Page 136 – NYFA

Much-Buzzed Doc Killer Bees is Lensed by New York Film Academy Instructor John Foster

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Cinematography Instructor John Foster lensed feature-length sports documentary Killer Bees, which The New York Times raves is “…engaging and humane storytelling that uses the drama of basketball to tell a deeper story about race, class, and the excitement and heartache of young lives careening toward adulthood.”

The film traces the legacy of Bridgehampton High School’s all-star basketball team, the Killer Bees; championship winners that have united their community for decades. Yet it’s all under increasing threat, as the socio economic divide between wealthy vacationers and diverse working-class community continues to grow.

Produced by a team that includes legendary NBA star and NYFA alum Shaquille O’Neal, the film is directed by Bridgehampton natives Ben and Orson Cummings. The directors are quoted in The Hollywood Reporter as saying, “Having grown up in Bridgehampton, we’re honored to release a film that reveals another side of our hometown, known to most as the Hamptons. Releasing this film with Shaquille O’Neal as a producer has given an amazing boost to our mission to garner recognition for this legendary basketball program that provides meaning and hope for a community under siege from the threats of racism, gentrification and income inequality.”

A faculty member at NYFA’s New York City campus, John Foster is credited as the cinematographer on 37 films — including 1997 Sundance Film Festival favorite Sunday. With Killer Bees, he continues to forge a career packed with hard-hitting documentaries that tackle timely social and economic issues, from the legacy of Brown v. The Board of Education to the genocide in Darfur.

The New York Film Academy congratulates John Foster on his impeccable work!

Oscar-Nominated Doc Edited by New York Film Academy Instructor Now Nominated for An Emmy

Heroin(e), a Netflix-produced documentary edited by New York Film Academy (NYFA) instructor Kristen Nutile, has been nominated for an Emmy. This adds to its rave reviews and other major award nominations, including for the Peabody and, earlier this year, for an Academy Award. Heroin(e)’s producers join NYFA alumni, guest speakers, and other NYFA community members with nominations for the Emmy this year, including Bill Hader and Issa Rae.

One of Netflix’s acclaimed original documentaries, Heroin(e) is directed by Peabody Award-winning documentarian Elaine Mcmillion (Hollow, The Lower 9). The film offers an intimate and harrowing view of the nation’s opioid epidemic through the stories of three women in Huntington, West Virginia — a city now infamous for an overdose rate 10 times the national average.

The nominations for the 39th Annual News and Documentary were announced on July 26 by The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, who also annually distribute the Daytime Emmy Award and Heartland Emmy Award, among other accolades. The News & Documentary Emmy Awards will be presented on Monday, October 1st, 2018, at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in the Time Warner Complex at Columbus Circle in New York City. The ceremony will be attended by more than 1,000 television and news media industry executives, news and documentary producers, and journalists.

Heroin(e) is nominated for Outstanding Short Documentary, and is one of 112 nominations for streaming juggernaut Netflix, who for the first time this year leads all networks in total noms, beating out HBO (108) and NBC (78).

Heroin(e) was edited by Kristen Nutile, who teaches for the Documentary School at New York Film Academy’s New York campus, a program featured on The Independent Magazine’s list of Top 10 Academic Programs for Documentary Filmmakers. The school boasts both award-winning alumni and faculty.

Nutile is a prolific filmmaker in her own right, having edited two dozen films in addition to directing six of her own. She founded Soft Spoken Films in 2001, and is a recipient of the Albert Maysles Award for Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking.

The New York Film Academy congratulates documentary instructor Kristen Nutile and Heroin(e) on its incredible run of prestigious nominations and wishes them the best of luck at this year’s Emmy Awards!

Interested in studying documentary filmmaking with the New York Film Academy? You can find more information here!

New York Film Academy (NYFA) and TEDxFulbright Visit Washington, D.C.

Continuing its commitment and support to the Fulbright mission, the New York Film Academy (NYFA) has partnered for a second year in the organizing of TEDxFulbright. In this occasion TEDxFulbright celebrated at a unique landmark: the U.S. Capitol.

The New York Film Academy provided the film equipment and crew necessary for the event. Leading the team was Miguel Cruz, Fulbright Scholar, Vice President of the Fulbright Association of Los Angeles, and Director of Fulbright Initiatives at the New York Film Academy. Cruz attended NYFA in 2006 and has directed award-winning television programs and feature films, including Aida and Vulnerables.

