On a cool Saturday morning in February 2023, NYFA took students to The Academy of Motion Picture Museum’s powerful exhibit, “Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971.” Here, NYFA students escaped the familiarity of their classrooms to learn about Black Artists in Cinema History.
Led by Denise Hamilton and the Los Angeles campus’s Michael Sandoval, the event granted students the chance to wander through the darkened exhibit rooms – reading, watching clips, hearing the voices of an array of Black artists in Cinema from the earliest days to the ’70s.
Exhibits ranged from a scene of the first kiss between African American actors caught on screen, to the first Black silent films, to a showcase of Race films (made with all-Black casts and distributed almost exclusively to Black audiences throughout the segregated US), to the more genre-defying work of such directors as Melvin Van Peebles.
Students found the exhibit powerful, sobering, and uplifting. Following the event, students expressed how moved they were and how this experience would affect their own creative works. As NYFA MFA Acting for Film student Christian Demeritt said, “American artists of African descent and our history, especially in the dramatic arts, is awe-inspiring and motivates me to make sure their name and history is known through my work.”
Students Express their Experiences Following the Exhibit
According to fellow MFA Acting for Film student Chayanika Baishya, “I will do my best to spread the knowledge I learned from this experience so that more people should realize its essence would be a good lesson to learn about racism. It made my day.”
MFA Screenwriting student Keerthana Yeshwanth said, “Considering I’m an international student, my exposure to American cinema history has been minimal and confined to what mainstream education chooses to discuss. Unfortunately, this means that I had very little insight into the rampant discrimination in the industry other than what I found out from my own research.”
BFA Screenwriting student Brynjólfur Guðmundsson said, “I will now do my best to tell stories responsibly and accurately as an upcoming screenwriter. It is true what NYFA instructors say-that movies are powerful-and to quote the Spider-Man movie, ‘With great power comes great responsibility.'”
NYFA wants to thank Denise Hamilton and Michael Sandoval for sponsoring and organizing this event to help teach students the impacts of Black voices in American cinematic history.
Animation Career Review has named NYFA one of the nation’s leading animation schools for the twelfth consecutive year. Nearly two hundred colleges and universities across the United States were considered for the 2023 rankings, with surveys mailed to each institution in September 2022. Each animation school was ranked based on a variety of factors, including academic reputation, admission selectivity, depth and breadth of program faculty, graduation rate, retention rate, and overall program value.
NYFA’s 2023 Rankings:
Top 40 Nationally Among Private Schools and Colleges
Top 25 on the West Coast
Top 20 in California
Top 50 Nationally Among Schools Offering an Animation Related BFA
We will explain NYFA’s 2023 rankings in more detail below.
NYFA Among Top 40 Private Institutions for Animation Programs
Source: Animation Career Review
This year, NYFA was ranked among the top 40 private institutions nationwide for our animation degree programs, thanks to our creative student community and experienced faculty of skilled professional animators and visual artists. All NYFA faculty actively work in their respective fields of study and use their experience to share their wealth of creative and practical knowledge with students across all our animation programs. NYFA distinguishes itself with a project-based curriculum that emphasizes developing the practical, technical, and artistic skills students need to bring their stories to life.
NYFA Los Angeles Ranked Among Top 25 on West Coast, Top 20 in California
NYFA’s Los Angeles campus was also ranked among the Top 25 animation schools on the West Coast, as well as the Top 20 schools in California. NYFA Los Angeles, situated near famous entertainment and media production companies such as Universal Studios, offers our students a collaborative, creative environment where they can learn the key tenets of animation from expert instructors and then apply them to create their own animated films. NYFA Los Angeles was also ranked among the Top 50 colleges and universities in the U.S. with Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree programs in animation. Our BFA in 3D Animation and VFX program is designed to immerse prospective animators in every aspect of the discipline, from animation-specific acting methods to character design, lighting, modeling, and rendering.
In 2022, NYFA debuted a BFA in Entertainment Media.
In addition to our BFA and MFA degree programs in 3D Animation and VFX, NYFA also offers a BFA in Entertainment Media degree program – with a concentration in 3D Animation and VFX. While the BFA in Entertainment Media is offered at our New York campus, students that choose the 3D Animation concentration will spend their final year of the degree program at our Los Angeles campus.
