On January 17th, 2023, several NYFA staff and faculty members attended a Lunar New Year reception hosted by the Consul General of China’s Consulate in New York, Ambassador Huang Ping, and his wife, Zhang Aiping.
Ambassador Huang met with David Mager and Evgenia Vlasova
Bill Einreinhofer (NYFA’s Chair Emeritus of the Broadcast Journalism Department), David Mager (NYFA’s NYC Chair of Photography), Evgenia Vlasova (NYFA faculty member and filmmaker), and Sheng Lai (NYFA’s Global Programs Coordinator), attended this exciting event to welcome the Year of the Rabbit. In traditional Chinese culture, the rabbit symbolizes goodness and purity, health, beauty, and hope.
From left to right: Sheng Lai, Consul Yang Hui, Cultural Counselor Chen Chunmei, Bill Einreinhofer, and David Mager
More than 400 prominent guests attended the Chinese Consulate General’s reception. Attendees enjoyed art performances and a heartfelt speech by Ambassador Huang Ping. The ambassador wished everyone a happy new year and underlined the importance of cultural and educational exchanges and the ongoing friendship and cooperation between the two peoples of the United States and China.
NYFA prides itself on its active and ongoing relationships with Chinese higher education institutions.
There’s a certain magic to pressing a button on your controller and watching the character you play on screen react. Brandii Grace, Chair of the Game Design department at NYFA Los Angeles, was taken in by that magic at a young age, sending her on a decades-long journey of studying the ins and outs of game design and guiding the next generation of innovators looking to make their mark on this multi-billion dollar industry.
Over her 20-year career in the game industry, Brandii has been involved in AAA MMO titles, award-winning indies, and everything in between while also keeping an eye on developing curricula to educate aspiring game designers.
NYFA Chair of Game Design, Brandii Grace
Brandii Grace, Chair of the Game Design department at NYFA Los Angeles.
Since graduating from Western Washington University with a degree in Computer Science, Brandii has gone on to work for several major developers, including Microsoft Game Studios, Monolith Productions (a division of Warner Brothers), Renaissance Games, and Amaze Entertainment, where she worked on Call of Duty: Roads to Victory and Shrek the Third. She has worked with the Writers Guild of America to develop acceptable game writers’ credits and advised Congress on passing new federal regulations regarding the gaming industry for the National Labor Relations Board.
She is published in the book Game Development Essentials – 3rd Edition and served as a community leader for the International Game Developers Association. Her passion for game design education has led to her starting multiple collegiate game design degree programs, as well as assisting the California Department of Education in creating a game development curriculum for high schools across the state.
We talked to her about what initially drew her to video games, her recommendations for hopeful designers, and how she envisions the future of the industry.
NYFA: How did you first get interested in game design?
BG: As a little kid, I wondered why pressing a controller button would cause Mario to jump on my TV but had no impact on cartoon show characters. Chasing that answer led me to the wonders of coding, game design, and the many possibilities for creating intricate and interactive worlds for others to explore and shape for themselves.
NYFA: What have been your favorite projects/games to work on to date?
BG: My favorite projects are the solo ones I’m making now. I’ve had the pleasure of working on major projects for big-name companies, but the indie games I’m creating now are about pushing our medium as a form of artistic expression while addressing important social issues.
NYFA: Tell us about your time in the game design industry.
BG: I’ve been a game programmer, designer, producer, business founder, educator, and leader for the International Game Developers Association. I’ve worked on AAA projects, beloved franchises, and award-winning indie titles. I’ve worked for major studios, big-name publishers and founded a tech start-up. But my most important work has been fighting the good fight to make this a more diverse and inclusive industry for everyone.
NYFA: What’s your favorite part of the game design community in Los Angeles?
BG: The game dev community is both international and interconnected, but local communities will often focus on different aspects of game design. Here in LA, games are treated as an extension of Hollywood, so there is a lot more focus on games as a narrative medium.
NYFA: Who do you believe have been some of the most significant individuals in game design?
BG: The people whose names you’ll never hear. All the people who work tirelessly in the background to make sure your favorite games run smoothly, look amazing, sound great, and deliver an engaging experience.
NYFA: What are some of your favorite games?
