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New York Film Academy (NYFA) Documentary Alum Releases Chilling Doc “A Sniper’s War”

New York Film Academy (NYFA) alum Olya Schechter recently released her film, A Sniper’s War, to rave reviews. The harrowing documentary focuses on a Serbian sniper named Deki, whose anti-US views caused them to join pro-Russian rebels in the Ukrainian conflict.

The film’s official website summarizes the documentary as “[exploring] the ambiguous morality of war when social media becomes a communication platform for two rival snipers to schedule duels in hope to kill one another between the shadows of rival superpowers.” The filmmakers were given an unbelievable level of access to the conflict’s front lines and the military bases of those involved.

A screencap from "A Sniper's War"
“A Sniper’s War”

The Hollywood Reporter called the film “powerful and disturbing” with “superb cinematography.” Despite positive reviews, however, the film has generated controversy online from those who have misinterpreted the film’s message as “pro-Russian propaganda.” Its rating on audience-driven sites such as IMDB has been torpedoed with 1-star ratings. As a positive review on Film Threat points out, “Schechter tried to keep politics out of it, telling the story of a man, not the story of a war.” She gives a comprehensive (and often tragic) background to her protagonist, who could otherwise be difficult for the average audience member to empathize with. “There is a fine line between a soldier and a killer,” Deki explains.

The pro-Russian, anti-United States sentiment of the protagonist makes for bold subject matter. The film was released by Journeyman Pictures and joins a lineup of daring, diverse pictures such as I Love My Muslim (concerning a 62-year old Muslim marrying a 33-year old Libyan freedom fighter), Pani: Women, Drugs and Kathmandu (about opioid addiction in Nepal), and Take Light (concerning Nigeria’s electricity crisis).

In July 2018, Schechter returned to NYFA’s Battery Park campus to screen her film for students and alumni in the Academy’s 1st Floor Theatre. Chair of NYFA’s Documentary school Andrea Swift joined the audience to support her former student.

The New York Film Academy congratulates alum Olya Schechter on a breathtaking work of filmmaking and looks forward to following her already impressive career. You can watch the trailer to A Sniper’s War below, or buy it on Amazon here.

Shanghai Theatre Academy Representatives Visit New York Film Academy (NYFA)

Earlier this September, representatives from the Shanghai Theatre Academy visited New York Film Academy’s Battery Park campus in New York City. These representatives included Mr. Lou, General Secretary of Shanghai Theatre Academy, and Mr. Wei, Vice Dean of Film School of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, as well as scholars who are currently in New York.Shanghai Theatre Academy Visit

The Shanghai Theatre Academy representatives sat down with senior administration and faculty from New York Film Academy (NYFA) to discuss cultural and education affairs between the US and China, as well as potential future partnerships. These senior administration and faculty members from the New York Film Academy included Mr. Jean Sherlock, CEO and owner of the Academy; Mr. Michael Young, President; Mr. David Klein, Senior Executive Vice President; and Dr. Joy Zhu, Executive Vice President (China Region). 

Both parties have met several times in the past and have already established a strong partnership. The discussions that took place during this month’s meeting were focused mainly on the forefront issues and future plans for furthering educational partnerships between the US and China. 

Mr. Lou took this opportunity to share his experiences and thoughts on how the Internet has completely reshaped the way entertainment and film are now studied. His perspectives were incredibly deep and well articulated, with Mr. Sherlock and Mr. Young both agreeing with many of his views and thoughts. 

Shanghai Theatre Academy VisitDiscussions also continued on how to maintain and strengthen the cultural and education relations between the East and West as well as future opportunities for the two institutions to specifically work together. NYFA has prided itself on its focus for a cultural exchange of ideas between the school’s global campuses and the students and educators of China. 

Late last year, President Michael Young toured China to strengthen the Academy’s cooperation with the country’s aspiring filmmakers, actors, and storytellers. And earlier this summer, a class of students from Shanghai Theatre Academy took a 1-week Photography course at NYFA, where they trained on state-of-the-art equipment with the school’s renowned professional faculty. 

The New York Film Academy thanks the representatives from the Shanghai Theatre Academy for their visit and for a meaningful and intelligent discussion over several subjects!

