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New York Film Academy (NYFA) Alum Zhuo Tan in Chinese Box Office Smash

Zhuo Tan, an alum of New York Film Academy’s Acting for Film Workshop, recently co-starred in the Chinese film, Dying to Survive. The comedy-drama is making headlines across China and the global filmmaking industry as one of the most successful films in the history of Chinese cinema.

In May 2015, Zhuo Tan attended the New York Film Academy’s 4-Week Acting for Film workshop in Los Angeles, California. Dying to Survive isn’t Tan’s first role in a prominent film — she has also starred in the well-received films Wrath of Silence and Hello! Mr. Tree. She also appeared in Spring Fever, which won awards both at the Golden Horse and Cannes Film Festivals.

In Dying to Survive, Tan plays a single mother. The comedy-drama is based on a true story, about a leukemia patient named Lu Yong who smuggled illegal medicine into China to help over a thousand other cancer patients. The film was directed by Wen Muye, who co-wrote the screenplay with Han Jianü and Zhong Wei. It was produced by Ning Hao and the movie’s star, Xu Zheng. Also starring in Dying to Survive are Zhou Yiwei, Wang Chuanjun, and Zhang Yu.

https://youtu.be/UNl_kIW0Xjw

Dying to Survive was an immediate hit with audiences, grossing nearly $50 million on its opening day alone, including preview screenings. In its opening weekend, it nearly quadrupled its take with just shy of $200 million in receipts, the fourth biggest opening weekend in China ever. As of this writing, its box office intake is $367 million, numbers tough for any film — even in Hollywood — to amass.

The film has also been received well critically, with one reviewer saying it “might be China’s best movie of the year,” and who also credits Dying to Survive for “tackling difficult social issues.” This latter trend is growing — and paying off — for Chinese cinema, which has been around nearly as long as the medium of film itself, but of late has been coming into its own as part of both the global market and cultural landscape.

China’s influence and importance to the cinematic arts is exactly why the New York Film Academy (NYFA) has established a presence there, having offered local workshops in Shanghai and Beijing. This summer, NYFA is hosting two workshops in the capital city. A 4-Week Filmmaking Workshop is currently in session this July, and another 1-Week Workshop will commence later in the summer.

The Beijing workshops not only provide state-of-the-art equipment and instruction from experienced, working filmmakers from around the world, but allow students from many diverse backgrounds to work together to craft their art. With the backdrop of the rich cultural heritage offered by Beijing, these students can learn the techniques of filmmaking in a collaborative environment, and share and gain new perspectives from one another to tell their own stories.

The Beijing workshops can also serve as stepping stones for these students in their journey as filmmakers, including to longer, more intensive programs at New York Film Academy’s other campuses, including Los Angeles. At the Los Angeles campus, where Zhuo Tan studied acting, students receive their education in the heart of Hollywood and can even hone their craft on the world-famous Universal Studios backlot.

The New York Film Academy congratulates alumna Zhuo Tan on her latest role and looks forward to seeing her future successes! If you are interested in attending the New York Film Academy, you can find more information here.
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EMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS RECOGNIZE INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENTS OF NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY COMMUNITY

In a history-making year, the New York Film Academy is exceedingly proud of our alumni, guest speakers, and faculty members whose work has been represented in this year’s list of Emmy Award nominations.

The 2018 Emmy Award nominations have placed industry diversity in the spotlight and seen an end to HBO’s 18-year reign as the most-nominated network, with Netflix taking the lead at 112 total nominations.

With so many significant milestones in this year’s Emmy Awards race, NYFA is honored to congratulate our nominated community members for their outstanding work:

Barry (HBO)

https://youtu.be/b09aJdWqVp4

NYFA alum Bill Hader picked up five Emmy nominations, both for his work on the comedy-drama Barry and his return to Saturday Night Live. Hader is nominated for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Barry and Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for appearances on Saturday Night Live. Barry, which Hader co-created, directed, wrote, executive produced, and starred in, is nominated for the Comedy Series category.

Hollywood legend and NYFA Guest Speaker Henry Winkler is also nominated for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his work in Barry.

Insecure (HBO)

NYFA alum Issa Rae received her first (and much-deserved!) Emmy nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her portrayal of the protagonist in the boundary-breaking Insecure. Rae not only stars in the smash-hit series, but also serves as the creator and writer.