BG: I’m a fan of big, immersive AAA story games as well as small, experimental indie games pushing the boundaries of what our medium can do. I’ve also won small tournaments for both fighting games and rhythm & music games. I just love games in general.
NYFA: What are your predictions for game design in the next five years?
BG: There is already high demand in Hollywood for creatives and techies trained to work in complex game engines like Unreal. As virtual production continues to take over the world of filmmaking, this trend is only going to accelerate. I also predict that the majority of game studios will shift to working remote, something we’re already seeing across the industry.
NYFA: What advice would you give a prospective student looking to get started in game design?
BG: Start making games. Don’t worry about making “good” games – that will come later. The press may push the story of a genius creator whose first game is a hit, but those stories conveniently gloss over the decade or two they spent working in the industry, the 50+ flops that never made it to market, the professional contractors they hired, or the years they spent iterating their game. True hole-in-one hit creators are almost never able to replicate that success because it’s based on luck, not skill or know-how. Ignore the hype of overnight successes and just start making games.
Learn More About Game Design at NYFA
Interested in studying game design? Check out our game design degrees, certificates, and workshops!
The highly-anticipated Sundance Film Festival will be live and in-person in Park City, Utah, this year for the first time since 2020. The festival, which will run from January 19 – 29, 2023, is organized by the nonprofit foundation Sundance Film Institute and will showcase feature films, documentaries, and short films in various languages.
This year, two New York Film Academy (NYFA) alumni will screen their widely popular and acclaimed film, Shirampari: Legacies of the River, in competition as part of the Sundance Film Festival Documentary Short Films program. More than ten thousand short films were submitted to the festival. The final selection counted at only sixty-four, with Shirampari among the few chosen.
NYFA Alumni to Screen Documentary Short Shirampari
The Sundance Institute, founded by legendary actor Robert Redford, was created in 1981 to foster new voices in American storytelling. NYFA alum Lucia (Chía) Flórez, director and screenwriter for Shirampari, and NYFA alum José Miguel (Chémi) Pérez, who produced the film, are perfect examples of what the Sundance Institute represents. Shirampari includes themes surrounding legacy and familial pride and takes place in a remote part of the Amazon rainforest in Peru.
The protagonist Ricky is an eleven-year-old boy and a member of the Ashéninka tribe. To enter manhood, he must overcome his fear of catching a giant catfish using only a single hook.
Film Poster for Shirampari: Legacies of the River
According to the director and writer, Flórez, “Making this film was transformational. Working in such a remote and pristine location was both a privilege and a responsibility. It is necessary to tell these stories since ecosystems and cultures like this one are under constant threat.”
The short documentary was filmed in a verité style in the native tongue of Ashéninka and shot in Yurua, a well-preserved and remote part of the Amazon rainforest. Production took place in the Native Community of Dulce Gloria in one of the biggest and best-preserved blocks in Peru, commonly known as “Alto Purús.” Unfortunately, due to the high demands of construction, the area faces the threat of deforestation.
The film’s producer, Pérez, declared, “With this film, we want to give voice to the Ashéninka people of Yurúa. Their land is about to be changed forever due to the construction of a highway connecting the region with Brazil. Their cultural and environmental heritage has a clear expiration date. This short is not only a way to introduce the Ashéninka values and legacies to the world but also a call to action.”
Finding Success in the Film Festival Circuit as Emerging Filmmakers
In 2022, Shirampari found success on the festival circuit screening at Murcia Festival International de Cine IBAFF in Spain, Shorts Mexico, DOKLeipzig in Germany, Suncine in Spain and Mexico City, Spektrum Film Festival in Poland, Chicago International Children’s Film Festival, DOC NYC, Lima Alterna in Perú (awarded ‘best film’), and Amazonia (Fi) Doc in Brazil (awarded ‘best film’).
Both alumni received a Matthew Modine Masters Scholarship (MMMS), which provides financial assistance to outstanding candidates of NYFA’s Master of Fine Arts programs in select disciplines. Golden Globe-winning actor and filmmaker Matthew Modine, who is a member of the New York Film Academy’s Board of Directors as well as the sponsor of the scholarship, stated, “Chía and Chémi were among the first recipients of the MMMS Scholarship. It’s thrilling to see how the scholarship has benefited their art and ambition. Chía and Chémi have delivered on the promise of their artistic potential with Shirampari. Their documentary exhibits stunning visuals while also exploring its characters with great thought and care, opening our eyes to a distinct culture and tradition as well as calling attention to our shared humanity and the environmental issues that are shared today by all humanity.”