NYFA is proud to be hosting Foreign Fulbright Grantees from seven countries (Lithuania, Spain, Egypt, Finland, Indonesia, Angola, and the Dominican Republic) currently; in recent years, NYFA has welcomed more than 50 Fulbrighters to our campuses in LA and NYC. NYFA Fulbrighters have hailed from Bahrain, Angola, Indonesia, Egypt, Spain, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Finland, Uruguay, Dominican Republic, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Switzerland, Vietnamese, Ecuador, France, Sri Lanka, Russia, Paraguay, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Zambia.

NYFA is committed to working with and supporting the Fulbright community, and has held special screenings for the Fulbright Association in addition to hosting both the 2015 and 2017 TEDxFulbright events. The most recent, now available from TEDxFulbright on YouTube, was held in Washington, D.C.

Under the Theme: “A Curious Picture” was hosted by CNN host and Fulbright Scholar Priyali Sur, and presented eight interesting talks with topics ranging from Fractal Mathematics to the beautiful Fishnet Sculptures of Janet Echelman.

The New York Film Academy looks forward to future collaborations with the Fulbright Association, and hopes to deliver more opportunities for Fulbright Students as it has for

NYFA Fulbrighters Ismelda Mojica (MFA Producing) and Oliver Olivo (MFA Filmmaking) when partnering to produce the thesis film Impressions.

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Alum Avkash Mann Debuts Top 40 Song

New York Film Academy (NYFA) alum Avkash Mann released his debut single, Away, this July. It wasn’t long before it made the American Top 40 Charts on Spotify, along with artists like Ariana Grande and Beyonce Knowles. Mann is the son of prominent Punjabi singer-actor Harbhajan Mann, though he strives to gain credit and success through his own hard work and talent rather than any nepotism or celebrity advantage.

Away is a soulful modern pop/R&B track, written and composed by Mann in addition to being performed by him. Mann released it with a beautifully shot black-and-white music video as well. The track is in English, though Mann plans on writing and releasing Hindi tracks in addition to Punjabi songs he’s also previously written.

Mann told India New England News, “I always thought that if I write songs then I would want to write them for people who can relate to them. My music is inspired by what is going on around me. Not just my own life, but also my friends’ and close family’s lives.”

Mann also focuses his artistry on introspection and positive values, avoiding topics like violence and alcohol in his work, whether it is more socially-focused or more romantically-inclined. “I don’t want to promote anything that would wanna make people do something that is detrimental to themselves or people around them,” he continued.

In the same article, in addition to expanding on why he doesn’t rely on his father’s fame to further his own career, Mann mentions that he has “some film stuff in the pipeline too” — projects that he’ll elaborate on in the near future.

In May 2017, Mann attended New York Film Academy’s 4-Week Acting for Film workshop. In the month-long course, acting students learn their craft with an emphasis on Stanislavsky’s System, scene study, and monologue work as starting points. In conjunction with their classes, students participate in courses aimed specifically at training the actor for the technical requirements of acting on a film set.

The New York Film Academy congratulates alum Avkash Mann on his successful hit song, and looks forward to both his future musical and film projects!

If you are interested in attending New York Film Academy, you can find more information on our programs here.

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Community Outreach Partners with Actors for Autism

The New York Film Academy-Los Angeles recently partnered with Actors for Autism (AFA), providing “hands-on,” college-level filmmaking courses as an extension of the AFA filmmaking program where students write, shoot and edit their own films. Speaking about the collaboration, NYFA’s Chair of Community Outreach, Mason Richards, said “At NYFA we believe that diversity in the film industry goes beyond race and gender, it also includes ability among other things. And we are wholly mindful about training and creating opportunities for people on the spectrum along with other underrepresented groups. The students were amazing.”

Actors for Autism is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement, education, and training of people on the autistic spectrum by providing new and innovative programs in the Arts, Film & Television, Animation, Visual Effects, and Video Game Industries. According to their mission statement, Actors for Autism believes that people on the autistic spectrum should live as integrated members of society. Inclusion should be a reality, not a dream. For the last 15 years, AFA has been a pioneer in developing new and innovative programs, providing media & technology training that assists their students in finding employment after they complete their education. There are a variety of companies that have partnered with AFA to provide their students internships and job opportunities.

