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NYFA Gold Coast Celebrates January ’17 Screenwriters End of Year Showcase

NYFA Gold Coast was pleased to celebrate with the Class of January 2017 Diploma of Screenwriting students at their End of Year showcase this August. The End of Year Showcase for the graduating diploma students was held in the Southport Campus theatre.

Screenwriting lecturer Rachael Morgan McMurray stated, “The graduating screenwriters’ showcase was a complete success, with Adam and Markus’s’ work brought to brilliant life both by our talented acting students and also on screen.”

As a part of NYFA Australia’s commitment to hands-on education, the end of year showcase offers graduating students an opportunity to share their work with invited guests.

“Family, friends and fellow students delighted in their success,” continued Rachael Morgan McMurray, “Laughing in all the right places and impressed by the quality of their writing. It has been a pleasure to teach both of these writers and see them eagerly taking on feedback and committing to their craft so fully. We wish them well as they head out into this exciting industry.”

Los Angeles Photography Staff and TA’s Gallery Open to NYFA Family

The New York Film Academy is known for bringing in renowned guests and graduating excellent artists. With so many projects in constant development, it is easy to forget to stop and appreciate the final product. The Photography Department has decided to take steps toward honoring TA’s, faculty, and staff work by mounting an exhibit of recent work.

Displayed on the second floor in the Riverside Building at the Los Angeles campus, the photos are images from 21 members of the department. The goal of the project was to open a dialogue to students about the working professionals around them.

The work exhibited spans several themes and genres in photography, from portraiture, landscape, and still life to conceptually focused projects. Kristine Tomaro, the Photography Department’s senior coordinator, exhibited a piece from her BFA Thesis Show, for which she used a 4×5 film camera and hand printed in a color darkroom. The work is an environmental portrait of her grandmother’ home in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

Laura Rossignol, faculty, created a series of portraits in the likeness of Frida Khalo. The work references the brilliant and historic work of the famous painter, while showcasing Rossingnol’s professional use of studio lighting and portraiture.

If you’re in the Los Angeles area, you’re invited to come and see the exhibit while it’s up, and support the NYFA family. See the list of participating artists below. There are links to profiles and websites. Congratulations to our many talented NYFA community members!

List of photographers in exhibition:

Benjamin Simpson

Katerina Stratos

Jenny Sherman

Linda Lewis

NYFA LA Filmmaking Student’s “Daughter of the Lake” Highlighted in Turkey’s “Vatan” News

New York Film Academy AFA Filmmaking student Ozlem Altingoz’s most recent horror film, “Daughter of the Lake,” has received numerous awards at film festivals all around the world, including Best Horror Film and Best Film at Fastidious LA, Best Short Film at the Los Angeles Horror Competiton, and Best Original Story Award at the Los Angeles Film Awards, among others.

Buzz of the film has spread across her hometown of Istanbul, Turkey, where she was highlighted in “Vatan,” a popular Turkish daily newspaper.

“Daughter of the Lake” is about a group of friends who take a trip through the country, hoping to have a nice getaway for the weekend. However, their trip takes a dangerous turn when their tire mysteriously pops on an old stretch of road through the woods. From there, they stumble upon an older man’s home, who just so happens to be holding a deadly secret upstairs.

With some experience in acting and TV in Turkey, Ozlem Altingoz came to NYFA Los Angeles to pursue her professional aspirations of becoming a director and producer.

“NYFA has helped me a lot,” said Altingoz. “The NYFA instructors are really helpful. I’ve always wanted to shoot a horror film, and I was able to achieve my dream here. If you believe in yourself you can make your film great — trust me you can make amazing films.”

Altingoz is now working on her next film, which she says will also be horror film (with a lot of blood).

“I’m so excited to shoot my thesis,” she said. “I believe it is goıg to be another great film, and I’m already searching for locations, actors, and more.”

NYFA at IFP Week: Faculty Panel, Student and Alumni Discounts, and More

The New York Film Academy is proud to be a sponsor of upcoming top industry gathering IFP Week, in Brooklyn from Sept. 17-21. This year, NYFA faculty will be represented on an IFP panel — stay tuned for more details as they come!