NYFA welcomes aspiring visual storytellers who are passionate about the art of storytelling through animation to explore our 3D Animation and VFX degree programs. Learn more on our 3D Animation school page!
The nominations for the 2023 Oscars were announced on Tuesday, January 24th, with Riz Ahmed, who won the Oscar for best live-action short last year, and Allison Williams, who currently stars in the horror hit M3GAN, announcing the nominees. The ceremony, which will take place Sunday, March 12, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, has Jimmy Kimmel back as the host after previously leading the awards show in 2017 and 2018.
The 95th Academy Awards Nominations: Our Highlights
Similar to the 2023 Golden Globes, A24’s Everything Everywhere All at Once and The Banshees of Inisherin from Searchlight Pictures led the nominations. All Quiet on the Western Front, which got a single Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture – Non-English Language (formerly Foreign Language), received nine Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. With the nominations came some surprises, snubs, and standouts, promising an exciting show this year.
It came as no surprise to cinephiles that A24’s Everything Everywhere All at Once was nominated for eleven awards.
Here are some brief highlights and in-depth looks at the nominations.
Leading with eleven nominations, including Best Lead Actress for Michelle Yeoh, Best Supporting Actor for Ke Huy Quan, and two Best Supporting Actress nominations for Stephanie Hsu and NYFA Guest Speaker Jamie Lee Curtis, the eccentric and heartwarming Everything Everywhere All at Once dominates the Oscars this year. Many were relieved to see recognition for Hsu, the only main cast member not to receive a Golden Globe nomination. Each actor is receiving their first Oscar nomination this year.
The nominations also helped make history, as it’s the first time four actors of Asian descent — Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, and Hong Chau (The Whale) were nominated in the same year. Yeoh is also the first self-identified Asian actress nominated for Best Lead Actress.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio Brings a Spotlight to Craftsmanship
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Animated and was also nominated at the 95th Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature. The film is del Toro’s first stop-motion film and features the work of experienced craftspeople and visual artists. NYFA’s very own Tony Candelaria, who works as an Instructor at NYFA Los Angeles, also worked on the film. The film currently has an exhibit, Crafting Pinocchio, at The Museum of. Modern Art history in New York City.
“No art form has influenced my life and my work more than animation, and no single character in history has had as deep of a personal connection to me as Pinocchio,” del Toro has said.
India’s Chhello Show (Last Film Show) was considered an Oscars snub this year, as it did not earn any nominations in its expected category, Best International Feature Film.
The Fabelmans Proves to be a ‘Best Picture’ Contender
The Fabelmans, which won the Golden Globe for Best Picture – Drama and Best Director – Motion Picture for NYFA Guest Speaker Steven Spielberg, was nominated for seven Oscars this year, including Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Picture. The Universal Pictures film, based on Spielberg’s own life, also stars NYFA alum Paul Dano and NYFA Guest Speaker Seth Rogen as family friend Benny. Dano also starred in The Batman, which was nominated for three Oscars.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Brings Marvel to the Table
Marvel fans were overjoyed when Black Panther: Wakanda Forever earned six nominations, including Best Supporting Actress for Angela Bassett, who played Queen Ramonda. Bassett, who won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, may be tough to beat for her category, which also includes Hong Chau (The Whale), Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin), Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All at Once), and Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once).
Everything Everywhere All at Once, Black Panther, and Elvis are just a few nominated for Best Costume Design.
It’s the first Oscar nomination in an acting category for Marvel Studios and NYFA Guest Speaker Kevin Feige and Guest Speaker Nate Moore, both Producers of the film. Win or lose, the successful awards season for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever continues to pay tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, who passed while the sequel to his film was in production.
Austin Butler, who won Best Actor in a Drama for his performance in Elvis, was nominated for Best Lead Actor. He joins the long list of actors with their first Academy Award nomination this year. The film was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture. The nominations are bittersweet for the Elvis team, as Lisa Marie Presley, the famous crooner’s real-life daughter, passed away only days after the Golden Globes.
“I know she’s smiling down right now,” Butler said.