The young AFA filmmakers shot scenes from their short films on NYFA-Los Angeles in-house sound stages in Burbank, and on the Universal Backlot. In addition, they also did ADR and post-production at NYFA with instructors Huch Platt and John Briscoe. Liz Fenning, Program Supervisor at Actors for Autism added, “To our students, it meant everything to them to make films with NYFA, and to have NYFA’s caring faculty and staff support them, as they got to live out their dreams working with high-quality equipment shooting on a studio lot. There is no measure for the joy it brought to them.”

Fenning continued, “Not only did we notice distinct changes in the students’ technical knowhow, but more importantly, we noticed that they were better able to trust their instincts and pursue their passions with greater confidence. Essentially, it allowed our students to take the leap from viewing themselves as students of film, to directors, screenwriters, and talent.”

Once the students completed the semester-long filmmaking program, NYFA hosted a private screening for friends, families, and supporters of the young filmmakers at the NYFA theater. Actor and AFA supporter Jack Dylan Grazer, who recently starred as Eddie in the Stephen King adaptation It and will be appearing in the superhero film Shazam, showed his support by attending the screening, and was very impressed by the student films.

About Grazer’s involvement, Fenning stated, “Jack Dylan Grazer has been an incredible supporter of our program. It meant the world to the students, that a young and accomplished cinema artist, would take his very limited time to show support and appreciation of their work. For him to be present at the ceremony at NYFA left them speechless — truly, to have a peer in the industry take the time to celebrate their work has made an indeliable mark on them.”

Since receiving their Certificates of Completion from NYFA-Los Angeles, two of the student filmmakers so far have gained employment at local production companies, while others are interviewing and still looking for employment.

“We cannot thank NYFA enough for this partnership. With this program, NYFA truly demonstrates what it means to be a leader in the Los Angeles film community. For our students, they have provided a life changing experience. We are beyond grateful for NYFA’s generosity, and are awed by its heart for this population of artists, so often overlooked by the film community at large.”

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Documentarian Amy Rice Presents “By The People” to New York Film Academy Students

This July, the New York Film Academy (NYFA) Producing and Documentary Filmmaking departments presented a screening of By the People: The Election of Barack Obama followed by a Q&A with director Amy Rice. The discussion was moderated by Producing Chair Neal Weisman and Documentary Chair Andrea Swift.

Producing Chair Neal Weisman, Director Amy Rice, and Documentary Chair Andrea Swift.

The nearly two-hour film documents the years leading up to the election of Barack Obama. Rice gives viewers an inside look into Obama’s evolution from little-known Illinois Senator to symbol of change for a generation.

Calling it one of her favorite documentaries, Rice was greatly influenced by Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker’s The War Room, about Bill Clinton’s campaign for president in 1992. By the People premiered in August of 2009 on HBO, and last week’s screening gave younger students a look at how the 2008 election differed from recent elections.

Rice began her career as a cinematographer, working with her eventual co-director on By the People, Alicia Sams. The documentarian talked about the appeal of this type filmmaking, saying, “There was something very organic about documentary. Just pick up your camera and go shoot and follow the story as it’s unfolding in front of you.”

"By the People" director Amy Rice — *By the People* director Amy Rice.

After her other brother told her about Obama before he was well-known, Rice watched his speeches and read his book, Dreams from My Father. “I was just naturally obsessed with his story,” she says.

Her and her team used a trip to Africa during a congressional delegation trip as a testing ground. From there, the film follows the lead-up to the 2008 election and Obama’s transition from presidential long shot to favorite. Rice discussed the difficulties that began to arise as the presidential candidate’s popularity increased. For instance, at one point the film crew was unable to use a boom mic due to secret service safety concerns. Rice pointed out another instance deep into the campaign where security tried to stop her from filming: “I looked so horrified that he was trying to stop me from getting my final shot.”

The filmmaker also dropped some words of wisdom on the students throughout the course of the discussion. One thing she stressed was to “always say ‘yes’ to all film opportunities.”

The New York Film Academy would like to thank Amy Rice for her time and the illuminating discussion with the Producing and Documentary Filmmaking departments.

Watch the trailer below and/or purchase the film here.

Netflix CCO Ted Sarandos Speaks With New York Film Academy

Last Friday, the New York Film Academy (NYFA) had the honor to be invited to the Netflix Sunset-Bronson Studios for a preview screening of Netflix upcoming series The Innocents followed by an exclusive Q&A with Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos.