“If you can go, go!” said NYFA Documentary Filmmaking Program Chair Andrea Swift.

NYFA Documentary Chair Andrea Swift and Producing Chair Neal Weisman explain that IFP Week is a critical industry gathering — whether you’re a producer, documentary filmmaker, screenwriter, director, or are involved in the industry in any way. It is as important for launching and maintaining careers as Sundance, and people fly in from all over the world to attend. Simply put, IFP Week is one of the most important events in the U.S. film industry.

NYFA is proud to help sponsor it and is very pleased to share that IFP has extended a 20% discount to our alumni with special code: NYFA20.

“IFP’s signature event, IFP Week, has expanded again this year to include numerous public screenings, talks, meet ups, and exhibitions centered on cutting-edge independent content for the big screen, small screen and Internet,” says IFP Deputy Director & Head of Programming Amy Dotson. “From our Filmmaker Magazine Talks, IFP Screen Forward Conference, Direct Access program, VR exhibitions from The Guardian, and more, our guests will have access to some of the most interesting, innovative and outspoken storytellers and leaders working today.”

NYFA Chair of the Producing Department Neal Weisman will represent as moderator of the “Direct Access” panel: “Finding the Sales.” Neal Weisman is an award-winning film and television producer with over 20 years of international experience. Producing credits include “The Politician’s Wife” (BAFTA and International Emmy Awards for Best Drama Serial, Peabody Award), “Seeing Red” (Christopher Award), and “My Kingdom,” which starred Richard Harris in his last leading role. “Let’s Talk About Sex,” a documentary about adolescent sex in America, broadcast on TLC, digital and DVD release through New Video. Vice President, Edward Pressman Film Corporation: Oliver Stone’s “Wall Street” and “Talk Radio,” Barbet Schroeder’s “Reversal of Fortune,” Taviani Brothers’ “Good Morning Babylon,” Fred Schepisi’s “Plenty,” David Byrne’s “True Stories,” David Hare’s “Paris By Night,” Alex Cox’s “Walker,” Charles Burnett’s “To Sleep With Anger,” and Kathryn Bigelow’s “Blue Steel.”

NYFA VR Instructor Caitlin Burns will appear on the IFP Panel “(Virtual) Reality Check: Bringing Filmmakers into the 21st Century.” As a transmedia producer for over 15 years, Ms. Burns has developed storyworlds and sustainable multiplatform strategies for franchises ranging from global blockbuster feature films, award-winning television shows, AAA console games and Virtual Reality. She also works with international brands, and organizations to use new media technologies to reach audiences and create impact. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the Producers Guild of America’s New Media Council and Lead Instructor for 360° Filmmaking and VR Gaming at the New York Film Academy.

IFP Week in Brooklyn, NYC Sept. 17-21, Programming to include (via official website):

Filmmaker Magazine Talks @ BRIC

This year’s IFP Week will kick off on Sunday, September 17th with Filmmaker Magazine Talks @ BRIC. In honor of the 100th issue of the iconic publication, programming will celebrate the creative talents and industry who have filled Filmmaker Magazine’s pages for a quarter of a century. The event will feature Editor-in-Chief Scott Macaulay in talks with 2017 Academy Award-winners Barry Jenkins & Adele Romanski (“Moonlight”), Emmy-nominated director Dee Rees (“Mudbound”), The Safdie Brothers (“Good Time”), Sean Baker (“The Florida Project”) as well as past and 2017 Filmmaker Magazine “25 New Faces of Independent Film.”

IFP Screen Forward Conference @ Made in NY Media Center by IFP

Featuring intimate conversations with some of the most interesting, innovative and outspoken storytellers and leaders today, the program runs Monday, September 18 through Wednesday, September 20 at the Made in NY Media Center by IFP in Dumbo, Brooklyn. Speakers include Cenk Uygur (“The Young Turks”), Julie Klausner (“Difficult People”), Mark Douglas (“The Key of Awesome!”), Anjali Sud (Vimeo CEO), Jenna Wortham (“Still Processing”) and many more!