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Q&A with New York Film Academy (NYFA) Doc Instructor Maxine Trump

Maxine Trump is a filmmaker, producer, editor, and author. She is based in Brooklyn and teaches Documentary at the New York Film Academy. Her films Musicwood and To Kid or Not To Kid cover such varied topics as the state of the acoustic guitar industry and the decision to not have children, respectively. NYFA sat down with her and talked about her career as a documentarian and freelance filmmaker, as well as her new book:

New York Film Academy (NYFA): How does the process for writing a book differ from writing a screenplay or documentary? Do you prefer one to the other?

Maxine Trump (MT): That’s an interesting question. It’s very different, it’s a different way of talking to an audience. Although you still want to be accessible, it is more academic — no surprises there — writing an academic book.

Maxine Trump
Maxine Trump

I never go for an academic voice in my films, everything should be entertaining, never educational. I tell all my students never to describe your documentary films as educational. Even the BBC has taken that word out of their mission statement. It just sounds boring, and your film will be boring generally, if it’s educational. You’re not making instructional YouTube videos, that’s a very different form of entertainment. Although I love hybrids, and being inventive with formats. So maybe there will be an amazing instructional documentary that someone will make and I’ll eat my words, but I’ve yet to see it. Werner Herzog comes close.

Anyone want to experiment?

NYFA: I watched your “Trumps Against Trump” short and Donald Trump was elected President shortly thereafter. How have you dealt with sharing his last name since?

MT: That’s funny to be asked that question here, people ask me ALL the time. You know we often make documentaries to deal with something personal that we have wrestled with, even if it’s not obvious in the film we’re making. I know one famous documentarian that realized they kept making films that somehow always wrestled with a father figure. So this was my purging, I had to do something. And with all the crazy, shocking political decision-making right now, this film brings a little bit of light. Some humor, and helps me cope with my name. After all, as I’m told in the film by one great character on the street, the [guy] ruined my name.

NYFA: You’ve covered disparate topics from the decision to children not having access to toilets to the acoustic guitar industry’s interaction with the environment. How do you decide to focus and hone in on topics that you think will make for good and worthwhile documentaries?

MT: This is a lovely question, and one that I talk about a lot with the students. You will sit with your film for a very long time, so what are you passionate about? I’ve made documentaries with an underlying message, from the overloaded New York sewage system, to people deciding not to have children. But my films are entertaining. I don’t even like the phrase “social issue filmmaking” anymore, and I make them all the time. But, first and foremost, I think often about who might be coming home from a hard day at work and would want to turn on my film. I don’t want them to necessarily feel bad about life, I want them to feel like there is hope and be surprised and sometimes shocked and sitting on the edge of their seats and laughing, and crying, and want to see more.

That’s filmmaking.

Maxine Trump - Musicwood
Maxine Trump’s “Musicwood”

NYFA: What projects do you have coming up that people should keep an eye out for?

MT: The beauty (and the bane) of freelance is that you’re always working, juggling about five projects any one time. But I love this life. Yesterday I was commissioned to write TV treatments for micro-docs for a TV network, today I’m talking to distributors about my latest feature documentary To Kid Or Not To Kid, about people deciding whether or not to have children. And this afternoon I’ll be pulling together casting ideas for a web series for public television that I’ve just been comissioned to make. And then, of course, I teach at NYFA. This lifestyle allows me to teach (and write) about real world examples.

I love my flexible life, and it’s so great that NYFA supports faculty to work in this way. I think we have a really strong documentary department helmed by Andrea Swift and supported by Amanda Brzezowski, and it’s a joy to teach.

—

The New York Film Academy would like to thank Maxine Trump for her time answering our questions and for all the hard work she does to educate NYFA’s Documentary school students. You can purchase her new book, The Documentary Filmmaker’s Roadmap: A Practical Guide to Planning, Production and Distribution here.