Stranger Things (Netflix)

The critically-acclaimed, fan-favorite Netflix series Stranger Things is nominated for an Emmy in the Drama Series category.

The series previously won a SAG award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, for a cast that includes NYFA Master Class Lecturer and Member of the Board Matthew Modine as the enigmatic Dr. Martin Brenner. NYFA alum Matty Cardarople also appeared in a featured role in Season 2, as Keith, the arcade guy.

The Tale (HBO)

Sundance favorite The Tale is nominated for an Emmy in the Television Movie category. NYFA Filmmaking instructor Debbie de Villa served as production designer for the feature film. The Tale star Laura Dern also received an Emmy nomination for her riveting performance in this cinematic memoir of trauma and survival.

NYFA is also celebrating our community members who are nominated in the News & Documentary Emmy Awards race.

Heroin(e), a Netflix-produced documentary edited by New York Film Academy (NYFA) instructor Kristen Nutile, has been nominated for Outstanding Short Documentary. This adds to its rave reviews and other major award nominations, including for the Pulitzer and, earlier this year, for an Academy Award.

Documentary Conservatory grads Illaria Ponseletti served as one of the editors on a piece for VICE News Tonight on HBO that has received two Emmy Award nominations, one for editing, for Libya (or Libya: Intercepting Migrants). The piece is nominated for Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story as well as Outstanding Editing: News.

And in the Heartland Emmys, NYFA grad Cody Broadway has just won his second and third Emmy Awards, for the Storyteller and Photographer/Editor categories.

See the full list of Emmy nominations at Hollywood Reporter. Congratulations to our Emmy-nominated NYFA community members!

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Alum and Siblings Star Off-Broadway

This June, New York Film Academy (NYFA) alumni Jameelah Rose Lineses and Joseph Lineses starred together in Mindanao: The Legend of Tabunaway, Mamalu and Their Descendants at the La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. In addition to both being graduates of the New York Film Academy, Jameelah Rose and Joseph are sister and brother.

Jameelah Rose Lineses and Joseph Lineses
Joseph Lineses and Jameelah Rose Lineses

Mindanao: The Legend ran from June 21 – June 24, with both evening and matinee shows. Based on the oral tradition legend of the brothers Tabunaway and Mamalu, Mindanao: The Legend highlights the culture of the indigenous peoples and sultanates of the Southern Philippines. Mindanao: The Legend was written and directed by Potri Ranka Manis, who also devised the show’s concept and choreography.

The production supports Kinding Sindaw Melayu Heritage, a dance ensemble founded in 1992 and devoted to preserving and educating people about the rich, vibrant culture of the Philippines. In addition to the production and additional shows and benefits, Kinding Sindaw also offers workshops and classes in Filipino dances. Its Executive Director is Potri Ranka Manis.

Jameelah Rose and Joseph Lineses have been members of Kinding Sindaw for over eight months. Jameelah first attended New York Film Academy in June 2011, taking the 8-Week Filmmaking Workshop. Two months later, she enrolled in the 1-Year Filmmaking program at the New York City campus, where she was given hands-on training with state-of-the-art film equipment, and taught the skills necessary for pre-production through post-production.

Since graduating, Jameelah has made multiple films, including Historic Jeddah, Our Journey to Hijaz, and The Lifestyles of Expats in Jeddah. These films have been screened in many festivals, and Jameelah has accumulated several awards for her efforts, including the IFFM Film Festival Director Louie Award Honorable Mention. In addition to her work as a filmmaker, and as a dancer and actress for Kinding Sindaw, she is also part of the media and marketing team for the nonprofit organization.

Jameelah Rose Lineses
Jameelah Rose Lineses

Her brother, Joseph Lineses, attended New York Film Academy’s 4-Week Photography program in New York City. Joseph was born in Quezon City in the Philippines, but like his sister Jameelah, he was raised in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Portraying Mindanao: The Legend was very important to him because of his deep interest in his ancestors and the culture of the Southern Philippines.

The New York Film Academy congratulates both Jameelah Rose and Joseph Lineses on their successful run of Mindanao: The Legend of Tabunaway, Mamalu and Their Descendants, and looks forward to the continued works produced by Kinding Sindaw. 

Five New York Film Academy Los Angeles Students Selected as Finalists in LA Live Score Film Festival

Whether a director is choosing a song to play in an onscreen location or adding a composed score to the soundtrack to punctuate an emotion, music is a key element for a successful film.