The movie was filmed in Gold Coast, Australia, with the assistance of some hardworking NYFA Australia students. As Queensland continues to prove itself as a top-notch destination for filmmaking, we can’t wait to see what films come out of Australia (and from our NYFA Australia alums!) next.
Till Director Chinonye Chukwu with Danielle Deadwyler, who played Mamie Till-Mobley in the film.
No Female Director Nominations
Despite an exceptional talent pool this year, including Sarah Polley for Women Talking, Charlotte Wells for Aftersun, Gina Prince-Bythewood for The Woman King, and Chinonye Chukwu for Till, no female directors were nominated this year. While some of the films had some recognition, such as Women Talking for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture, as well as Best Lead Actor for Aftersun’s Paul Mescal, The Woman King and Till were shut out of nominations entirely. It’s important to note that no Black woman has ever been nominated or won the award for Best Director.
“We live in a world and work in industries that are so aggressively committed to upholding whiteness and perpetuating an unabashed misogyny towards Black women,” she said.
“And yet. I am forever in gratitude for the greatest lesson of my life – regardless of any challenges or obstacles, I will always have the power to cultivate my own joy, and it is this joy that will continue to be one of my greatest forms of resistance.”
Babylon Falls Short of La La Land
Damien Chazelle’s Babylon, called a “love letter to cinema,” got three Oscar nominations, including Best Original Score, Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design. Regardless of the all-star cast, which includes Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, who is one of the most famous Australian actors of our age, as well as Tobey Maguire, Jean Smart, Olivia Wilde, and Diego Calva, there were no further nominations. Director Chazelle won a 2017 Oscar for Best Achievement in Directing for La La Land. At NYFA, we’re particularly proud of Babylon, as NYFA Acting Instructor Miraj Grbic worked on the film.
First-Time Nomination for Fan Favorite Brendan Fraser
While 2022’s The Whale has had some controversy, fans still applaud Brendan Fraser, who received a nomination for Best Lead Actor. It’s Fraser’s first-ever Oscar nomination as. The Whale marked his return to film after nearly 12 years. In what is lovingly being referred to as “the Brenaissance,” Fraser has been welcomed back into the fold. He is speculated to have upcoming roles in Behind the Curtain of Night, Martin Scorcese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, as well as a Coen Brothers movie.
Brendan Fraser grew to prominence in the ’90s and early ’00s in films like The Mummy, Blast from the Past, The Quiet American, and Bedazzled.
“I like people feeling like they’re getting to know me again,” Fraser said in an interview with GQ. “Because we’ve all grown a little older together.”
There’s something inimitable about the experience of sitting in the audience as a soaring piece of musical theatre plays out onstage in front of you. It was just such an experience that set Kristy Cates, Chair of Musical Theatre at NYFA’s New York campus, on the path that would lead her to success on- and off-Broadway. From that seven-year-old girl who loved singing and dancing to a teacher shepherding along the next generation of stage superstars, Kristy is an original member of NYFA’s Musical Theatre department and a guiding light to all who pass through its doors.
NYFA Chair of Musical Theatre (New York), Kristy Cates
Kristy Cates
A graduate of the University of Cincinnati College – Conservatory of Music, Kristy has enjoyed a successful career treading the boards on Broadway and around the country. A member of both AEA and SAG-AFTRA, she appeared as Elphaba in Wicked, appearing on Broadway, Chicago and the first national tour.
She has also portrayed Miss Bassett in Finding Neverland and Grandma Josephine in Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, both on Broadway, featured in Jerry Springer: The Opera at Carnegie Hall, and has taken part in numerous off-Broadway and regional productions over the years.
We talked with her about helping to start the Musical Theatre department at NYFA, what she loves about teaching, and the most important lessons she tries to impart on her students.
New York Film Academy (NYFA): How did you first get interested in musical theatre?
Kristy Cates (KC): When I was around seven years old, my parents took me to see the National Tour of 42nd Street in San Francisco – and I LOVED it. I really enjoyed singing and dancing, and it was so exciting to me that there were live shows which incorporated both elements (plus acting) in storytelling. From that point on, I was hooked! I participated in many musical theatre productions growing up, and it really shaped my life.
NYFA: What have been your favorite projects/productions to work on to date?
