Chris says his time at New York Film Academy Australia has been “a wild four months so far.” He adds, “I can see massive jumps in the quality of my films — from story, composition, sound, actor selection, performances and more — and I guess that is why my digital dialogue got into a film festival so quickly.” The intensive, hands-on format of study at NYFA Australia has allowed Chris to evolve as a filmmaker.
“Having to make six short films plus two production films, write the material, produce it and then have if shown in a cinema, is a big ask, but it has forced me to develop my craft and really push myself,” says Chris.
“For me, getting in and producing films that have made it onto the film festival circuit, that people want to watch, tells me the training NYFA Australia has given me has prepared me for a very long film career. I think that is probably the key thing that I recognize,” he adds.
With plans to continue on to the Advanced Diploma program, Chris is now focused on his end of year short film “Drawing Hope,” which he will shoot in February 2017, utilizing the RED camera. After graduation, Chris hopes to secure ongoing work in the industry and to win an award at some of the larger, prestigious film festivals.
Finding people who are completely dedicated to their careers can often be difficult. We had the opportunity to speak with Aisultan Seitov, a young student who is truly dedicated to his passion. His short thesis film, “The Jackal,” recently earned a Best Director Award at the Hollywood Boulevard Film Festival.
Aisultan, why did you choose the Filmmaking program at New York Film Academy?
I’m from Astana, Kazakhstan. At first I wanted to enter the local State University and become an engineer. And filmmaking was just my hobby until I won a state grant, which allowed me to study at NYFA.
Everything started when my school teacher made a video about our class activities. At the end of each week we waited to watch it and got great pleasure from viewing it. In high school I took part in international film competitions and I was among the winners two years in a row. I got an e-mail from NYFA that they were coming to our city. When I learned about the competition for a state grant, I prepared my project — it was a horror film. I always dreamed of studying at NYFA and it came true!
Tell us about the educational process. Do you have any favorite instructors? Have you had any difficulties?
I have studied at NYFA’s Los Angeles campus for five weeks. I like all subjects and instructors. The three year BFA program at the New York Film Academy allowed me to study for my first year in New York, and the second and third years in Los Angeles.
It was difficult for me to adapt to the local mentality. Everything was different for me. At first I missed my motherland, but I think it’s usual for a foreign student. I hardly made contacts with other students, but as time passed, it became easier for me.
Also, in the beginning it seemed strange for me to learn about the need for permits to shoot outdoors, but now I know that it’s the part of the process.
Aisultan, tell us about your film, “The Jackal,” which won an award at the Hollywood Boulevard Film Festival. How did the idea come about?
I had to shoot my thesis project. At first I wanted to create a thriller in New York. Then I realized that if I did this it wouldn’t be as good as I wanted. And the quality was principal for me. I always dedicate myself to my business and try to do my best.
When I came back to Kazakhstan and met with my friends, I was shocked, they seemed so different. They stopped following their dreams. They had lost their ambitions. And the fight against this system became the main idea of my film.
I always try to do something new. I was lucky to get on board one of the best DP in Kazakhstan, Azamat Dulato. We shot project in the outskirts of Alma-Ata. To experiment, this time we made the whole film in one shot. Of course we had some challenges, it was a nasty day, and only half of the extras were present. We didn’t have a large budget. Almost all the money we spent was for the camera rent.
Who or what inspires you?
Family conflicts are always in my work, but I want to try all genres, because it would be new experiences for me. I am fond of Wes Anderson’s and David Fincher’s films. And of course my inspiration is from simple things. I started to appreciate my friends, my motherland. Different things inspire me. For example, the architecture of old buildings. As I said, my school teacher played an important role in my life as well. My good friend and musician, Max Korzh, taught me to follow my dream. Also, since childhood I have been fond of Steve Jobs, his outlook influenced my personality.
Where would you like to work?
It’s difficult to answer this question now. Soon I may work in Russia or the Ukraine. This summer I visited a lot of new cities and met many interesting people in the industry. I want to live in America and work on projects all over the world. It’s wonderful to travel and do what you like most of all.
Aisultan, what advice would you give to someone who is beginning the Filmmaking program?
It’s important to watch at least one film a day. If you want to create films you should watch them. It is necessary to work hard, with passion. It’s better to create projects that you like. I am a lazy person, but when it is all about my projects, I’ll do the impossible and do it the best way.
New York Film Academy thanks Aisultan Seitov for his time. We wish him success in his creative career and are confident he’ll be receiving more awards for his upcoming films.
Since season four of AMC’s mega-hit show “The Walking Dead,” New York Film Academy alumna Alanna Masterson has played the role of Tara Chambler.
