Show with Trevor Noah

MOST MEME-ABLE MOMENT

Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club — The Lilo Dance

Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood — Ray J’s Hat

RBG — The Notorious RBG

RuPaul’s Drag Race — Asia O’Hara’s butterfly finale fail

The Bachelor — Colton Underwood jumps the fence – WINNER