KC: Well…of course, it was incredible to be part of the original Broadway Cast of Wicked. In my four years with the show, I learned so much about myself, this business, and just how incredible the impact of musical theatre can be across the globe. I also really loved being part of Finding Neverland on Broadway, as it’s such a beautiful show that reminds people to believe in the child within. In terms of NYFA shows/projects that I have produced – I could never pick a favorite. That would be like trying to pick a favorite child!
KC: I have been with NYFA since the inception of the musical theatre program in 2009 as the original Song Interpretation teacher. In 2014 I was promoted to Creative Director and began to produce our live productions while also continuing my teaching schedule. I became the Chair in March of 2020, right before the pandemic. I have learned so much these last 13 years and am so grateful for the opportunity to help usher in new generations of musical theatre performers.
NYFA: What are your favorite courses to teach?
KC: I love working with our students as they prepare to graduate. I teach a voiceover class where each student creates a demo reel, as well as a graduation panel/prep class where we work on filmed audition pieces as well as their final live performance. It’s exciting and fascinating to bring in industry guests to meet our graduating students, as I learn quite a lot from the feedback they provide and have their own unique perspectives on where each person might find success in our industry. It’s very rewarding to work with our actors as they prepare to leave NYFA and take on the “real world.”
NYFA: How would your students describe your teaching style/methods?
KC: Oh wow. Great question, haha! My style has certainly evolved over the years. I think I started out very methodical and have developed a more organic and intuitive teaching style. I really try to help students find who they are, what they bring to the table, and what makes them unique and special. I am not into the whole cookie-cutter idea that everyone has a specific type and should live within those parameters. I like to help students discover new talents and abilities and also how to look at themselves as a whole person, not just as an actor. You have to put yourself into every piece.
NYFA: What are your favorite aspects of the theatre community in NYC?
KC: It’s really a family. I know that sounds cliche, but it’s the truth. I love seeing my friends in their shows and supporting their endeavors – just as I feel they always support mine. Sure, at the end of the day, it’s still a business….but the meeting of so many creative minds is fascinating, invigorating, and inspiring.
NYFA: Who do you believe have been some of the most significant actors or actresses in theatre?
KC: Instead of naming actors, of which there are SO MANY, I am going to name my favorite composers that I feel have shaped the landscape of our art form: Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeanine Tesori, Boubil and Schoenberg, Frank Loesser and Jason Robert Brown.
NYFA: What are some of your favorite shows?
KC: My daughter and I are HUGE fans of Hamilton. It’s definitely on the “most played” list in our apartment. I also love Ragtime, Miss Saigon, City of Angels, and Into the Woods.
NYFA: What advice would you give a prospective student looking to get started in musical theatre?
KC: First and foremost, you have to believe in yourself and your talent. You have to know what you offer and be willing to share your authentic self in any role, song, or monologue that you undertake. It’s okay to make mistakes – perfect is boring! You also have to be willing to put in the work. This is a competitive business, and there is always someone out there willing to work as hard as it takes to be better each day. Also, don’t listen to the haters and the doubters. If musical theatre is in your soul, you owe it to yourself to chase that dream….there IS room for everyone.
Enhance Your Voice, Movement, Dance, and Performance Skills at NYFA
Ready to pursue your passion for musical theatre? Check out our BFA degree program, certificates, and workshops in Musical Theatre, all located at our NYFA New York campus.
Most of the time, if a famous New York stage director looked you in the eye and told you your acting was terrible, it might convince you that performing wasn’t your thing. For Lynda Goodfriend, Creative Director of Acting for Film at NYFA’s Los Angeles campus, it was just a speedbump on the way to a long and successful career that would see her performances gracing everything from the Broadway stage to the silver screen to family living rooms across the country as a star of Happy Days.
Lynda has parlayed her success in a way that makes her the exact opposite of that director those years ago; instead of shutting down dreams with a callous word, she’s mentoring the next generation of actors at our Los Angeles acting for film school.