Following the season four episode called “Live Bait,” which focuses on The Governor, played by British star David Morrissey, Masterson became a series regular. Her character formed a romantic relationship with the community’s doctor Denise Cloyd, making her the first LGBT character to be introduced to the show.
The season seven mid-season episode “Swear,” which aired Sunday, Nov. 27, 2016, not only reintroduced Tara but also focused solely on her character. In the episode and through her character’s adventures, in which Masterson shows off her remarkable range of acting chops, the audience is introduced to a new community of all-female characters. Without giving too much away, the official synopsis for “Swear” reads, “Someone stumbles upon a brand new society, and this society is unlike anything seen before.”
Masterson, who grew up in Long Island, NY, took a 4-Week Filmmaking Program at NYFA Los Angeles in 2006. In addition to her role in “The Walking Dead,” Masterson has appeared in TV series such as “The Young and the Restless,” “Malcolm in the Middle,” “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” She also played Lydia as a recurring role in the ABC series “Mistresses.”
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.
Soon you will be seeing Hollywood stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone on NYFA News as part ofa wonderful story that recent New York Film Academy Broadcast Journalism alumna Federica Polidoro produced for us at the Venice Film Festival. NYFA News is a student-produced TV news magazine in which Federica also covered two previous Venice Film Festival stories where NYFA showcased five student films.
With the Venice Film Festival behind her, we thought we’d catch up with the Italian journalist, who is now back in her hometown of Rome working with XL La Repubblica.
Can you tell us what drew you to the field of broadcast journalism?
I am an entertainment journalist in Italy. I used to be a reporter for film festivals for the last 10 years, interviewing celebrities — especially directors. I began to produce videos on my own, but I wanted to refine my knowledge in this particular field and try to get some chances abroad.
What made you decide to attend the New York Film Academy?
Everything in Italy is very theoretical, so I needed some hands-on experience. Studying in New York was my lifetime dream. I couldn’t afford the fee, so I finally applied for a European Union scholarship and I won it.
How would you describe your experience in the NYFA Broadcast Journalism program?
New York Film Academy is the most wonderful academic experience I’ve ever had. In Italy, I taught Editing Technics at the Fine Art Academy, so this is an opinion also as a professor. I think NYFA is a school that you could only imagine in your dreams. The building is terrific, the equipment is tremendous, professors are incredible people and the tasks are so exciting.
With [Broadcast Journalism Chair] Bill Einreinhofer, I found the kind of mentor that you can only get in a movie. He’s a very inspiring person, quiet yet powerful. He is a great example of an educator for me, and it was a privilege to meet him on the path of my life. His generosity and sensibility, honesty and open-mindedness, his precious advice, and his guidance are a treasure for me. He let me express my creativity by pushing the bounds of my intellectual curiosity. He gave me the self-confidence to believe that I was in the right place in the right time and that I can do it. Even if it is a school and not real life, as he reminded us often, his support meant a lot to me. His name was my first reason to opt for NYFA, and it was my best decision. My satisfaction with Bill’s appreciation of my work is priceless.
I can sum up my feelings about the New York Film Academy with one word: happiness.
How was your experience covering the Venice Film Festival for NYFA News?
I worked for the biggest newspapers, magazines and platforms in Italy — especially for web content — but I could not believe I had the chance to produce something for NYFA on my own.
What have you been working on since graduating?
I am currently working on the second phase of the scholarship with a six months internship for the biggest Italian Newspaper, La Repubblica. I will likely continue to produce and edit video for them as a freelancer, but I am submitting some projects to show to other satellite and web channels with a more dynamic approach — a place where I can create “long-lasting” content.
So are you working primarily in Italy now?
I’m working in Italy, but very open to working for the US from European Festivals and for Italy / Foreign Countries from the US as entertainment content creator. I am going to launch my website with a showreel and a catalog of all my previous work. Among my interviews are artists such as Alejandro Jodorowsky, Amos Gitai, Andrei Konchalovski, Andrew Niccol, Anton Corbjn, Asghar Farhadi (Oscar®), Atom Egoyan, Charlie Kaufman (Oscar®), Ethan Hawke, François Ozon, Gabriele Salvatores, Giuseppe Tornatore, Hou Hsiao Hsien, Jeremy Irons, Jerzy Skolimoski, Kim Ki Duk, Kirill Serebrennikov, Lav Diaz, Marco Bellocchio, Mike Leigh, Olga Kurilyenko, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Valeria Golino, Wash Westmoreland, William Dafoe, Wim Wenders, Yann Arthus-Bertrand.
Is there an assignment or story that you’re most proud of?