Ted has led content acquisition for Netflix since 2000. Since 2013, he led the company’s transition into original streaming content with the launch of House of Cards, Arrested Development, and Orange is the New Black, among numerous other series. Ted has been recognized as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2013, and as an innovator in film acquisition and distribution. Netflix executive Matthew Thunell introduced the pilot. NYFA Director of the Q&A Series Tova Laiter hosted the afternoon.

Laiter opened the conversation by asking Mr. Sarandos about his unique start in the film industry, from community college for journalism, to running movie rental stores, to where he is now. “It’s a super unlikely path,” Mr. Sarandos said, “I’m always reluctant to give my path… as it wouldn’t make any sense for anyone to try to follow.”

The conversation moved to Netflix’s first original release, the wildly successful House of Cards. Mr. Sarandos spoke fondly of working with David Fincher, saying “He’s exacting. I love, more than anything, somebody who knows what they want, knows what’s important and what isn’t. David never had a wasted conversation or a wasted argument about anything during production.” He also talked about the initial meeting. They pitched Fincher an offer he couldn’t refuse: two seasons of a TV show, with no pilot, and no notes. The only restriction was that he would have to put his name on it. “The bet was that someone who really cared about their brand would really make it great if you gave him the freedom to do that. And that’s what we did.”

One student asked what advice he would give his younger self, just starting out in the industry. Mr. Sarandos talked about how far Netflix and the industry as a whole has come and continue to change. “I don’t know that I ever would have seen far enough ahead to say ‘You should do this, and not that.’ The main thing is, I think, is to be incredibly nimble.”

Laiter ended the Q&A by asking what quality Ted felt led the most to his success. He answered, “Probably curiosity. It’s not necessarily what you know, it’s what you’re willing to figure out… Being humble enough to ask, and not being afraid to look dumb, is how you learn.”

The New York Film Academy would like to thank Mr. Sarandos for inviting us to Netflix for this amazing Q&A.

The Innocents will be streaming starting August 24th – only on Netflix.

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Alumni Premiere Films at LA Shorts Fest

What do New York Film Academy (NYFA) alumni Assem Yedgey, Dina Naji, and Zixian (Season) Ouyang have in common? They all have thesis films premiering at the Los Angeles International Shorts Film Festival (LA Shorts Fest) July 25 – August 2!

We sat down with the filmmakers right before the festival and asked them to tell us about their experiences.

Escala by Assem Yedgey

NYFA: Tell us about your film.

Assem Yedgey: Escala is about a young girl who must win a music competition in order to ease the financial burden on her single father, but her instructor’s obsession with her turns this dream into a dangerous game of cat and mouse. The film takes place in Los Angeles.

NYFA: What is the most important thing you learned in making this film? Good or bad?

AY: I learned that there is nothing that cannot be achieved and that you should always follow your heart. I decided that I wanted to have a 100% female crew to create opportunities for women. Throughout my pre-production almost everyone I know was telling me that it was a bad idea and that I wouldn’t be able to handle it, that I was severely limiting my choices in terms of crew.

All I can say is that I have never before worked in a better environment. I am very grateful that I had an amazing producer by my side – Yulia Safonova. She supported me immensely, and when I was about to give up on my idea of having an all-female crew, she would say, “We can do this.” And we did it. Our crew were united and all of us wanted the best for Escala. I learnt that the most important thing is to listen what people are suggesting, but not always follow, instead to rather feel what is the best for the film.

NYFA: What are you looking forward to at your screening at LA Shorts Fest?

AY: I haven’t premiered my movie anywhere. LA Shorts Fest will be the official premiere, so this is an exciting new experience for me. I am thrilled to watch it with an audience and observe them and explore their reactions. This is my first festival and it is one of the most prestigious festivals; it is like a dream came true. I’m so grateful that I will be able to share my story with so many people and hopefully they will get something out of it.

NYFA: Anything else you would like us to know?

AY: I want to say that without collaboration and the hard work of my cast and crew, Escala wouldn’t have been made. A huge thank you to everybody involved.

Escala screens Saturday, July 28, at 9:55 pm at the Noho Laemmle Playhouse.

assem

Hind’s Case by Dina Naji

NYFA: Tell us about your film.

Dina Naji: My film Hind’s Case was inspired by true events. I wanted to shine a light on one case in particular that happened in 2015 in a woman’s housing shelter in Saudi Arabia. The story follows Hind (20), who at a young age witnessed her father kill and bury her mother, then went on to suffer years of abuse at his hands. When Hind escapes from her abusive home, she gets sent to live in a housing shelter. While there, Hind makes the first friends she’s ever had, and enjoys the freedom away from her father. However, when the manager of the housing shelter informs Hind that her father has requested to take her home, Hind decides to take matters into her own hands and gets sent to the solitary confinement room in order to join her mother in heaven, as she can’t stand the thought of living with her father again.