IFP Direct Access & Meet The Decision Makers @ Made in NY Media Center by IFP

IFP also offers aspiring artists and entrepreneurs – as well as working professionals in the media & tech industry – direct access to top industry leaders through its Meet the Decision Makers and Direct Access tracks.

Meet The Decision Makers

Get face-time with some of the most exciting organizations in indie entertainment today in small group meetings with company representatives from Amazon Studios, A&E, Bleecker Street, Cinetic, First Look Media, Field of Vision, HBO, IFC, Killer Films, POV, Oscilloscope, Sony Pictures Classics, Submarine, Vimeo, and more.

IFP Direct Access

NEW TO IFP WEEK 2017. Join top industry leaders for sage advice and time-saving information on how to launch your narrative feature, doc, serialized content, in intimate, small workshops with accomplished industry leaders whose expertise ranges from finding financing to digital distribution.

NYFA students and alumni are invited to attend the prestigious independent filmmaking event. As part of our partnership, IFP is offering 20% discount to students and alumni. To purchase your ticket(s), go to the website and use the Partner Code.

NYFA Screenwriting Alumnus Jon Mann’s “Wolfville” Selected for National Screen Institute 2017’s Totally Television Program

NYFA Screenwriting alumni and New Brunswick, Canada native Jon Mann was recently accepted along with producing partner Rob Ramsay into the National Screen Institute (NSI) 2017 Totally Television program. Mann’s selected pilot project, “Wolfville,” is set in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, and follows the saga of two old friends who end up on opposing sides of the law.

The NSI Totally Television program is an incubator that trains Canadian filmmaking teams to develop TV pilots into full series, and has been a driving force behind the success of such series as “What Would Sal Do?” (CraveTV), “Less Than Kind” (HBO Canada and Citytv), ‘“da Kink in My Hair” (Global and Showcase) and “Todd & the Book of Pure Evil” (Space, The Comedy Network). Mann was the only filmmaker accepted east of Toronto, Canada.

We had a chance to catch up with the busy screenwriter and hear his take on Totally Television, his time at NYFA, and “Wolfville.”

NYFA: First, can you tell us a little bit about your journey and what brought you to the New York Film Academy?

JM: I always had an honest passion for film and television, but it wasn’t until midway through my undergraduate degree at Acadia University that I realized how big of an impact movies, TV, books — and storytelling in general — had on my life.

When I was humbly offered a spot to study screenwriting through NYFA it was a no-brainer. NYFA gave me the opportunity to master a subject I did not realize I had been studying my entire life.

NYFA: Do you have any favorite NYFA moments from your time as a student?

JM: Of all the things that I experienced during my time with NYFA, the moment that sticks out the most was a teaching moment I had with a member of the screenwriting faculty (who shall remain nameless!) after he reviewed a draft of the feature I was writing for my thesis. It had somehow found its way to him and he gave my advisor a message to pass onto me. It wasn’t positive, and he was completely right. He really put my writing in its place — which without knowing it, I needed to hear at the time. I’ve been a better writer ever since because of him.

NYFA: What inspired your screenplay for “Wolfville”?

JM: My writing/production partner Rob Ramsay and I met as students at Acadia — located in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. We weren’t writing together during our time at Acadia, but it was always an important town and community for us.

I grew up in a small east-coast Canadian town, as did Rob, and we always loved the idea of a small, picturesque, Canadian town dealing with issues that pushed the comfort zone of the community as a whole. We wanted to take the idea of disturbing the comfortable and comforting the disturbed, within the streets of a small town; which a lot of great TV shows have done an incredible job of lately. So those conversations turned into, well, why not in Atlantic Canada?

NYFA: Can you tell us a bit about the process of finding your way into National Screen Institute 2017 Totally Television, program? (And congrats!)