NYFA Creative Director of Acting for Film (Los Angeles), Lynda Goodfriend
Lynda Goodfriend, Creative Director for Acting for Film at NYFA Los Angeles
Lynda received her BFA from Southern Methodist University and did her acting study with legendary masters Lee Strasburg and Sandy Meisner. She has appeared in numerous shows on and Off-Broadway, including Good News, West Side Story, She Loves Me, Fiddler on the Roof, and The Boyfriend. For eight seasons, she played Richie’s (Ron Howard) girlfriend, Lori Beth, on the legendary sitcom Happy Days and guest-starred on shows like The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, and Vega$. Onscreen, she’s appeared in Pretty Woman, Taxi Driver, The Front, Nothing in Common, and Beaches. She founded the award-winning Actors Workout Theater in NoHo as well as the Actors Workout School. Behind the scenes, she has also worked in talent management, even opening her own firm, and has directed several television projects.
We asked her about her experience getting into acting, her approach to teaching, and the most important thing actors can do to succeed.
NYFA: How did you first get interested in acting?
LG: My father was a musician, and I think I loved anything around music and entertainment because of him. I got into acting in high school, and one summer when I was 15, at a Summer camp for acting, I auditioned for a famous NY director. He told me I was terrible and should never act. I believed him. So since I’d always loved music and dancing when I was younger, I started doing everything I could to be good at that. That turned into a career doing musicals on Broadway. It was then that people started telling me I should get into acting because of the “little acting parts” I did in the shows. I started studying with the great master, Lee Strasberg, and realized that dream was still alive in me.
NYFA: What have been your favorite projects/productions to work on to date?
LG: Without a doubt, the eight years I spent on the hit TV show, Happy Days, playing Lori Beth, Ron Howard’s girlfriend, were the most fun of all the work I’ve done. I also toured with a Broadway production called Good News with Alice Faye. We did nine months on the road before we opened on Broadway, performing and getting reviews in all the major cities in the US. Being on tour – That was a blast!
NYFA: Tell us about your time at NYFA.
LG: I started teaching at NYFA in 2007. In 2011 I became Chair of the Acting Department. I developed the BFA and MFA degree programs along with the Thesis film project for those degree students. I also created and developed many extracurricular activities, such as the Glee Club and Dance Troupe, along with the Student Directed play series.
NYFA: What are your favorite courses to teach?
LG: I really love teaching Acting for Film, but have started teaching the Thesis development course, helping students create their own film projects. That has been very rewarding. Aside from that, I also enjoy teaching the Business of Acting and Auditioning since I can bring my 25 years of experience as a personal manager into the classroom to help support actors just starting out their careers.
NYFA: How would your students describe your teaching style/methods?
LG: Honest feedback, ‘keep it simple,” and caring for each student, realizing that each student learns differently. Everyone learns better with support.
NYFA: What are your favorite aspects of the film and acting community in Los Angeles?
LG: People’s willingness to share their knowledge and help young people in the industry. Henry Winkler just came to teach a Master class for our actors. Many have come to visit the campus to do Q & A’s – they have all been extremely generous with their time and their knowledge.
NYFA: Who do you believe have been some of the most significant actors or actresses in film?
LG: Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet have set the bar for me.
NYFA: What are some of your favorite films and performances?
LG:Annie Hall is still one of my favorites, and a little-known film called Babette’s Feast, a 1987 Danish Film that was the first Danish film to win the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. It is based on a story by the same author that wrote Out of Africa, another one of my favorite films. As far as performances, I still love anything with Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn.
NYFA: What advice would you give a prospective student looking to get started in acting?
LG: Knock on as many doors as you can, and walk through any door that opens up to see where it leads. Be nice to EVERYONE. NEVER EVER GIVE UP!
Strengthen Your Acting and Auditioning Skills at NYFA
Ready to bring your acting skills to the next level? Choose from a selection of acting degrees, certificates, and workshops at NYFA Los Angeles, New York, and South Beach (Miami).
The purpose of a writer is to elicit emotion. For Nunzio DeFilippis, Chair of Screenwriting and Dean of Faculty at NYFA’s Los Angeles campus, a story hasn’t served its purpose until it’s connected with those experiencing it. That’s when the power of storytelling truly comes to life and makes all the blood, sweat, and tears poured into a piece worth it. During his decades-long career as a writer of everything from TV series to screenplays to comic books, Nunzio has learned to focus his storytelling on that moment when the words meet the audience and become something else entirely.
He now shares that learning with the students of NYFA’s screenwriting program so that future Hollywood screenwriters know not to just build a story but to tell one.
