New York Film Academy MFA Screenwriting alum Dhruv Singh will star in upcoming CBS pilot Pandas in New York with Ashley Tisdale.
Dhruv Singh via his website http://www.dhruvudaysingh.com.
Directed by Big Bang Theory’s DGA Award-nominated Mark Cendrowski, Pandas in New York centers on an empathetic young doctor, Rishi, and his loving if slightly overbearing Indian family — all fellow doctors who run a family practice in Manhattan and just want what they think is best for Rishi.
NYFA alum Dhruv Singh portrays the series lead, who returns from a year with Doctors Without Borders in Cambodia and decides to pursue his passion for social justice by practicing medicine at a free clinic — a choice which he is trying to hide from his family. Ashley Tisdale plays opposite Singh as the tough but fair-minded clinic director, Maya — and rumor has it that sparks will fly between the two characters.
According to Deadline, the series will also feature Nisha Munshi, Hina Abdullah, Dan O’Brien, Bernard White and Gita Reddy.
Along with his training in the MFA Screenwriting program at the NYFA Los Angeles campus, Mumbai native Dhruv Singh has honed his comedy chops at the legendary improv studio UCB. An alumni of the CBS Diversity Showcase 2015, Singh has 22 acting credits to his name, including Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Adam Ruins Everything. He has performed in theABC Talent Showcase; at UCB Maude night and with Queen George on Harold Night; and withThe Groundlings Sunday Company.
Congratulations, Dhruv! The New York Film Academy looks forward to catching Pandas in New York on CBS.
New York Film Academy would like to congratulate another class of graduating students.
The end of a program is always a bittersweet time, as our students and instructors develop a strong bond over the many intense hours spent learning, practicing, and crafting projects, but before the winter class of 2018 walked across the graduation stage to accept their diplomas, the New York Film Academy celebrated all the graduates’ work with a series of final pres
entations. The day before graduation, all students were given an opportunity to show off their work for family, friends, and entertainment professionals. Filmmaking, Documentary, Acting for Film and Cinematography students held their final screenings at the Riverside Theater and on the Warner Brothers Studios backlot. Photography students had their work displayed in galleries throughout Los Angeles. Game Design students held a game night where anyone in the school could play their games. Writing and Producing students had evenings where they could pitch their projects to industry professionals.
The winter 2018 graduation ceremony was held at the Harmony Gold Theatre in Hollywood. The graduating class of 2018 was so large the ceremony had to be broken into two parts. Both ceremonies were standing room only. Families and friends came from all over the world.
In his graduation speech, NYFA Instructor Mike Civille asked the students to think of their education as a gift. He said, “You come from places near and far. You have treated each other and your instructors to your fascinating stories. In this process, you have joined the great filmmakers who have also spoken to audiences about what was important to them. You have learned a new universal language. It’s young, only 100 years old. It crosses both political and cultural borders. This was the gift of the Lumiere brothers and it has traveled all the way to you. Use it wisely to tell your story.”
The New York Film Academy would like to congratulate all of the incredible students who have completed their training here. We look forward to watching your films, playing your games, seeing your photographs, and celebrating your creative endeavors for years to come. Congratulations.
New York Film Academy South Beach screened the 2016 drama Hidden Figures this March as part of a month-long event series for Women’s History Month.
Hidden Figures was based on the book of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly about three black female mathematicians who worked at NASA. The film stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe as mathematicians Katherine Goble Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, respectively. The release of the film came on the heels of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy in 2016, and its critical and commercial success proved that the stories of women of color have been waiting to be told for decades.
NYFA South Beach Chair of Filmmaking Maylen Dominguez said of the decision to screen this particular film: “These untold stories need to be told. They are part of our history that will disappear if we don’t share them now.” The Filmmaking Chair also served as moderator of the Q&A, which took place after the screening. The Q&A featured panelists who are working women in film, including:
“As a woman, there is no need to be demure or diminutive about your skills,” said Maha McCain, who is an acting instructor at University of Miami. She explained that women are often expected to be more passive, but that they shouldn’t be ashamed to proudly showcase their talent.
Maylen Dominguez thoughtfully illustrated why it benefits women and men to be more inclusive in casting and hiring: “You’re helping showcase a full picture of humanity. That’s why we’re in film!”
Filmmaker Rhonda Mitrani added, “Don’t take things personally.”
Toward the end of the discussion, one of the students raised her hand to say, “Thank you so much for having this kind of discussion. I am about to graduate and I feel hopeful.”
A male student added, “We want you to know we heard you and our generation is working hard to change how things are.”