JM: Thanks! Rob and I shot a short film a few summers ago (“Rearview”) which made its way into NSI’s Short Film Festival, and that was a huge accomplishment for us. About a year later we got an email with a call out for writer & producer teams with pilots written to be part of their Totally Television program.

Rob and I have been writing together for years and have a tall stack of pilots, so after some conversations back and forth we decided to go with “Wolfville.” Then, honestly, we were completely humbled to be put on the short list for the program, and now to find out we have been selected and to be working with NSI as part of Totally Television is incredible.

NYFA: Was there anything that surprised you about the Totally Television selection process?

JM: I think everyone knows the professionalism and expertise of the National Screen Institute and this process was no different. From day one they’ve been nothing but helpful and supportive.

NYFA: What do you most look forward to in bringing “Wolfville” to life with the National Screen Institute?

JM: I think what I’m most looking forward to is showing the masses a corner of the world — and the characters that live there — that they have never seen before. I am a very proud maritimer and I am excited to show people why.

NYFA: What advice would you offer fellow NYFA students who aspire to bring a series script to development?

JM: I’m still trying to figure it all out, but if you have an idea, write it. Things become exponentially easier once you have something to show people.

NYFA: Are you working on any other upcoming projects you’d like to share?

JM: Constantly! I have two features that are ready for production, and I’m finishing a script for a short that Rob and I are shooting in November.

The New York Film Academy would like to thank Jon Mann for taking the time to share some of his story with our community.

NYFA Gold Coast Holds Mid-Year Screening for May ’17 Filmmakers

This August, the New York Film Academy Gold Coast held the May 2017 Filmmaking mid-year screening showcase for it’s May 2017 intake Filmmaking students at the new, purpose-built Southport campus theatre.

Filmmaking Lecturer Trevor Hawkins, stated, “It’s all about storytelling and turning good ideas into good films. And that’s what our May intake of student filmmakers are showcasing with their mid-year screening of their non-sync films.”

As a part of the New York Film Academy Australia’s commitment to hands-on education, the mid-year showcase provides students with the opportunity to screen their work from class for an invited audience of peers, friends, and family.

Mr. Hawkins continued, “With an impressive variety of story ideas, our new and emerging filmmakers have explored numerous genres including comedy, drama, action, science fiction, gangster and social comment.

“Each film has left a lasting impression which is a sign of good filmmaking and we congratulate all students on a job well done! And, as we all know, filmmaking is like learning a musical instrument, it’s all about practice, practice, practice. So we all look forward to their next films.”

Congratulations to our Filmmaking students for their successful mid-year screenings.

NYFA Gold Coast May ’17 Actors Shine in Mid-Year Performance

This August, New York Film Academy Gold Coast Campus held the May 2017 Acting for Film mid-year performance showcase.

As a part of the New York Film Academy Australia’s commitment to hands-on learning, the mid-year performance showcase allows students to put what they have learned throughout the semester into practice and gain real-world experience performing curated material for an invited audience.

Directed by Acting Lecturer Veronica Neave, acting for film students performed scenes from “Oedipus Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” by award-winning playwright Daniel Evans, in the Creative Space at the purpose-built Southport campus of the New York Film Academy Gold Coast. The play re-imagines Sophocles’ infamous tragedy in modern Australia, in a darkly comic tale of modern community.

“I chose this particular script for this group because they are all really adventurous,” said acting instructor Veronica Neave.

Senior Acting Lecturer Adam Couper stated, “It’s always exciting to see young actors take that step from the classroom to the stage, when all the practice becomes real and for a magical night we get a glimpse of the actors they’ll become.”

NYFA Documentary Filmmaking Master Class Professor Jeremy Xido’s Film Selected for Spotlight on Documentary at IFP Week

New York Film Academy Documentary Filmmaking master class professor Jeremy Xido’s newest documentary “The Angola Project: Detroit” was selected for this year’s Spotlight on Documentary at IFP Week in September.

“The Angola Project: Detroit” will feature alongside over 145 documentary projects at the IFP Week event in September in Brooklyn, with nonfiction media spanning formats from feature film to web and television series. As IndieWire notes, this year marks an impressive expansion in IFP Week’s programming, with additional slots for exhibitions, guest speakers, screenings, and more.