MFA Alumni Lucia (Chía) Flórez and José Miguel (Chémi) Pérez during filming in the Yurua region of the Amazon
Modine continued his praise for the short documentary, “I know you’ll love the beauty and innocence of this film. It magnifies the work of – while quite different from – Coppola’s beautifully produced Koyaanisqatsi. Rather than flying past and above its subjects – with Philip Glass’ soaring score – Shirampari is filmed at ground level, lovingly observing its subjects and scored by the sounds of nature, birds, and water, and the laughter of children and the gentle voices of the indigenous people. As I watched, I held my breath – feeling what must inevitably be coming – the encroachment of industrialized man. There’s so much love packed into this short film. It wasn’t surprising that Sundance put it in their prestigious lineup.”
Among their long list of accomplishments, Flórez and Pérez are Fulbright Scholars, and Pérez is an alum of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Gold Program, a highly sought-after opportunity for emerging filmmakers to network and learn their craft. The pair received funding from the 10 ARTS Foundation and National Geographic Society to produce Shirampari (read about the National Geographic Explorer grant here). The 10 ARTS Foundation–a recently launched U.S.-based nonprofit–funds, educates, and nurtures visual and performing artists from under-resourced communities.
Production still from Shirampari: Legacies of the River
Tony Harris, Chair of the 10 ARTS Board of Trustees, exclaimed, “Shirampari is a story that touches on the criticality of environmental protection, human rights, conserving threatened cultures, and the deep love of a father and son. For the 10 ARTS Foundation to have added our support along with the National Geographic Society, The Fulbright Program, and New York Film Academy’s Matthew Modine Masters Scholarship has been an honor. We are committed to focusing our efforts on talented storytellers worldwide. Together we hope to make a positive impact through the enablement of a more diversified point of view.”
Crickett Rumley, Senior Director of NYFA’s Film Festival Department, who consulted on the film’s festival strategy, said, “For emerging filmmakers, screening at Sundance is the absolute pinnacle. I’m so proud of Lucia and Chemi for making it to the top with this treasure of a short film, building on an impressive collection of laurels and awards from festivals in the US, Europe, and Latin America.”
Watch the Sundance ‘Meet the Artist 2023’ segment featuring Lucia (Chía) Flórez:
Additional NYFA Alum at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival
We also want to call out alum Eve Hewson and producing alum Muhammad Zaidy Amiruddin will also show films at this year’s Sundance. Hewson will star alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the feature film Flora and Son, and Zaidy produced Evacuation of Mama Emola, which will compete in the Short Film program.
New York Film Academy is incredibly proud of its alumni for their well-deserved recognition at Sundance this year, their success across the film circuit, and anticipated future successes!
NYFA held a virtual event on January 5th, 2023, to celebrate the school’s MA Producing for Executives program. The program’s students joined the call to share memories of their studies and celebrate their recent graduations.
Speaker Dr. Joy Zhu, NYFA’s Executive Vice President for the China Region, joined the virtual event to deliver an inspirational speech. According to Zhu, the MA Producing for Executives program is “a rare and innovative learning experience for students at New York Film Academy.” Zhu followed her speech with expressions of excitement about the anticipated future contributions to the creative and entertainment industries from the program’s recent graduates.
Sonny Calderon, NYFA’s Vice President of Academic Affairs, also joined the call to congratulate the students on their achievements and program completion.
The event included student representatives, who addressed their peers and expressed gratitude to NYFA’s Producing Department academic team, faculty, and staff. NYFA’s China Office staff members Irene Yu, Sarah Wu, Zexia Wang, and NYFA’s LA Campus academic affairs officer Erni Chen also attended the celebration.
Learned from the success of this unique online program, NYFA continues to deepen its program development and launched the Online MA in Entrepreneurial Producing and Innovation. In this bold program, students expand their knowledge and develop advanced business, creative, leadership, and marketing skills while gaining a global perspective of the film, television, and other emerging entertainment industries.