NYFA Chair of Screenwriting, Dean of Faculty (Los Angeles), Nunzio DeFilippis
Nunzio DeFilippis
After receiving his MFA in Screenwriting from USC, Nunzio has enjoyed a long and varied career both on his own and with his wife/writing partner Christina Weir. They served as producers and writers on the HBO series Arli$$ and wrote for the Disney Channel’s wildly popular Kim Possible series. With his partner, he’s written for comics like New X-Men, Adventures of Superman, Batman Confidential, and Dragon Age, to name a few, and created comic franchises Bad Medicine, The Amy Devlin Mysteries, and Frenemy of the State, which are in development as either TV series of feature films at NBC, E! and Universal Pictures, respectively. Nunzio and his wife also have feature projects optioned at Hollywood Pictures, Process Media, and Humble Journey films while also developing a video game with Sony and a TV movie at Oxygen.
We spoke to him about his career, the importance of feedback and collaboration, and his first career passion – going to space.
NYFA: How did you first get interested in screenwriting?
ND: I always had an interest in writing, even when I was young. I think it was sparked by my older brother staging comedy shows for the family. I was only an actor in those, and a lot of the material he provided came from other sources – sketches from Carol Burnett’s show, bits from Abbott & Costello. I wanted to try new things, but also it made me grow up with a love of entertaining people. When I was in the fifth grade, I believe, I started writing my own stuff. Not for the shows, but short stories. I had a love of movies that exploded with the first Star Wars (it came out when I was 7), so even as I wrote my short stories, I pictured them on the big screen and sometimes on TV.
Still, when I went to High School, I went to the Bronx High School of Science. I was very much torn between two worlds – the world of science and the world of storytelling from my youth. My big goal in terms of science was to go to space. And then I decided I wanted to write, but I still wanted to go to space. And Christa McAuliffe was going to space as a teacher, so I thought the future would involve non-astronauts in space. When the Challenger exploded, I knew civilians in space weren’t going to happen, so I knew I needed to make a choice. I chose writing then, knowing I’d never make it to space.
In college, I thought about acting and writing, but I took a class on screenwriting and also founded a comedy troupe. The class convinced me that screenplay was my format of choice. And the troupe convinced me that I no longer could see myself on stage. So I stuck to writing, and I focused on screenwriting.
NYFA: What have been your favorite projects/productions to work on to date?
ND: Even though my wife/writing partner Christina Weir and I were way older than the target demographic, we both loved the show Kim Possible. We asked our agent to look into it, and suddenly we were pitching episode ideas to them. That experience – asking and having it happen so quickly – is something that rarely happens unless you’re very successful, so it’s a prized memory. But we didn’t do a whole lot with Kim Possible, so there are other projects that are nearer and dearer to my heart.
We created an English Language Manga named Amazing Agent Luna. It ran for 13 volumes, one of the longest-running English Language Manga of its time. And we even did a spin-off/prequel manga. That was a situation where we created a world, and characters, that we love to this day, and we were given the time, the space, and the creative freedom to really do everything we wanted with those characters. That is probably my favorite project.
We also recently worked on comics that tied into the Dragon Age videogame world of Thedas, and that was a great experience too.
NYFA: Tell us about your time at NYFA.
ND: I started at NYFA Los Angeles in 2010 and started by teaching in the short-term (8-week) and one-year programs. I guess I made a good impression because, not too long afterward, I ended up on a few thesis committees, and a couple of the thesis students started coming to me for feedback on other projects and on their thesis beyond my work as a thesis reader. This must have made a good impression on the Chair because before long, I started teaching in the MFA program and eventually became a Thesis instructor.
I was younger then, and had a ton of energy, and would teach as much as I would be offered, and between that and my thesis work, I became a big voice in the department. In a few years, I went full-time and started doing all of the curriculum planning for the department. A few years later, I was made Chair of the Department.
After a few years as Chair, the school asked me to step in as Interim Dean of Faculty. If it stopped being an Interim position, they assumed I’d step away from my Chair duties, but I love the Department too much and decided to take the new post and keep on serving as Chair, even after my role as Dean stopped being a temporary position. And those are the roles I serve now.
NYFA: What are your favorite courses to teach?