The common themes throughout were to “never give up, support each other, and do not let your voice be stifled. The industry panelists also repeated the idea that it is always important to allow a variety of different voices to be heard, as evidenced by Hidden Figures.
For a complete look at all of NYFA’s events during Women’s History Month, check out our blog piece here.
The New York Film Academy recently hosted screenings, a Q&A, and panel presented by the Hip Hop Film Festival and 247films.tv. The event at NYFA’s Battery Park theatre was entitled “WeWatch: Femme Fatale Edition” and was presented as part of a series of Women’s History Month events hosted by NYFA. The hip-hop-focused festival is based in Harlem, and was founded in 2015. The third annual festival will take place this year from August 2-5 in Harlem.
The WeWatch event began with food and drinks presented by Revive Kombucha. Attendees shifted into the theatre for the three-hour screening and Q&A portion of the event. Hip Hop Film Festival founder C R Capers introduced and moderated the event.
After the first screening of comedy web series Shampagne, Capers sat down with series creator and lead actress Melissa Mickens to talk about her process and what served as inspiration. Mickens’ real life experiences of being pigeonholed during auditions spurned her desire to shift focus and pursue a rap career. She also discussed filming on a budget and in Harlem, where she resides.
Next up was Australian filmmaker Bella Ann Townes’ Hip Hop & Holiness,which profiled Matthew “Mystery” Peet, a breakdancer, rapper, and graffiti tagger who also happens to be a pastor at church. Peet discusses his relationship to both hip hop culture and religion and how he does not feel they should be mutually exclusive. Townes won Best Emerging Australian Director for the documentary short at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival in 2017.
Seattle creative Voleak Sip’s short film Floatwas third in the lineup.Sip was unable to attend the event, but she recorded a video explaining how her older brother was the inspiration behind the main character, Rocky, who is a Cambodian hustler still living with his parents. The music was a key element of the film, and sound editor Jono Hillwas on hand to speak to C R about his process. While the film is set in the ’90s, the music was created by present-day producers and musicians who provided a fresh take on the prominent ’90s boombap hip-hop sound.
The event concluded with Jasmine Callis’ powerful documentary short set entirely in North Philly. Stay Black, Baby: The Mixtape is a complex portrait of Black youth rising, Black art glorified, Black voices uncovered, Black struggle acknowledged, and Black empowerment revered. Over the course of 20 compelling minutes, the film shifted seamlessly from motivational to heartbreaking and back again, covering topics from Black pride and resilience to police brutality and misogyny.
Callis, who currently works at New York Film Academy as a video editor and producer, attended the event and discussed her inspirations, including Spike Lee and Philadelphia hip-hop legends The Roots. During the Q&A, Capers raved about Callis’ work, which she said belongs in a museum.
Keep an eye on the Hip Hop Film Festival’s website for upcoming events and details on the 2018 iteration of the festival.
The New York Film Academy (NYFA) Mumbai campus celebrated its approaching second year since opening with a special tour by NYFA Senior Executive Vice President David Klein, who toured four cities in India offering NYFA master classes and interviews with numerous media outlets.
During Klein’s visit to Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Kochi, the executive taught his signature master classes on film direction and storytelling, while also answering questions about New York Film Academy and its Mumbai location for cultural and media institutions, from radio and television to print and in-person events.
“In 2017, we hosted 190 students from India at our Los Angeles and New York campuses,” Klein told Forbes India. “We are sure that there are a lot more students who would want to study at NYFA, but cannot make it to the U.S. for the courses. So we decided to come to them. We go where the demand is.”
Following a successful year of hands-on short-term programs in Filmmaking and Acting for Film for adults, NYFA Mumbai has expanded its academic programs to offer workshops for teens in film, acting, and photography.
David Klein told Indiantelevision.com, “The New York Film Academy is very excited to be in India. There is immense creative talent amongst the youth. We look forward to working with bright and creative young minds and fostering their talents in the new-age, digital world. The media and entertainment landscape is rapidly evolving and calls for several new skill sets which we are well placed to teach.”
As those who have taken a workshop with NYFA know, the workload is considered intensive, meaning students must be prepared to live and breathe the program during their enrollment. The success of this model of education is evidenced by NYFA Mumbai’s alumni — including Warina Hussain, the leading lady of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s Loverati.