Next up in the 2023 awards season are the Screen Actors Guild Awards, which will air on Feb. 26th at 5 PM pacific / 8 PM eastern. Similar to the Golden Globes, this year’s awards bring some exciting changes to the ceremony, including a switch to Netflix. As they step into the world of live broadcasting, Netflix plans to live stream the awards on its YouTube channel.
The partnership between the Screen Actors Guild Awards and Netflix is promising, as the streaming service experiments with new features and award shows look to bring in viewers. Both Netflix and SAG have an opportunity to mix things up, hopefully providing a memorable ceremony for the audience.
The SAG Awards 2023: Nomination Highlights
The SAG Awards brings a competitive 2023 ceremony, as The Banshees of Inisherin and Everything Everywhere All at Once both earned four nominations for acting. The films were also nominated for an ensemble award. Other notable nominees include NYFA Alum Bill Hader for his work on Barry, more nominations for Black Panther; Wakanda Forever for NYFA Guest Speakers Kevin Feige and Nate Moore, as well as an ensemble award for The Woman King, which featured NYFA Acting alum Masali Baduza.
Here is an overview of some of the nominations this year.
Barry
2023 SAG Nominations:
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series (Bill Hader)
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
NYFA alum Bill Hader was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes for Barry. Hader also writes, produces, and directs the show. NYFA Guest Speaker Henry Winkler is also a part of the Barry cast and was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical-Comedy or Drama Television Series at the 2023 Golden Globes. Winkler paid our NYFA Los Angeles Campus a visit earlier this year to run a master class with our Acting for Film students.
The cast of The White Lotus: Sicily included Will Sharpe, NYFA Alum Aubrey Plaza, Meghann Fahy, and Theo James (pictured above.)
The White Lotus: Sicily
2023 SAG Nominations:
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series (Jennifer Coolidge)
The White Lotus already took home Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for Jennifer Coolidge. While she was not nominated at the SAG Awards, Aubrey Plaza, an NYFA teen camp alum, was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television at the Golden Globes. Her character, Harper, is one of the many central characters in season two of the series.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
2023 SAG Nominations:
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role (Angela Bassett)
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
At the Golden Globes, Marvel Studios and NYFA Guest Speakers Kevin Feige and Nate Moore were finally recognized for the Marvel films, as Angela Bassett won Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. The film was nominated for two SAG awards as well, including another best actor nod for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role.
Nate Moore, a Producer on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Eternals, visited our campus this year and shared his experiences on NYFA’s Q&A List with Tova Laiter.
Moore has been credited with developing Black superhero characters such as T’Challa and Falcon for the MCU, serving as the Executive Producer on the Disney+ limited series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, and Co-Producer on Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Congratulations to Nate Moore, Kevin Feige, and the entire cast and crew of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on their win and nominations so far!
The Fabelmans
2023 SAG Nominations:
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role (Paul Dano)
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
A lot of successful filmmakers attribute their success to tenacity. One could say the same for legendary director and filmmaker Steven Spielberg, who fell in love with filmmaking at a young age and carried his dream into adulthood. At the Golden Globes, the film that told the story of his childhood, family, and first sparks of passion for film, The Fabelmans won Best Motion Picture – Drama. The NYFA Guest Speaker Spielberg also won Best Director. The film also stars NYFA alum Paul Dano and NYFA Guest Speaker Seth Rogen, rounding out the talented ensemble.
Fun fact: When Batman punches a thug at the beginning of the film, he says, “I’m vengeance!”. This is taken from Batman: The Animated Series (1992).
The Batman
2023 SAG Nominations:
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
Speaking of Dano, the NYFA alum also starred in the SAG nominee for Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture, The Batman. The Batman joins a long history of films depicting the winged crime fighter, with Dano starring as The Riddler. The all-star cast includes Robert Pattinson as Batman, Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle, and an unrecognizable Colin Farrell as Penguin.
The Carnival set in Elvis, filmed on the Gold Coast in Australia.