New York Film Academy (NYFA) to Host National Bullying Prevention Month Screening of “Thirsty”

October is National Bullying Prevention Month and to bring awareness to the cause, the Filmmaking school at New York Film Academy (NYFA) is hosting a screening of Thirsty with its filmmakers. Described by as a “post-queer musical biopic,” Thirsty follows bullied girly-boy Scott Townsend as he grows into revered drag queen Thirsty Burlington, fighting obstacles along the way only to discover what he really wants is self-acceptance.

The musical drama was released in 2016 and won Audience Choice for Best Narrative Feature at the Boston LGBT Film Festival, Best Narrative Feature at the Harlem International Film Festival, and the Jury Prize at the Portland Film Festival. It will be screened at NYFA New York’s 1st Floor Theatre on October 11th.

Margo Pelletier directing Marilyn Matarrese and Deirdre Lovejoy
Margo Pelletier directing Marilyn Matarrese and Deirdre Lovejoy

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with producer Lisa Thomas, actors Jonny Beauchamp (who plays “middle” Scott Townsend), and Michael DiGioia (Uncle Gene), Choreographer Alexandra Amirov, and editor and NYFA alum Fabrizio Famá. Thomas is an industry veteran who has worked on Wonder Showzen and Ugly Americans. Beauchamp has appeared in Penny Dreadful and Stonewall. Famá has worked on many Italian feature films, documentaries, and shorts.

The 97-minute feature film was directed by the late filmmaker Margo Pelletier, who was known for her exploration of gender and identity. She previously made the documentary Freeing Silvia Baraldini. Thirsty stars Scott Townsend as himself, lending a unique realism to its ability to tell a story based on his life. Deirdre Lovejoy (The Wire, The Blacklist) co-stars as Townsend’s addiction-addled mother Doris. Keith Leonard plays opposite her as Townsend’s absent and abusive father. Before her death, Pelletier had told Variety that a “good percentage” of the cast is LGBTQ.

National Bullying Month began in 2006 by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. It was originally the first week in October and has since expanded to include the entire month. Studies have shown bullying causes “school avoidance, loss of self-esteem, increased anxiety, and depression.” Learn more at StopBullying.gov. If you or someone you know is struggling, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline online or at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You may find help and resources here.

Prior to the Thirsty screening, NYFA will also be hosting a Wellness Day event from noon to 5pm on the 5th floor student lounge in NYC. View some statistics on bullying below:

National Statistics

Been Bullied
  • 28% of U.S. students in grades 6–12 experienced bullying.
  • 20% of U.S. students in grades 9–12 experienced bullying.

Seen Bullying

  • 70.6% of young people say they have seen bullying in their schools.
  • 70.4% of school staff have seen bullying. 62% witnessed bullying two or more times in the last month and 41% witness bullying once a week or more.
  • When bystanders intervene, bullying stops within 10 seconds 57% of the time

Watch the trailer for Thirsty below:

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Hosts PDN’s 30 2018 Panel

Next week, Photo District News (PDN) will present PDN‘s 30 2018: Strategies for Launching and Building a Career, featuring their new and emerging photographers to watch. The New York Film Academy (NYFA) is proud to be hosting the event, which will take place on September 27th. PDN has been one of the top resources for professional photographers for over two decades. Every year since 1999, PDN‘s editors have chosen 30 emerging photographers who represent a variety of styles and genres and have demonstrated a distinctive creativity, vision, and versatility.

Kyle Durosz - PDN's 30 2018
Photo by Kyle Durosz

During this informative discussion, photographers selected for PDN’s 30: New and Emerging Photographers to Watch will share the most valuable lessons they learned as they launched their careers. They will discuss their strategies for gaining exposure, honing their styles, getting help on business issues, and meeting the challenges of starting a photography career in today’s competitive market.

Photo by Hannah Reyes Morales - PDN's 30 2018
Photo by Hannah Reyes Morales

Free and open to the public, this panel will be moderated by Holly Stuart Hughes, editor of Photo District News, and will feature PDN’s 30 photographers Brad Ogbonna and An Rong Xu, a Sony Artisan of Imagery and New York magazine photo editor Marvin Orellana.