ND: Thesis is my baby. I love working with students for multiple semesters on the same project. When it goes wrong – when a student struggles or hates their project, it can be a lot. But there’s a thrill to helping them through that and helping them rediscover their love of their project. The class also teaches so much about collaboration and professionalism, and I’m just proud of the way the school and the department have built a thesis process that far exceeds what I got in graduate school.
I also have a soft spot for Genre Studies. It’s been rebuilt a few times, and I’ve played a role in each rebuild, first as a teacher, then as a Chair. And each time, it gets more fun as a class.
NYFA: How would your students describe your teaching style/methods?
ND: Depends on which one you ask, I think. I pride myself of being someone who pushes the students to write the best version of what they want to write rather than tell them what to write. But I also lean heavy into the idea that we (as screenwriters) will very rarely get to decide everything about our projects. I want students to get excited about working with other people’s thoughts and feedback. If they view that interaction as a way to create better stories, they’ll do better in the industry. But more important, they’ll be happier in it. So my teaching style is to make sure they stay happy with what they are writing while stressing to them that it is okay to change your idea – you just need to change it ways that allow you to find new joy in it.
NYFA: What are your favorite aspects of the film community in Los Angeles?
ND: The entire city seems attuned to storytelling sometimes. Sometimes it feels like when you’re at a Starbucks, there’s at least three people working on a script – you, the person next to you, and the barista And we can mock that – trust me, I do all the time.
But at its core, that’s a beautiful thing. For creative people, a city where many of the people you’ll encounter are thinking about story, about character, about plot, about theme…? That’s amazing. In a lot of places, finding someone as interested in storytelling as you are becomes a defining struggle. Who can you talk to? Who will understand the choices you make to pursue your craft? Out here, it’s much easier to find friends who understand, and maybe even find collaborators.
NYFA: Who do you believe have been some of the most significant individuals in screenwriting?
ND: There are some writers that every screenwriter should check out, but each student/writer’s taste may vary, so I’m always very reluctant to say “if you don’t do a deep dive into this person, you’ll never succeed.”
I can talk about favorites of mine, but I’ll probably stay away from creating a specific “canon.” Even in the classes we teach where we discuss the great screenplays, the syllabus varies from teacher to teacher.
NYFA: What are some of your favorite screenplays?
ND: Yikes I know I said in the last question that I’m more comfortable with saying my favorites than I am with listing writers of significance, but you then ask me that and I want to dance around it too.
Instead, I’ll do a speed round:
Searching for Bobby Fischer by Steven Zaillian. A simple story, perfectly told
My Neighbor Totoro – by Hayao Miyazaki Brilliant and charming.
When Harry Met Sally – by Nora Ephron. The pinnacle of rom-com storytelling.
Sneakers – by Phil Alden Robinson, Lawrence Lasker, and Walter Parkes. A swiss watch precision instrument that somehow came from a writing committee.
His Girl Friday – by Charles Lederer, with uncredited help from Ben Hecht who co-wrote the play (The Front Page) on which it was based. Maybe the funniest movie of all time.
Silverado – by Lawrence & Mark Kasdan. Just a perfect pastiche of Western storytelling tropes, done with complete affection for the form.
Those are off the top of my head. There are more, and I’ll kick myself later for leaving them off.
NYFA: What advice would you give a prospective student looking to get started in screenwriting?
ND: Remember that we are storytellers, not story builders. Our task is not to build a story but to tell it, and that makes the audience more important than us. Once we internalize that thought, it makes a lot of the prevailing wisdom work better. People say you have to love what you write, or no one else will. This is true. But if you forget the role of the audience, then you will build the story only for yourself and end up happy if you’re the only one who loves it.
We write to make others love our stories the way we hopefully do. It is absolutely true that if you hate your story, you won’t write it well enough for others to love it. But always remember that loving your story is a means towards a larger end – and that larger end is to make an audience feel. Make them laugh, make them cry, make them think, help them escape… whatever the goal is, it has to be aimed outward.
Hone Your Screenwriting Skills at NYFA
Want to learn how to write scripts, teleplays, treatments, and more? Bring your ideas to life at NYFA’s Screenwriting School, with programs in New York and Los Angeles, as well as online.
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!
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