The Angola Project: Detroit TRAILER 2017 from CABULA6 on Vimeo.

Jeremy Xido co-wrote and directed “The Angola Project: Detroit,” which draws on his live-performance piece “The Angola Project.” The film is centered around Xido’s return to Detroit for the first time in 20 years to perform, and, as Xido states on his official website, “The film will be a collision of the mythological Detroit in my artwork and the contemporary city currently undergoing another round of radical change. Having left as not much more than a boy, I return as a young father, hoping to find personal reconciliation and a sense of home for me and my family. But I arrive to a city engaged in a fierce battle over it’s identity. The fashionable hype around Detroit’s great turn-around is tempered by the United Nations’ citation of human rights abuses for denying citizens access to water. Bold construction projects are offset by an unprecedented number of evictions. It is a city suspended between hope and fear: the profound hope for a better future and the numbing fear that rewards reaped by some will just be the next cycle of suffering for others.”

Xido’s work on “The Angola Project” has also inspired his TEDx Talk:

The film also features NYFA documentary graduate Amy Wright as an associate producer. Wright is an award-winning documentarian in her own right: her film “Legacy” won Best Short at the March on Washington Film Festival, which was held at the White House in Washington D.C.

Quoted in Filmmaker Magazine of their feature film programming, IFP Executive Director Joana Vicente says, “This year’s feature film program doesn’t shy away from tackling the controversial and key issues of our time. Art often reflects the times we live in, and this slate certainly represents a multitude of points of view and perspectives on America today. Through the lens of race, religious expression, disability, female empowerment, immigration, truth, political correctness, radical inclusion and disenfranchisement, our artists pull no punches sharing their stories, demanding attention for the visions they share.”

For more information on the IFP Week Screenings, click here.

NYFA Documentary Filmmaking Alumna Andrea Blake is Associate Producer for VICE on HBO’s “Between Oil and Water”

“Between Oil and Water” is the latest VICE on HBO piece to benefit from the inestimable talents of New York Film Academy Documentary Filmmaking grad and associate producer Andrea Blake.

Along with VICE on HBO’s documentary series, Andrea Blake’s growing roster of credits includes “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: a Short Film by Spike Jonze,” “Black Market with Michael K. Williams,” and the acclaimed documentary series “Chicagoland.” Yet VICE’s “Between Oil and Water” provides a uniquely intimate look at the surprising source of a cultural and political movement that grew into one of the nation’s largest and most talked-about protests: Standing Rock, South Dakota.

“You can’t drink oil! You can’t drink oil!” the crowd chants in “Between Oil and Water.” The film profiles some of the youth who behind the start of the national movement: 13-year-olds Anna Lee Rain Yellowhammer and Alice Brown Otter — classmates at Standing Rock Community Middle School in Fort Yates, North Dakota. It was in a culture class that a teacher asked them to write to the Army Corps of Engineers about their opinion on the pipeline, which had be rerouted to go through their reservation after the community of Bismarck, North Dakota — a predominantly white population — had cited safety concerns, and the pipeline’s trajectory was moved.

As VICE News shows, Anna Lee Rain Yellowhammer recalls thinking, “If it’s not safe for them why do they put it on our reservation? It’s like they think our lives are more expendable.” After writing for class, both students joined 30 fellow indigenous youth on an incredible 2000 mile run from North Dakota to Washington D.C. in July 2016 to hand-deliver their letters to the Army Corps of Engineers.

This was the spark of the Standing Rock movement. According to “Between Oil and Water,” the Standing Rock protests evolved into the largest Native American protest movement in history, with 10,000 participants at its peak. Though the plans for the pipeline have not been changed, the film shows how the movement played an essential role in national debate and also had a transformative effect on the young students who played such a central part.

Alice Brown Otter concludes that while she is disappointed that the government is moving forward with the pipeline, she tries to maintain a positive outlook. “We fight with our words, we fight with kindness, and we’re just strong.”