Pusha T by Brad Ogbonna - PDN's 30 2018
Pusha T by Brad Ogbonna

The event is sponsored by Sony and Canson Infinity. The Sony Artisan of Imagery is Michael Rubenstein. Running creative will be Marvin Orellana, Photo Editor, New York magazine. The free seminar will take place from 6:30-8 p.m. and will be followed by a reception from 8-9 p.m. You can view work of the participants of this year’s event on PDN‘s website and profiles on each of the 2018 PDN’s 30 photographers are featured in PDN’s April 2018 issue.

2018 New York Film Academy (NYFA) Summer Camps Were An “Incredible Experience”

Another school year beginning means another summer must come to an end, but for many young students, it was a summer they’ll never forget. These students spent their summer break at New York Film Academy’s various camp programs, getting to meet new people from around the globe and studying fun, artistic skills that may lead them (eventually, no rush!) to exciting, prosperous careers!

New York Film Academy (NYFA) offers summer camps to both kids and teenagers in a variety of fields. Teen camps are located around the world, including New York City, Miami, Harvard University, Paris, Australia, and Florence, Italy. Los Angeles Summer Camps 2018

Each teen camp is built around a challenging and intensive curriculum that combines in-class instruction with faculty-supervised workshops using the same state-of-the-art equipment professionals and NYFA’s adult students use. In between these rigorous but fun exercises, students bond over exciting, supervised activities.

This year, at NYFA’s Los Angeles campus, located in the heart of Hollywood, over 600 students attended the kids and teens camps offered. Students arrived from all over the world, many of them returning for their second, third, and even fourth summers running! Camps that ran included Filmmaking, Acting for Film, Screenwriting, 3D Animation, Music Video, Photography, Documentary, and Game Design.

One of the perks of NYFA’s Los Angeles campus includes unique access to the Backlot of Universal Studios, where campers could shoot and act in their film projects. The backlot includes famous sets of Mexico, Western, Colonial St, Elm St., Log Cabin, Europe, Courthouse Square — featured in blockbuster movies like Back to the Future and Nightmare on Elm Street.Los Angeles Summer Camps 2018

At the end of each camp, which ranged from one to eight weeks, students screened or presented their work at NYFA’s main school building, along with popcorn and a red carpet step-and-repeat photo session.

“Teaching with the summer program is the best!” remarked instructor Jason Crossman. 

Fellow camp instructor Bruce MacWilliams agreed, adding “I really enjoyed teaching the kids and teens this summer! It was a lot of work, but very rewarding!”

Students that stayed overnight during the camps stayed at Toluca Hills, where NYFA faculty, counselors, and RAs supervised pool parties and game nights. Other activities the students participated in between workshop classes included going to theme parks like Universal Studios, Six Flags, and Disneyland. 

Campers also visited Santa Monica, The Grove, The Americana, and Universal CityWalk. Other activities included laser tag, bowling, mini golf, video arcades, karaoke, dance classes, and tie-dye sessions.

Los Angeles Summer Camps 2018
Photography Campers Exhibit Their Work

New York Film Academy, famous for its guest speakers and Q&As with industry leaders and professionals, had two such events specifically for the teen campers. The award-winning documentary High School 9-1-1 was screened, followed by a Q&A with director Tim Warren and producer Kelli Joan Bennett. And John Altschuler, co-creator of the HBO hit comedy Silicon Valley, spoke with students as well.

Many students couldn’t hold back their gratitude for their summer to remember. “Thank you so much for everything,” said camper Gemma Penglase, continuing, “the camp has been the most incredible experience, and I loved every moment of it and I will definitely be back.”

Jade Klacko, another camper, shared a similar sentiment, adding, “On a personal note, I wanted to express my gratitude to you and to everyone responsible at NYFA for making my time so memorable.” Klacko went on, “I wanted to say that it was one of the best experiences of my life and I was so sad to leave to go back to Florida and say goodbye. You run such an amazing program and I am so thankful that I got to experience this three-week summer program at NYFA.”

Interested in attending New York Film Academy’s kids & teen camps next summer? You can check out more information here!

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY MUSICAL THEATRE ALUM JEFF SULLIVAN STARRING IN NATIONAL TOUR OF FINDING NEVERLAND

The Professional Conservatory at New York Film Academy (PCMT at NYFA) alum Jeff Sullivan has a new happy thought he can use if he ever needs to fly to Neverland — he’s just been cast as the lead in the national tour of the Broadway hit musical, Finding Neverland!