This May, the Film Festival Department of the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles selected five student and alumni filmmakers to participate in the 2018 Los Angeles Live Score Film Festival. For this unique event, each filmmaker was matched with a professional composer from The Academy of Scoring Arts who then wrote their score. Several filmmakers also worked with post-production sound professor Huch Platt to enhance their sound design. This Saturday, July 21, 2018, the films will be screened for the first time before a live audience while the orchestra Helix Collective plays the new music.

We caught up with the filmmakers as they looked forward to the event and asked them about their experiences.

Nicolas Varela

Film: Aphrodite

Composer: Drum & Lace

Logline: A frustrated career in singing drives Aphrodite to pay with her own flesh and identity for an uncertain opportunity in the industry.

What has it been like to work with your composer?

Working with Sofia has been such an amazing experience. I think the directors of the festival made a really good match by putting us together. She really understands my visuals and knows how to translate that in music. We are really communicative with each other, and we are always working for feedback. Beyond the festival, Sofia and I are creating an artistic relationship of mutual support and networking. 

What have you learned in this process? 

I learned how important music is. Film is born when music and motion picture meet each other. My film is more powerful than before just because the music is able to highlight emotions and thoughts in an underneath level. Music is not explicit, music works through sensations. 

What are you specifically looking forward to in the live screening?  

I hope the orchestra can make justice of Sofia’s work and that the people in the audience can just enjoy this very unique experience of watching a movie with an orchestra playing live. 

What was it like working on your sound design?

Huch is such an amazing professional and teacher. I never had classes with him, but when we worked together he was teaching me a lot in the process. Sound design is really underrated among amateur filmmakers. After working with Huch, I realized the big difference a good sound design makes to your film. Sound design is atmosphere, it’s mood, it’s subtle but very important. 

 

Lanyue Zhang

Film: Arrow and Oil

Composer: George Oldziey

Logline: Around 1010 A.D. during the Northern Song Dynasty, Chen YaoZi, a civil officer from the imperial court with superb archery skills starts questioning the relationship between his archery and his work after he meets an old oil seller.

What has it been like to work with your composer?

We did a spotting session at our first meeting, and I gave George some references. He did two versions of music, then my co-director (Majik Jingwei Zhou) and I gave him some notes. He changed some parts, and although we had some different ideas, we accepted each other idea in the end.

What have you learned in this process? 

We learned how to communicate with our composer. To make sure our composer can get our story, we let him watch our film and talk about his first idea, then we explained our story and the metaphor in our film. I learned communication is very important in this process. On the other hand, because this is a festival event, we didn’t hire him as our composer. Our collaboration is not like the normal process between director and composer, so we gave George more freedom to do the music.

What are you specifically looking forward to in the live screening?  

We are looking forward to bringing our crew to the festival, and also we are looking forward to the live performances.

 

Vicken Joulfayan

Film: Liminal

Composer: Shaun Chasin

Logline: Nadim tries to escape his own reality but soon realizes that he is being forced to confront it more than ever.

What has it been like to work with your composer?

I was not sure in the beginning how the composer would approach my movie after explaining the mood and what genre of music is needed. Then he sent me a first rough and it was way too different from what I wanted. We spoke about it in more detail, and I gave him a deeper explanation of each part. He blew my mind with the updated version.

What have you learned in this process? 

I learned to wait and let the composer do his thing, and start tweaking from there, because I did not expect the music to be what it is now, and I love it. That was mainly the composer’s personal touch on the film after understanding the beats of the story.

What are you specifically looking forward to in the live screening?  

Actually watching the movie and seeing the live orchestra play the music in front of us is the most exciting part for me!

Victoria Gagieva

Film: Niara

Composer: Steph Kowal

Logline: A lonely child soldier trapped in the horror of an African militant group experiences a simple act of humanity from a person she is about to condemn to death.

What has it been like to work with your composer?

Working with Steph has been great! We met once in person to watch the film together and discuss/dissect it to find a strategy and approach for the music. We were talking about characters, their situations and intentions and also discussing examples of best practices from different films. It was so productive that the first try was exactly what “Niara” needed music-wise.

What have you learned in this process? 