Elvis
2023 SAG Nominations:
Austin Butler – Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Austin Butler, who won Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama at the Golden Globes this month, was also nominated for a SAG award. We’re so excited for the recognition of this fantastic film, as many of our NYFA Australia acting alum worked on Elvis, which was filmed in Gold Coast, Queensland. Shout out to Connor Barton, Lachlan Crane, Darcie Morris, and Darcy Worthington for their fantastic work on this film.
Viola Davis is the first Black actor to win the Triple Crown of Acting, winning an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony.
The Woman King
2023 SAG Nominations:
Viola Davis – Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
Another film that celebrated Black excellence in 2022 was the action-adventure epic The Woman King, which was nominated for one Golden Globe (Viola Davis, Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama). The film is nominated for two SAG awards, recognizing Davis as well as the entire stunt ensemble. New York Film Academy AFA Acting for Film alum Masali Baduza played Fumbe, joining a stunning mostly Black cast that also includes John Boyega. Off-screen, Gina Prince-Bythewood was also dedicated to hiring Black women and women of color to work on the film.
From historic wins to memorable unscripted moments, this year’s Golden Globes set the stage for an incredible awards season. This year’s awards, televised after not being aired in 2022, showcased a range of talent. Seasoned film and television vets finally got their flowers, first-time nominees swept up awards, and a few members of the NYFA community were recognized for their achievements. In our post-show recap, we’ll share some of the wins and our favorite moments from the ceremony.
Here are some of the highlights of the star-studded event.
Guillermo del Toro’s Wins for Reimagined Pinocchio
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, which was actually turned down by multiple studios, won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Animated. Unlike the Disney film, this stop-motion version of Pinocchio was based on Gris Grimly’s illustrated edition of the original story.
Del Toro peeking in on Pinocchio’s world. Image via Netflix.com.
“Guillermo described the world and look he wanted as “perfectly imperfect,” so that the characters were never uncannily realistic,” said Guy Davis, a character designer for the film. “The world has a visceral texture and feeling of age that gives everything a sense of history.”
Shout out to NYFA LA Instructor Tony Candelaria, who worked on the film and is now working on Shape Island for Apple TV+!
NYFA Guest Speakers, Alum Win Big for The Fabelmans
In other NYFA community wins, NYFA Guest Speaker Steven Spielberg’s TheFabelmans won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Drama. A hearty congratulations to NYFA Acting alum Paul Dano, NYFA Guest Speaker Seth Rogen, and the entire cast and crew on their win! Spielberg also landed Best Director – Motion Picture for The Fabelmans.
The film is based on Spielberg’s life, and despite being one of the most successful filmmakers of all time, he took a long time to tell the story.
“I spent a lot of time trying to figure out when I can tell that story,” he said in an interview with People. “And I figured out when I turned about 74 years old, I said, ‘You better do it now.’ “
Marvel Studios (Finally) Gets Their Due
Marvel Studios and NYFA Guest Speaker Kevin Feige got their first major award last night for the comic book films, as Angela Bassett won Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. Her iconic role as Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever sealed the deal and was her second Golden Globe award. In her speech, Bassett paid tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, who passed away before the sequel was in production.
“We have joy in knowing that with this historic ‘Black Panther’ series, it is a part of his legacy that he helped to lead us,” said Bassett. “We showed the world what Black unity, leadership, and love looks like, behind and in front of the camera. To the Marvel fans, thank you for embracing these characters and showing us so much love.”
The White Lotus Wins Best TV Limited Series
HBO Max’s The White Lotus won Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for TV. We’re so excited for NYFA Alum Aubrey Plaza and the rest of the cast and crew on this honor. Justice for Tanya!
Speaking of Tanya, Twitter loved that Jennifer Coolidge and Jean Smart sat next to each other at the awards. We need a movie with these two icons!!
An Austin Butler Win is a Win for Australia Film
Austin Butler won Best Actor in a Drama for his performance in Elvis. We’re particularly proud of this film, as the movie was filmed in Gold Coast, Australia, with the help of some amazing NYFA Australia students. Queensland continues to thrive as a filmmaking destination, with the industry pulling in $465 million for the local economy in 2022.
Elvis was also nominated for Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Director – Motion Picture for Baz Luhrmann. We can’t wait to see what films and television shows come out of Queensland next!
Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan Make History
In a true instance of art imitating life, Michelle Yeoh won for Best Actress – Motion Picture – Musical/Comedy and Ke Huy Quan for Best Supporting Actor in a Movie. Their characters famously share a scene in Everything Everywhere All at Once in parallel lives where they are famous movie stars. The actors made history this year with their wins, as Yeoh is the second actress of Asian descent to win for her category, and Ke Huy Quan is the first actor of Asian descent to win the award since 1985.
Michelle Yeoh as Evelyn Wang in Everything Everywhere All at Once, exploring one of her many parallel lives.
Quan, who broke into the film industry with his childhood role in The Goonies, was humbled and gracious about his Hollywood comeback. As for a Goonies sequel? “I’m open to revisiting the character,” Quan said.
Ryan Murphy Celebrates Michaela Jaé Rodriguez
While accepting the Carol Burnett Award for his outstanding contributions to television, Ryan Murphy applauded Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, who won Best Actress in a TV Drama award in 2022 for her role in his FX series Pose. As last year’s awards were not televised, Murphy took a moment to recognize Rodriguez’s making history as the first transgender actor to win a Golden Globe.
Murphy had another achievement for his series Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.American Horror Story alum Evan Peters won his first Golden Globe for Best Actor – Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Television Motion Picture for the show, reflecting his incredible character work. In his speech, Peters thanked the cast and crew for a team effort and recognized the show was “hard to make and hard to watch.” He said he hoped “some good” came out of making the series.
Abbott Elementary Picks Up More Awards
Abbott Elementary has already won major awards since the beginning of the series. At the 2023 Golden Globes, it picked up three more awards, including Best Actress in a Comedy Series (Quinta Brunson), Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical-Comedy or Drama Television Series (Tyler James Williams), as well as Best Comedy Series.
Quinta Brunson with her Golden Globe.
The entire city of Philadelphia is pulling for you guys!
NYFA would like to congratulate all of the winners and nominees at this year’s 2023 Golden Globes.
As the clock winds down on 2022 and ushers in a brand new year, now is the perfect time to take stock of our accomplishments.
New York Film Academy (NYFA) alums, students, faculty, and staff continue to amaze us – their collective achievements are no less impressive than what we set out to achieve this year! To recognize these successes, let’s toast one final time with this engaging infographic, which reveals NYFA’s triumphant highlights from the past 12 months!
At NYFA, we are committed to developing multitalented students with creative goals in film, media, and television. Recently, we spoke with 2019 NYFA 1-Year Acting program alum Sèdo Tossou, star of the new Canal+ International TV series Black Santiago Club, which premieres in the spring of 2023. In the recent Q&A, Sèdo highlighted his experiences at NYFA, his experiences filming Black Santiago Club and his thoughts about the future of West African cinema.
About NYFA Acting Alum Sèdo Tossou
A native of Benin who was raised in France, Sèdo grew up pursuing a variety of artistic endeavors. In addition to earning a classical music degree in piano, Sèdo played the guitar, sang, and danced – with a specialty in hip-hop and dancehall styles – extensively during his youth. This well-rounded artistic background led him to represent Team France in the World Championship for the Performing Arts. Sèdo competed as an actor, model, and pianist, winning several medals for his work and receiving a scholarship to NYFA.
Sèdo Tossou
Sèdo Tossou’s Experience at NYFA Los Angeles
Upon visiting the NYFA Los Angeles campus, Sèdo fell in love. He chose NYFA Los Angeles because he could visit major film studios like Universal and Warner Brothers and “collaborate with other filmmakers and photographers” to further his acting aspirations.
In 2020, he returned to his native continent, establishing the Sedo N’Nogni acting school with the goal of training and professionally equipping African filmmakers to pursue their craft.
Sèdo noted that international filmmakers often “arrive in Africa and they like their projects, but they work with people from outside,” providing few opportunities for African actors to hone their skills.
On Filming Black Santiago Club
Sedo first received word about Black Santiago Club in January 2021, when Benin’s minister of culture invited him to speak about his Sèdo N’Nogni film school. Shortly thereafter, he was approached by the show’s producers Keewu Productions, the Senegalese production company behind Sakho and Mangane. They offered Sèdo an opportunity to play the show’s villain, Victor, a shady businessman with some dastardly tricks up his sleeve, an offer he accepted.