Jeff is originally from Canada and has toured on Cats, West Side Story, The Producers, and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and has performed in numerous regional productions. He received his training from New York Film Academy’s musical theatre school in 2011, taking the 2-year program at the PCMT at NYFA in New York City.

The New York Film Academy’s musical theatre school helps aspiring actors develop their skills as triple threat performers by studying with faculty who have appeared in numerous Broadway and touring productions, top-rate regional theatre, opera, hit movie musicals, and television shows. Students receive real world training that prepares them to achieve success in the industry, creating an educational experience few other musical theatre schools can offer.

NYFA’s musical theater alumni include Pierre Marais (Aladdin), Ilda Mason (On Your Feet), Kylan Ross (Straight Outta Oz), Christopher Viljoen (Les Misérables), and Tony Award-winner Yael Silver (Once on this Island).

Jeff Sullivan’s casting in Finding Neverland is his most high profile role to date. He will be playing the lead, J.M. Barrie, the real-life author of the Peter Pan books. The role was originated on Broadway by Glee’s Matthew Morrison. Finding Neverland is based on the Academy Award-winning film of the same name, which itself was based on the play The Man Who Was Peter Pan by Allan Knee. The story follows the turn-of-the-century relationship between playwright J.M. Barrie and the real-life family that inspired the characters in Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up.

The book for Finding Neverland was written by Olivier nominee James Graham, while the music and lyrics were written by Gary Barlow and Grammy-winner Eliot Kennedy. Finding Neverland’s choreography is by Emmy-winner Mia Michaels.

Jeff will be joined in the production by co-star Rudy Gibbs as Sylvia Llewelyn Davies. The cast also includes Conor McGiffin as Charles Frohman/Captain Hook, Emmanuelle Zeesman as Mrs. Du Maurier, Brody Bett as Jack/Michael, Seth Erdley, Caleb Reese Paul, Paul Schoeller, and Ethan Stokes as George/Peter/Jack, and Josiah Smothers as Jack/Michael. Coincidentally enough, Creative Director of PCMT at NYFA Kristy Cates was part of the Broadway cast in 2015 and 2016.

Finding Neverland is produced by Diane Paulus and will be starting its first previews on September 28 in Elmira, New York at The Clemens Center. Its official opening will be at the Hershey Theatre in Hershey, Pennsylvania on October 1.

New York Film Academy congratulates alum Jeff Sullivan on the role of a lifetime and looks forward to seeing where his career takes him — second star to the right and straight on ’til morning!

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY MUSICAL THEATRE ALUM JEFF SULLIVAN STARRING IN NATIONAL TOUR OF FINDING NEVERLAND

The Professional Conservatory at New York Film Academy (PCMT at NYFA) alum Jeff Sullivan has a new happy thought he can use if he ever needs to fly to Neverland — he’s just been cast as the lead in the national tour of the Broadway hit musical, Finding Neverland!

Jeff is originally from Canada and has toured on Cats, West Side Story, The Producers, and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and has performed in numerous regional productions. He received his training from New York Film Academy’s musical theatre school in 2011, taking the 2-year program at the PCMT at NYFA in New York City.

The New York Film Academy’s musical theatre school helps aspiring actors develop their skills as triple threat performers by studying with faculty who have appeared in numerous Broadway and touring productions, top-rate regional theatre, opera, hit movie musicals, and television shows. Students receive real world training that prepares them to achieve success in the industry, creating an educational experience few other musical theatre schools can offer.

NYFA’s musical theater alumni include Pierre Marais (Aladdin), Ilda Mason (On Your Feet), Kylan Ross (Straight Outta Oz), Christopher Viljoen (Les Misérables), and Tony Award-winner Yael Silver (Once on this Island).