The whole experience taught me to be prepared thoroughly for such conversations. I had characters’ back stories ready for Steph, I could explain and reason about the story, ideas and intentions. I was also very open to what she as a professional was bringing to the table, and overall, our collaboration turned out to be perfect.

What are you specifically looking forward to in the live screening?  

This will be my first festival experience, so I’m excited about it and open to it. 

What was it like working on your sound design?

This was my first time working with a professional sound mixer, and that was extremely interesting and useful. Besides working on the film, Huch explained lots of nuances and practices for future projects. How you organize the tracks for the sound mixer, deliver elements. He was very impressed with my work on the sound design and basically he went off of it. He didn’t have to do any sound design. He just had to mix it and level everything up, distinguish dialogue from the background, things like that. We did two sessions of a couple of hours each.

Oliver Weinmann

Film: The Pill

Composer: Jonathan Keith

Logline: A dark comedy about a woman who is trapped in a relationship, and the only way she is able to go on is by taking a pill.

What has it been like to work with your composer?

Being able to work with Jonathan has been an incredible experience. We are both so passionate about the craft of filmmaking. Yet we view films so differently. I focus on the picture whereas Jonathan follows the film by the music and sounds. When I was able to rewatch the film I made with the soundtrack Jonathan created, it evoked emotions that I could not have created with imagery. 

What have you learned in this process? 

I have learned to take more of a backseat. As a director, it is easy to over-direct. After meeting Jonathan and talking to him about the vision of my film, I knew that I had to let go of the reigns and let him do what he is best at doing. 

What are you looking forward to in the live screening?  

I look forward to an evening filled with music, storytelling, and the people who put it all together. 

 

We could not have put it better ourselves, and we wish the best of luck to all the filmmakers!

 

The New York Film Academy community is invited to attend the LA Live Score Film Festival this Saturday, July 21, 2018, from 6-10 pm at Barnsdall Art Park. To purchase tickets, please follow this link and use promo code FilmScoresRock to receive a discount.

5 EMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS FOR NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY ALUM BILL HADER

New York Film Academy alum Bill Hader picked up an impressive five Emmy nominations for his work on the comedy-drama Barry and his return to Saturday Night Live.

Barry, HBO’s dark comedy, recently wrapped up its first season. The former SNL cast member co-created, directed, wrote, executive produced, and starred in the eight-episode first season. In it, Hader plays a conflicted hitman who discovers a love for acting and decides to move to Los Angeles.

Hader is nominated for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Barry and Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his appearances on Saturday Night Live. Barry is nominated for the Comedy Series category. Hollywood legend Henry Winkler is also nominated for his work in Barry, for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

Of the show’s nominations, Hader told Entertainment Weekly, “It’s a weird concept, so it’s cool that people are on board.”

For Barry, Hader was tasked with playing a mid-level midwestern hitman who decides to move to Los Angeles and become an actor. This led to the unique dilemma of needing to act well in some scenes, and poorly (on purpose) in others. He told IndieWire, “For bad acting, watching reenactments in true crime shows was helpful … I would watch those and imagine, ‘OK, they’re doing too much with their hands,’ or ‘they’re locked onto somebody,’ or ‘everything is overly thought out.’”

Alongside Hader, Barry stars veteran actors Stephen Root (No Country for Old Men, Office Space), Sarah Goldberg (Hindsight, The Dark Knight Rises), and NYFA guest speaker Henry Winkler (Happy Days, Arrested Development).

Critically acclaimed from the start, Barry’s debut season boasts a 98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and an 83 rating on Metacritic, which the site considers “universal acclaim.” Washington Post’s Hank Stuever said of the first season, “From start to finish, it’s just one hell of a show.” The show has already been renewed for season 2 and Hader has said it will be “somehow darker.”

Screencap from HBO’s Barry

The Tulsa, Oklahoma native studied Filmmaking at NYFA in 1996, just four years after the school was founded. He is still arguably most well-known for his 160-episode stint on Saturday Night Live as a repertory player and writer from 2005 to 2013. He has also starred in Tropic Thunder (2008), Paul (2009), The Skeleton Twins (2014) and many other films and television series over the years. Additionally, Hader co-created and stars in Documentary Now! alongside fellow SNL alumni Fred Armisen and Seth Meyers.