Yet of all Klein’s teaching and interviews throughout his time in India, perhaps the most important message he offered to aspiring Indian visual and performing artists is this, from his interview in FilmCompanion:
“If you have any thoughts that you want to do it, reach out to us, is what I would say to any student. Just by communicating with us doesn’t mean you’re making a commitment to do it. I don’t want anybody to just jump in without properly thinking about it and planning it. If you think this is something you want to do, don’t wait. People are scared sometimes to say ‘I am going to go into the film industry’. Here’s the thing, you don’t have to make a three year commitment. Start small! Do a workshop and then when you love it, decide to go on.”
Special thanks to the many Indian media outlets and collaborators for their interviews and coverage of David Klein’s visit, including:
Radio One, Mumbai Choufer, Prahaar – Relax, FilmCampanion, Newshublilve, ETC Bollywood Business, IndianTelevision.com, Indiaeducationdiary.in, Startupsuccessstories.in, The Times of India, New Indian Express, The Hans India, Andhra Jyothi, Telangana Today, Eenadu, Sakshi, Andhra Prabha, Manam, Deshabhimani, Madhyaman, Keralabhooshanam, Varthamanam, Janmabhumi, Future Kerala, Kerala Kaumadi, Keralabhooshanam, Mathrubhumi, Veekshanam, Chadrika, Mangalam, and Suprapradham.
Thankyou @NYFA#Mumbai for having me over to attend Senior Executive VP David Klein’s film making masterclass yesterday. It’s ALWAYS amazing going back to school and learn some more.
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(After LadyBird and now NYFA, teenage me is having a great week you guys) pic.twitter.com/IVd1kElOTp
NYFA Mumbai workshops are held at the Urmi Estate (95 Ganpatrao Kadam Marg, Lower Parel [West] Mumbai, Maharashtra 400 013, India). The Urmi Estate is a modern 41 story skyscraper located in the heart of the city, which is itself the heart of the world’s largest film industry and is the home of Bollywood.
For those interested in studying in Mumbai, please visit http://www.nyfa.edu/mumbai for more information.
As everyone reading this email already knows, this is a challenging time to be a journalist, especially here in the United States. In fact, some have gone so far as to to term the current style of political discussion here as nothing short of “toxic” to democracy. Marketwatchposted a fascinating story last week on one of the unexpected results of the battle over “fake news”: Journalism schools in the United States have seen a noticeable increase in the number of students attending. This growth in enrollment seems to be driven by a sense of duty, as well as a belief that there are a growing number of career opportunities for those studying journalism.
Journalism.co.uk is always a good read. Last week they posted an article on how 45 newspaper writers and editors in Slovakia, in response to their paper being taken over by a local oligarch, started their own “paper” … only this publication is primarily digital, but it still has a physical presence. And instead of outsourcing news coverage — as many sites do — they outsourced the business-side of the enterprise. That way they could devote their time to what they know best — journalism. Fascinating story…
A big thank you to CNBC correspondent Leslie Picker, who was kind enough to take time out her busy schedule to meet with some of the NYFA Broadcast Journalism students. Her detailed description of her own personal career arc taught our students that the process is never easy, but is full of potential. She also told them “the story behind the story” of an award-winning investigation she reported for CNBC. She’s a great role model, and a fabulous communicator. Thanks, Leslie!
CNBC Correspondent Leslie Picker visits the New York Film Academy.
NYFA Broadcast Journalism graduate Nicole Cross admitted mixed feelings last Wednesday, when police in Austin, Texas, apprehended the suspect in a series of bombings. The suspect chose to blow himself up, rather than be captured. Nicole reports for KVUE in Austin, and has been following the story (along with her colleagues) from the start. And while the bombings now appear the be over, the story certainly isn’t…
Former NYFA student Daniella Gemignani reported a complex story last week on how agriculture represents one-third of Brazil’s GDP. (I know that thanks to Google translate.) It’s the kind of story that isn’t easy to visualize. It also involves figuring out complicated economic, business and technological concepts. And then there are the cows … another great job, Daniella!
Abiola Jinadu traveled a long way, from Nigeria to New York City, so she could study at NYFA. Smart, inquisitive, hardworking, and personable, she has a lot going for her. She writes, via LinkedIn:
The Broadcast Journalism Update will be on hiatus of the next two weeks. It is Spring Break at NYFA, and I am using it as an opportunity to travel to Vietnam for a feature film project I am consulting on. It is something of an irony that last week I was shoveling snow, and this week I will be looking for places to cool-off. It is the first U.S.-Vietnam-China co-production I have ever participated in, and it promises to be challenging. Any project involving three languages is, by definition, challenging…
New York Film Academy (NYFA) MA Screenwriting alum Rosa Falu-Carrion was the keynote speaker at the seventh annual Luna Fest, hosted by the Burbank Chapter of Zonta International.