Jeff Sullivan’s casting in Finding Neverland is his most high profile role to date. He will be playing the lead, J.M. Barrie, the real-life author of the Peter Pan books. The role was originated on Broadway by Glee’s Matthew Morrison. Finding Neverland is based on the Academy Award-winning film of the same name, which itself was based on the play The Man Who Was Peter Pan by Allan Knee. The story follows the turn-of-the-century relationship between playwright J.M. Barrie and the real-life family that inspired the characters in Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up.

The book for Finding Neverland was written by Olivier nominee James Graham, while the music and lyrics were written by Gary Barlow and Grammy-winner Eliot Kennedy. Finding Neverland’s choreography is by Emmy-winner Mia Michaels.

Jeff will be joined in the production by co-star Rudy Gibbs as Sylvia Llewelyn Davies. The cast also includes Conor McGiffin as Charles Frohman/Captain Hook, Emmanuelle Zeesman as Mrs. Du Maurier, Brody Bett as Jack/Michael, Seth Erdley, Caleb Reese Paul, Paul Schoeller, and Ethan Stokes as George/Peter/Jack, and Josiah Smothers as Jack/Michael. Coincidentally enough, Creative Director of PCMT at NYFA Kristy Cates was part of the Broadway cast in 2015 and 2016.

Finding Neverland is produced by Diane Paulus and will be starting its first previews on September 28 in Elmira, New York at The Clemens Center. Its official opening will be at the Hershey Theatre in Hershey, Pennsylvania on October 1.

New York Film Academy congratulates alum Jeff Sullivan on the role of a lifetime and looks forward to seeing where his career takes him — second star to the right and straight on ’til morning!

NYFA Alum, Guest Speaker, Netflix, HBO, and Amazon Win Big at 2018 Emmy Awards

The most competitive race in this year’s Emmy Awards wasn’t in any specific category. Rather, it was a heated contest between cable giant HBO and godfather of streaming Netflix to see which media company would win the most Emmys this year. 

Several of HBO’s wins came from its new comedy, Barry, starring Bill Hader, a NYFA workshop alum, and Henry Winkler, who both won acting Emmys. Henry Winkler was a guest speaker at our Los Angeles campus (you can also listen to his guest speaker event on the NYFA Podcast, The Backlot).

Other members of the NYFA community involved with this year’s Emmy Awards include Emmy-nominated alum Issa Rae (Insecure) and alum Francesco Panzieri, who has worked on Emmy-nominated Westworld. Additionally, Netflix’s critical and commercial hit Stranger Things was up for several nominations. The nostalgic horror’s cast includes alum Matty Cardarople and NYFA Board Member and Master Class Lecturer Matthew Modine, and the show’s iconic opening titles were in part designed by Emmy-winner and NYFA alum Eric Demeusy.

HBO was the Goliath in this situation — the network has won the most Emmys each year for nearly two decades running. In July, Netflix made headlines when it broke HBO’s 17-year streak of most nominations, with 112 total, to HBO’s 108.

In the end, it came down to the final award of the night, for Best Drama Series — HBO was poised to lose to Netflix by a single Emmy and lose its record. However, Game of Thrones proved victorious, allowing HBO to tie with Netflix, and landing both at the top with 23 Emmys each. Sharing first place is still a huge victory for Netflix, which has been on an upward trend after coming in third in 2016 and second last year. This continues the cultural dominance in longform storytelling that started when COO Ted Sarandos, who spoke with New York Film Academy (NYFA) students earlier this year, shepherded Netflix into the future of original content.

Netflix and HBO weren’t the only big winners. Amazon Studios won its first top award when its original series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel won Best Comedy Series, the first time a streaming-only service has won the category with its own content. Last year, Hulu won the first Best Drama Series Emmy for The Handmaid’s Tale. Ironically, for all its nominations and awards, Netflix still hasn’t won either prize.

 

All told, the real winners are television viewers, as Peak TV continues its cultural dominance. As HBO CEO Richard Plepler put it, “It’s a wonderful evening for us, but it’s an even better evening for the range of quality great work being recognized in the industry.” While many of the award-winners were white, this year’s nominations did represent a large number of people of color, as well as women in non-acting roles. A step, albeit small, forward for the industry. 

The New York Film Academy congratulates all the nominees and winners of the night and looks forward to another year of innovative, exciting storytelling from the industry!