See the full list of Emmy nominations at Hollywood Reporter. For more NYFA-related Emmy nomination stories, click here. The New York Film Academy congratulates Bill Hader on his Emmy nominations!

https://youtu.be/b09aJdWqVp4

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

Summer Brings Another New York Film Academy (NYFA) Filmmaking Workshop to Beijing


NYFA Workshop in Beijing 2018On July 8, 2018, New York Film Academy (NYFA) began its eighth hands-on-workshop in Beijing, China. The 4-Week Filmmaking Workshop runs throughout July, and finishes on August 4th.

The classes are being held at the Beijing Film Academy, which, like other film schools in China, is collaborating with the New York Film Academy. NYFA hosts the workshop, providing instructors from both their New York and Los Angeles campuses, who fly out to China and stay for the duration of the course. In addition, a 1-Week Workshop will be offered later in the summer. The instructors include Ben Maraniss, Benjamin David, and Igor Torgeson.

By the end of the 4-Week workshop, each student will have shot three short films. Students are able to learn the various aspects of the filmmaking process, including writing, directing, acting, editing, and lighting a set.NYFA Workshop in Beijing 2018

The students attending the workshop have a diverse, international background, coming from several different countries across the globe. By combining such unique and distinct voices and cultural backgrounds, the students learn the art of filmmaking in a collaborative environment, sharing and gaining knowledge from each other’s perspectives. This allows them to tell fuller, richer stories.

In addition to the cultural experiences brought from their own backgrounds, students benefit from the rich experience of learning in Beijing, China, an ancient, complex city with centuries of history. Chinese cinema has been around nearly as long as the medium itself, and has been rapidly expanding and gaining global significance as each year goes by. By learning in Beijing, students are learning in one of the centers of a major cinematic industry.

Dr. Joy Zhu, New York Film Academy’s Executive Vice President for the China Region, elaborates on this point, saying, “Beijing is a very exciting and important place for storytellers not just from China or America, but from all around the globe to come and learn with the New York Film Academy.”

NYFA Workshop in Beijing 2018New York Film Academy workshops are also a great stepping stone to longer and more intensive programs, including One Year Conservatories in Filmmaking, Acting, Producing, and several other disciplines. Many students who have attended NYFA workshops in China in the past followed up with other courses, including in NYFA’s New York and Los Angeles campuses.

Whether as a step in a longer, worldly journey of discovery in the filmmaking arts, or as a singular lifetime experience, students studying at NYFA’s workshops in Beijing no doubt come away with memories and an adventure they will never forget.

If you are interested in studying with the New York Film Academy in Beijing, you can find more information here.

Summer Post-Production, Dateline NBC, and NBC News With New York Film Academy Broadcast Journalism School

In the previous update, you got to see the New York Film Academy (NYFA) Broadcast Journalism summer students out in the field shooting … but following “production,” there is “post-production.”
After screening and logging your footage, you have to write a script (which is sometimes a collaborative experience). If you look carefully, that’s Olivia Newton-John on the poster for the movie Grease, peeking through the window … No, she didn’t participate in the script writing.
Once your script is approved (perhaps by instructor Lexi Philips), it’s time to record your voiceover.
But audio tracks do not magically record themselves, so your classmates monitor your delivery of the script and make sure it gets organized into digital files.
Then all you have to do is edit the story … and re-edit the story … and re-edit the story … and re-edit the story, making sure sure you make deadline to submit it. (What could possibly go wrong?)
If you work hard, you’ll have the skills that will make you competitive in an always challenging job market. Traditionally that meant going to a small-market TV station to prove you “got what it takes.” That’s exactly what NYFA Broadcast Journalism grad Linda Zhang did. She went to Monterey, California and, as her Reporter Reel demonstrates, she got a chance to “do it all”: live shots, news packages, live inserts from a control room studio. And how well did she do all these things? Obviously very well, as she has been hired as an Associate Producer on the Los Angeles unit of Dateline NBC.
Congratulations, Linda!
By the way, Linda joins fellow NYFA grad Sergei Ivonin at NBC. Sergei was a multimedia journalist at Dateline, then moved on to become a producer of long-form and live NBC News programs. His stories run the gamut from confronting Russian President Vladimir Putin, to pop music superstar Ed Sheeran’s admission: “I am insecure.” 
Fabulous, Sergei!

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY ACTING FOR FILM ALUM HANNAH QUINLIVAN TAKES ON THE ROCK IN SKYSCRAPER

Summer is the time for epic, action-packed blockbusters, and they’re all the better when starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson — alongside New York Film Academy alum Hannah Quinlivan.