Held at the Laemmle Theater in North Hollywood, the festival featured films by women, for women. The powerful stories portrayed in the Luna Fest touched each NYFA staff and faculty member in the audience.
“This film festival is a two-hour slate of films that inspired me like nobody’s business,” NYFA Los Angeles Festivals Advisor and Liaison Crickett Rumley said. “Female friendship isn’t always depicted accurately in the media. These films put female friendship at their center. I’ll absolutely be suggesting that my students, both male and female, check out the film festival next year.”
The Luna Film Festival is just one way in which the local chapter of Zonta International helps female filmmakers. Proceeds from the Luna Film Festival ticket sales help fund the Wings Grant, which helps support women looking to further their education after enduring a hardship.
The Wings Grant was established eight years ago, and this year, Falu-Carrion is the recipient. About the Wings Grant, Zonta Club of Burbank Foundation President Nickie Bonner explained, “We chose to help support the education of older women because there isn’t a lot of financial aid available to them.”
Falu-Carrion shared her story of how the Wings Grant helped to open new possibilities for her at a crossroads in her life. When her husband died, Falu-Carrion wasn’t sure what to do with her life next. The former event planner found solace in watching films.
“I was stuck for a very long time,” Falu-Carrion said. “I thought there was no use for me anymore. I couldn’t find my identity. I just existed. I began watching more and more films. All of a sudden, my imagination was running.”
As Falu-Carrion watched new movies being released, she realized she didn’t see a lot of characters that looked like her.
“My family is originally from Puerto Rico,” she explained. “I’m all kinds of mixed. Plus, I’m a military brat. I have so many different life experiences and cultural differences that I want to include in my storytelling.”
Falu-Carrion began taking online screenwriting classes at NYFA, and then she decided she would need to immerse herself in a full-time graduate program. If she was ever going to achieve her dream of seeing her story on the big screen, she felt she had to “go big or go home.”
NYFA MA Screenwriting alum Rosa Falu-Carrion.
Falu-Carrion credits the “intenese” education she received in the New York Film Academy Los Angeles’ MA Screenwriting program with her success. “I was surprised, at my age, that I had enough brain energy,” she joked.
The intensity of the MA program was a motivator for Falu-Carrion, who said she never backs away from a challenge. Called “Mama Rosa” by her classmates, she was inspired by her instructors and motivated by her classmates.
“I had a wonderful time at NYFA,” she said. “I made some great friends.”
The first graduating MA class at NYFA Los Angeles was small but mighty. “We were tight,” Falu-Carrion recalled. “We helped each other through it.” She boasted that the entire class made sure they graduated as a team. “We left no man behind,” she said.
Falu-Carrion encouraged anyone hesitant about getting into the industry to think of her story.
“I was scared on my first day,” she admitted. “I was 45 years old. I thought, ‘What am I doing with these 20-year-olds?'” Yet, she knew that her perspective was a unique one and it didn’t take long for Falu-Carrion to see the fruits of her labor. At the end of the program, she had a script ready to sell.
“If you feel that you missed your opportunity,” Falu-Carrion said, “That’s when you need to go grab the opportunity.”
The New York Film Academy would like to congratulate Rosa Falu-Carrion on for being selected for the Wing Grant and for her keynote speech at this year’s Luna Fest.
The application for the Wings Grant opens on April 30 and September 30. To learn more about Zonta of Burbank click here.
As the March for Our Lives Movement conducts rallies and students around the country commemorate the 20th anniversary of Columbine with walkouts on April 20, the New York Film Academy (NYFA) Professional Conservatory of Musical Theatre (PCMT)’s will donate all proceeds from its powerful update of the movie musical Camp’s smash hit Here’s Where I Stand to Everytown for Gun Safety, a charity focused on protecting communities from gun violence. The non-profit organization, first founded by concerned mothers, “is a movement of Americans working together to end gun violence and build safer communities,” and has inspired more than 4 million people to “come together to make their own communities safer.”
Students from around the country also joined together March 24 in the first March for Our Lives protest, in at least 50 cities throughout the U.S. On that day, the New York Film Academy (NYFA) Professional Conservatory of Musical Theatre (PCMT) raised its voice in support. PCMT’s powerful update of the movie musical Camp’s smash hit Here’s Where I Standis available for digital download on iTunes (go to iTunes Store, not iTunes Music, and search “PCMT”), Google Play, and Bandcamp.
To download on iTunes, open iTunes Store (not iTunes Music) and search for “PCMT”.