Black Santiago Club in their early days. Image via Womex.com.
Black Santiago Club: The History Behind the Band
Despite his Beninese heritage and his own experiences as a musician, Sèdo was not familiar with the show’s titular music group until production began. He explained that “growing up in France, [he] was not as familiar with the Beninese musicians” and added that “not too many people of [his] generation know about Black Santiago Club.” The group, the oldest music group from Africa, plays Congolese rumba, high-life, and afrobeat styles. Since forming in 1964, the band has played an integral role in West African history and culture.
When asked about key takeaways from Black Santiago Club, Sèdo replied that he hoped audiences would discover through the series that there are “shows in Africa that are being produced that are as captivating, if not more, as shows that are produced in the Western world,” notably the United States and Europe.
Tossou’s Tips on How To Play a Villain
Sèdo had never played a villain before, stating that villainous characters are “not [his] type” of on-screen persona. Rather, he has typically portrayed “the nice guy” in productions, “the husband or love interest usually,” in his words. Additionally, since Black Santiago Club is Sèdo’s first production wherein he plays a villain, he wanted to ensure that his role is as truthful and credible as possible.
“I don’t want to be the villain who’s trying to act like the villain like look at me I’m so bad, I’m so mean. I needed to create something that will make me dangerous. Or at least looked dangerous and feel dangers without it being overdone or not truthful.”
He continued by describing the pivotal role body language played in developing his on-screen character: “I worked on my movements and my posture. I worked on how I would move my head, and my legs. I wanted a natural, creepy, weird, mysterious physical language.”
Sèdo wanted to create a body language for Victor that translated well with global audiences. He also read the script time and time again to ensure he delivered every line of dialogue as naturally as possible during production. Furthermore, Sèdo channeled his personal experiences and emotions into Victor, commenting, “All those emotions are worth something; I was like, ‘Well, let’s use this!’”
Sèdo leaned on his NYFA experience during production for Black Santiago Club. When he struggled to demonstrate the proper emotion in one scene, Sèdo remembered what one teacher said to him about finding triggers, specifically “that the scene is what you experience when you’re doing it;” in other words, he let the events of a scene influence his emotional responses. Sèdo said that during his course of study at NYFA, he “grew older with a lot more maturity and trauma, so it’s way easier to cry now” than it was for him before attending NYFA.
On set filming “Black Santiago Club.”
The Future of the West African Film Industry
Sèdo hopes to see a successful film industry emerge in West Africa, similar to Nollywood, Nigeria’s answer to Hollywood. He specifically mentioned his hopes for a developing film industry in nations such as his native Benin, as well as Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali, and Senegal. Sèdo then stated that although television production is an established industry in West Africa, film is not.
He said that there are “not enough films being produced per year to generate enough money to develop an economy and then create opportunities for actors and directors to live off it” as their primary income. Additionally, he commented that Beninese films “are produced and are seen here in Benin in our only movie theater. There’s one movie theater for 12 million people” in the country.
In short, West Africa does not provide many outlets for local filmmakers to showcase their work to local audiences. Sèdo then expressed his desire to produce quality films, with an emphasis on training screenwriters.
Advice to Incoming NYFA Students
Sèdo concluded with a few words of advice to incoming NYFA students. He encouraged them to use every single day of their experience productively, with a focus on networking, because that time passes quickly. Regarding students at NYFA’s Los Angeles campus, Sèdo said, “If you’re in LA, you need to go into the building where directors, screenwriters, even people working in video games, might need voiceover people” for their projects. He concluded by encouraging incoming students to utilize their time efficiently, search for networking and collaboration opportunities, and finally “take advantage of everything that NYFA has to offer” during their studies.
New York Film Academy would like to thank Sèdo Tossou for his time and wish him much success with the new TV series Black Santiago Club. We encourage you to tune in to Black Santiago Club on Canal+ International when it premieres next spring. If you are an aspiring storyteller interested in pursuing goals in filmmaking, we offer a variety of film programs at our New York, Los Angeles, and South Beach (Miami) campuses, as well as online.