NYFA: What is the most important thing you learned in making this film? Good or bad?

DN: The process of making Hind’s Case with a fantastic cast and crew was amazing. As a director, I learned that if you want to make a film, you should have a cast and crew that are passionate about the story you want to tell and want to bring a story alive.

NYFA: What are you looking forward to at your screening at LA Shorts Fest?

DN: I am very thrilled to have my film screen for the first time in LA Shorts Fest, and it is a huge opportunity to show my film to many people who are coming from different backgrounds and cultures. It’s a dream come true.

NYFA: Anything else you would like us to know?

DN: I would like to thank all the crew, cast, and my teachers, especially Scott Hartmann and Tamera Daugherty-Martin, for all the support. And I want to thank the New York Film Academy for this opportunity.

Hind’s Case screens Friday, July 27, at 5:30 pm at the Noho Laemmle Playhouse.

Love in Canton by Zixian (Season) Ouyang

NYFA: Tell us about your film.

Season Ouyang: The movie is about an old woman accepting her husband’s death on her way to his funeral in Canton.

NYFA: What is the most important thing you learned in making this film? Good or bad?

SO: I think I improved my directing skills, and it gave me more good ideas about how to direct a good musical film.

NYFA: What are you looking forward to at your screening at LA Shorts Fest?

SO: I am looking forward to more audiences seeing and enjoying my movie in this screening. I want people to know me!

NYFA: Anything else you would like us to know?

SO: I want you guys to know my dream is to make Cantonese film be great again in the world!

Love in Canton is an official selection of the festival’s New Wave Chinese Filmmakers opening night program. It screens Wednesday, July 25, 2018 at 4 pm downtown at Regal LA Live.

Congratulations to Assem, Dina, and Season! For more information on the LA Shorts Fest, and to purchase tickets, please visit http://lashortsfest.com/

TIME MAGAZINE COVER FEATURES A COMPOSITE IMAGE CREATED BY NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY PHOTOGRAPHY INSTRUCTOR NANCY BURSON

Legendary photographer and New York Film Academy (NYFA) faculty member Nancy Burson’s thought-provoking image is the current cover of Time magazine.

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Renowned for her pioneering work in morphing technologies, Burson’s current Time magazine cover is an arresting portrait that combines the faces of two of the world’s most powerful leaders: U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. To create the composite, Burson partnered with NYFA alum and digital editor John Depew. In the image, the men’s faces are digitally combined to create a single arresting portrait, providing a startling visual representation of a significant moment in world affairs following the recent meeting of the two leaders in Helsinki.

The story behind TIME's Trump and Putin 'Summit Crisis' cover https://t.co/RjtA0amw04 pic.twitter.com/ZwS8XN9Wyf
— TIME (@TIME) July 19, 2018

“We at the New York Film Academy’s Photography School could not be more honored to see our colleague’s work featured on the cover of Time magazine,” says NYFA Photography Chair David Mager. “Nancy is an exceptional artist whose profound work, and its cultural impact, speaks for itself — as it has for decades. This image speaks to a critical moment in world affairs and demonstrates the power of visual arts in society to provoke thought, open dialogue, and express the times. We are truly proud to count her among our faculty and offer our students opportunities to learn from a master of her craft.”

In addition to her riveting Time cover, Burson’s work was recently also singled out by Time magazine in its list of 100 Photographs: The Most Influential Images of All Time.

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Burson is a legend in her field, perhaps best known for her cutting-edge morphing technologies. Burson’s work has been featured on Oprah, Good Morning America, CNN, National Public Radio, PBS, and Fuji TV News, as well as countless local TV segments in the USA, Canada, and Europe; and discussed in The New York Times, The Baltimore Sun, The Houston Chronicle, and Scientific American Magazine, to name a few. There are four monographs of her work and reproductions of it appear in hundreds of art catalogs and textbooks on the history of photography, published in all languages. Burson’s fine art photography is available through ClampArt Gallery in NYC. Her website can be viewed here.

The New York Film Academy congratulates Nancy Burson and John Depew for their remarkable work on the cover of Time magazine.

You can read a full Q&A with Nancy on our blog.