In line with the March for Our Lives rallies and Everytown’s message of community and hope, Here’s Where I Stand offers an empowering message for young people in its lyrics:
In this life we’ve come so far
but we’re only who we are (who we are)
Courage of love (courage of love)
will show us the way (show us the way)
From the time PCMT first conceived the Here’s Where I Stand project in October of 2017 to March For Our Lives’ first rally on March 24, there had been 18 school shootings. New York Film Academy students and faculty alike at PCMT have been inspired by the students around the country who are raising their voices for safety and change.
“Here’s Where I Stand is a powerful song that resonates differently for everyone,” says PCMT Artistic Director Kristy Cates. “It is a song about having the courage to speak your truth and take a stand for what you believe in. As we’ve seen young people around the country respond to the epidemic of gun violence by raising their voices for change, we as musical theatre performers thought this was the perfect way for us to lend our own voices in support this movement.”
The PCMT’s music video is directed by The New York Film Academy’s PCMT was highlighted by Variety as one of the most cutting-edge musical theatre training programs.
To download on iTunes, open iTunes Store (not iTunes Music) and search for “PCMT.” To download PCMT’s Here’s Where I Stand to your Apple or Android devices from Google Play or Bandcamp, click the icons below:
If you experience any difficulties downloading the track on iTunes through your phone app, please try your desktop.
Thank you to the talented students who lent their voices to the song and cause (in alphabetical order):
Alexandra Attardi, Alyssa Carrigan, Cecilie Kiorbye Bertelsen, Clara Colombo, Damaris Olivo, Ekaterina Chigvintseva, Gabriella Malm, Giuliana Deantoni Tanze, Grace Strickland, Hannah Swanson, Helora Danna Santos da Rosa, Jenna Bruce, Lisbeth Celis, Madeline Mancebo, Majeste Pearson, Maria Cavanaugh, Maria Christina Mosquera, Marije Louise Maliepaard, Micaela Haskins, Michael Baccari, Nathaniel Anderson, Nicole Goldstein, Noah Chartrand, Paige Gittelson, Rebecca Keenan, Ruby Locknar, Ryan Curley, Samuel Beard, Sarah Elizabeth Venners.
The Kinjo University in Japan has enjoyed a long partnership with the New York Film Academy (NYFA). The collaboration between the schools allows Kinjo students to spend a few weeks in Los Angeles as they learn advanced hands-on skills in the visual and performing arts.
After just a few days in the New York Film Academy’s program Kinjo students were taken to the Universal Backlot, where they filmed their first projects on the Western and Mexico sets. Students took advantage of the versatility the set provides to complete their class projects.
Universal’s Western Backlot provides a number of settings for students. The exterior is a reproduction of an Old West town, but creep behind the set and it could be a modern-day industrial sight. Travel further onto the set, and it turns into an old town in Mexico.
Charlyne Tsou, the coordinator for NYFA, praised the students’ preparation. “They are incredibly meticulous in designing their story. They only needed a little polish.”
NYFA Instructor Michael Sandoval was equally impressed with his students. He said, “I always love working with the Kinjo students. I found them engaging, dynamic, and respectful. While we needed a translator, I don’t think this got in the way of communication. These students were incredibly sharp and especially warm.”
During their classes, students were given a position on a film crew. Writers, directors, cinematographers, and sound recorders were all trained in their craft. Because of the time restraints of the program, not every student could make their own story, so they worked in four different teams to make four collaborative films.
It’s clear the students were also elated with their experience at New York Film Academy. Runa Yamanouchi, a business student at Kinjo, was surprised that she was able to learn each stage of filmmaking in such a short time, and said, “I learned everything. It was a wonderful experience. I can write and direct a film without a problem now.” Yamanouchi was most excited about the experience she had at the Universal Backlot. “I still can’t believe it happened,” she exclaimed.
Kinjo business student Raina Kobayashi is still processing her time at the Universal Backlot. “Shooting days were really challenging,” she said. “But my crew was really good, plus they all had really positive attitudes. I’m proud of the work we did.”
The two weeks were a positive experience for everyone involved.
“The most rewarding part of working with the Kinjo students was watching them grow through practical exercises in class,” Sandoval confessed. “I was amazed at their level of engagement and ‘go-getter’ attitude. When they picked up on the theory, the look of enlightenment in their eyes was energizing.”
The New York Film Academy would like to thank Kinjo University and the incredible students who took part in the partnership course at New York Film Academy, and the long history of collaboration we have with the Kinjo school. We look forward to your next visit.
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