UPDATE: In May 2023, the Los Angeles-based filmmaker and NYFA alum received the ‘Auteur Filmmaker Award’ at the Roots of Europe International Film Festival. The festival screened Ambros’ films Son of Man, an adaptation of the famous Russian author Dostoevsky’s “The Grand Inquisitor,” May 15th in Paris, a short film about the rise of fascism in Western Europe, and his notable documentary short film, Ukrainians in Exile.
Assembly Line Entertainment, a once-emerging film financing and production company, is now an internationally recognized company with films appearing at Sundance, Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), DTLA Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, and Shanghai Film Festival, among others.
Founded by MFA Producing alum, director, and producer Janek Ambros, Assembly Line Entertainment released its latest film, Ukrainians in Exile (2023), to great acclaim. The film focuses on the border crisis, narrated by an anonymous woman who resides in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine. Speaking in Ukrainian, the narrator details her experiences and contemplates the challenges of citizens forced to leave and whether neighboring countries will embrace the refugees during this crisis.
Janek Ambros, MFA Producing Alum, Produces Two New Festival Hits ‘Ukrainians in Exile’ and ‘Monica’
Ukrainians in Exile (entitled ‘Ukrayintsi u Vyhnanni’ in Ukrainian) is a documentary following the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian government and the evacuation of Ukrainian citizens. Shot in the Polish city of Przemysl, located on the Ukrainian border, Prezemysi became an important junction for evacuating Ukrainian refugees.
NYFA MFA Producing alum Janek Ambros
The film, shot in March 2022 following the February invasion, was executive-produced by NYFA Guest Speaker Janusz Kaminski. Kaminski is a two-time Academy Award winner, collaborator with NYFA Guest Speaker Steven Spielberg, and fellow NYFA producing alum Robbie Leacock.
The short documentary premiered internationally at the Morelia International Film Festival in Mexico in October 2022, alongside other famous and trending films like Bardo, Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, and Speilberg’s The Fabelmans. The film most recently won ‘Best Short Doc” at the 76th Salerno Film Festival.
According to Ambros, “I hope this documentary encourages people to warmly welcome Ukrainian refugees that are in dire need of help as well as other refugees from other conflicts.”
Production still for Ukrainians in Exile (2023)
The NYFA alum is a multi-talent entertainment industry professional and touts credits, including Exposure 36 (2022), The Legend of Tayos (2021), Mondo Hollywoodland (2019), Human Capital (2019), and Imminent Threat (2015). His films have cast well-known A-list stars, including Emily Browning, Patricia Clarkson, Liev Schreiber, Marisa Tomei, Peter Sarsgaard, and Ethan Hawke. Read more about Mondo Hollywoodland when it came out in this related article.
Janek Ambros Produces Film Festival Winner Monica (2022)
Ambros was co-executive producer of the 2022 film Monica, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in competition for the Golden Lion and won “Best Italian Film.” The film screened at the AFI Film Festival and starred Trace Lysette, Patricia Clarkson, and Emily Browning. Monica was directed and co-written by Andrea Pallaoro. The story portrays a woman’s return home to care for her dying mother. Monica is a complex story of redemption that explores aging, abandonment, and dysfunction.
Watch the trailer for Monica (2022):
Assembly Line Entertainment, a unique organization, garners inspiration from the 1960s Hollywood film era that uses social and character-driven storylines to make statements about contemporary. The organization was produced by fellow NYFA producing alum Robbie Leacock, driven by a long-standing professional relationship with Ambros. Read about the start of Assembly Line Entertainment and the partnership between Ambros and Leacock during their time as students at NYFA.
Ambro’s upcoming films include Sharp Teeth, War Game, and an adaption of Russel Lees’ “Nixon’s Nixon,” a satire about Kissinger and Nixon’s desperate attempt to stay in power the night before Nixon resigns. In an article written by Matt Grobar on Deadline, the director and NYFA alum said, “When I stumbled upon Russell’s play, I was immediately drawn to the incredibly nuanced portrayals of Nixon and Kissinger,” and continued, “It’s a great deep dive into these characters and their antics which can act as a microcosm for American hegemony and imperialism, done with such a twisted sense of humor and satire.”
As always, NYFA is incredibly proud of the hard work of its alumni and wishes Janek Ambros continued success in his production career. Follow Assembly Line Entertainment’s Instagram for their latest works and upcoming features.
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