Already a household name in her native Taiwan, the NYFA Acting for Film alum and model is poised for international stardom with the release of Universal Pictures’ blistering action feature, Skyscraper.

In Skyscraper, The Rock is a security advisor who must rescue his family from a burning skyscraper. As if a super high rise in flames isn’t obstacle enough, the hero and his family must also battle thieves and terrorists, including Quinlivan’s ice-cold assassin, Xia.

Along with her own prolific modeling and acting work, Quinlivan is no stranger to the spotlight following her 2015 marriage to Taiwanese superstar Jay Chou. The pair have two children. Impressively, Quinlivan auditioned for her role in Skyscraper only three days after delivering her second child via C-section, while confined to a wheelchair.

Quinlivan has previously appeared in a slew of international hits, including The Shanghai Job and Moon River.

Quinlivan told The New Paper that she trained in boxing and Chinese gongfu to prepare for her arduous fight scenes, which include a claustrophobic car battle with co-star Neve Campbell.

“It was really fun playing [Xia] because you won’t be a villain in real life,” Quinlivan said, “so it’s a very good experience being a bad-ass.”

The film is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s third major action offering of the summer, coming close on the heels of Rampage, which co-starred NYFA alum and motion capture actor Jason Liles, and Jumanji, produced by NYFA Guest Speaker Ted Field.

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

Eurasia International Film Festival (EIFF) Welcomes the New York Film Academy

The New York Film Academy (NYFA) was honored to participate in the Eurasia International Film Festival this July in Astana, Kazakhstan, as a VIP guest on the red carpet and beyond.

Established in 1998 and accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers (FIAPF), the Eurasia International Film Festival is Central Asia’s most prestigious film forum. The event focuses on fostering and celebrating collaborations between European and Asian film industries, all while supporting Kazakhstan’s current and future filmmakers.

As a distinguished guest, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships Jim Miller represented NYFA in the prestigious event’s competitive Project Market program, as well as heading the PitchFest jury.

To support the development of new works, Eurasia International Film Festival’s Project Market offers filmmakers, producers, distributors, and production companies an opportunity to form partnerships, shop films, and do business. This year’s Project Market was a smashing success, connecting filmmakers with diverse international institutions including Syndicado (Canada), Film Republic (Great Britain), Alpha Violet (France), Filmotor (Czech Republic), Juben Pictures (China), IRIB MEDIA TRADE (Iran), Festagent (Russia); and Kazakh film companies Kazakhfilm, Sataifilm, Nurtas Production, Bissembin Film and MG Production, for presentations, panels, master classes, and more,

A crowning jewel of 2018’s Project Market was the PitchFest competition. Out of 31 project submissions, 10 films from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan were selected to compete for four top prizes. The most sought-after prize? Two full tuition scholarships to the New York Film Academy.

NYFA Vice President of Strategic Partnerships Jim Miller spearheaded the PitchFest jury, working alongside premiere filmmakers, writers, directors, film critics, editors, journalists, documentarians, distribution executives, and producers. These industry experts hailed from the film industries of Kazakhstan, Russia, Singapore, Israel, and the U.S. Together, they selected four winners, with the two grand prize winners receiving scholarships to the New York Film Academy’s New York and Los Angeles campuses.

The NYFA scholarships were awarded to Kazakh filmmaker Amir Amenov (Ystyk kun, salkyn sira/Hot Nights, Cold Beer), and Kyrgyz filmmaker Dalmira Tilepbergen (Lonely Pine).

Celebrities from around the world, including César Award-winning actor Vincent Cassel (France) and two-time Palme d’Or-winning director Emir Kusturica (Serbia), attended the Eurasia International Film Festival’s climactic red carpet event and award ceremony, along with many special VIP guests. The award ceremony featured world-class performances for an enthusiastic audience of over 5,000.

The New York Film Academy thanks the Eurasia International Film Festival, and its President Aiman Massakhajayeva, for the honor of participating.

Massakhajayeva is the National Artist of the Republic of Kazakhstan, an honorary UNESCO Artist of Peace, and the Rector of Kazakh National University of Arts (KazNUA) — with whom NYFA recently established a partnership. This fall, the NYFA Los Angeles campus will welcome six KazNUA students through this cooperative agreement.