My last day in Venice, after 14 interviews, my last interview was with Lav Diaz. He won the Golden Lion, so XL Repubblica got the interview ready while he was receiving the award. After Venice I interviewed the Golden Palm Winner, Ken Loach, for the Italian premier of “I, Daniel Blake.” I edited part of this work for NYFA, too.
This season I am working on Award Season with written pieces and on editing videos on the themes of “Toys in Christmas Movies,” on Rube Goldberg machines in cartoons, and on movies set in hospitals and asylums to prepare for the release of Gore Verbinski’s “A Cure for Wellness.”
I am managing the trip to the Cannes Film Festival and sending projects to find enough sponsors, and more than one media coverage, so that it’s useful to get more interviews and a better accreditation.
For me it is quite easy to find a job, since I am a very hard worker, but I am looking for the kind of job and creative space where I can do something unique and personal.
What do you hope to achieve in your career as a journalist?
I am a storyteller, a content creator, an investigator, a talent scout, and a wacky Italian with the obsession for weird stuff. I am a dreamer, but I am also a problem solver. There is nothing impossible for me. As a journalist I would like to express my own personality, get in depth subjects with anthropological analysis and humor, telling them with ethics and poetically. I would like to show different ways to read the contemporary phenomena delivering stories with visual appeal, originality, but simple language and profound meaning. Stories useful for the soul, pleasant for the ears, spectacular for the eyes.
I would like to get work experience in the US for a short amount of time — maybe one year — to get in touch directly with the industry. I would like to do the job I did for the last ten years, traveling around the world looking for untold stories. I would like to be myself, but better, bigger and cooler. And maybe, once in my life, cover The Golden Globes and The Oscars.
Last week a group of New York Film Academy (NYFA) students and alumni were part of a selected audience invited to see the new movie “Miss Sloane,” starring two-time Oscar-nominated actress, Jessica Chastain, before it hit the theaters this past Friday. The verdict from our film specialists is a thumbs up!
“The plot is so thrilling that it kept me on my toes from beginning to end. I had a blast,” says BFA Acting student Stefan Leach. His peer Champayne Marte, also enrolled in the same program, agrees: “I’ve never enjoyed a political movie before. It was mind-blowing to learn how the game is played behind closed doors,” she pointed out.
In “Miss Sloane,” Jessica Chastain plays a ruthless lobbyist in Washington D.C. who is notorious for winning at all costs. She’s faced with her greatest career challenge when she turns down a virtually unrefusable offer from the gun lobby and joins a boutique firm to help pass a law requiring more rigorous background checks. From there, a brisk cat-and-mouse game unfolds, directed masterfully by Oscar-nominated John Madden (“The Debt,” “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”).
For BFA Acting students Faith Jibowu and Paola Lendof, the highlight of “Miss Sloane” was seeing a powerhouse woman on the silver screen: “Jessica Chastain is fantastic, her performance surpassed all my expectations, it was really inspiring,” said Faith. “There were definitely stellar moments of acting shared with the audience, it was just amazing,” added Paola.
MFA Producing student Amari Agee underlined the intelligent plot: “I didn’t see the whole twist coming, which made her character really remarkable and surprisingly likable,” says Amari, who was snapping directly from the screening room as NYFA ambassador on social media.
Alumnus Andhika Satria (MA Film & Media ‘16) was one of the most excited before the screening, since he is a huge fan of Jessica Chastain. Little did he know, his country of origin, Indonesia, has a prominent role in the plot of “Miss Sloane,” being mentioned several times throughout the film. “She gave an Oscar-worthy performance and seeing my home country on the screen made it even more exciting,” said Andhika, who graduated in September and was program coordinator of the Los Angeles Indonesian Film Festival earlier this month.
“Miss Sloane’s” preview held at Arclight Hollywood is a continuation of a strategic partnership between Lionsgate Promotional Group and NYFA – whose most recent event was Mel Gibson’s “Hacksaw Ridge” screening. Sealed by the hands of school’s Director of Industry Lecture Series, Tova Laiter, the goal is to give the NYFA community privileged access to the best Hollywood releases. Future screening invitations will be posted on our exclusive Student Hub and social media. Stay tuned!
New York Film Academy Acting for Film alumna Ingrid Vollset was born in Los Angeles to Norwegian parents and moved back to Norway at an early age where she spent her childhood and early adolescence. Growing up she was drawn towards storytelling — through the craft of acting, writing and directing — with the belief that film and theatre are some of the most important tools we have to change the world.
Since graduating from NYFA’s New York location, she has been in numerous independent films, including the upcoming film, “You Can’t Say No,” which stars the legendary “Easy Rider” actor Peter Fonda. Vollset is also active on the writing, producing and directing side of things and is currently working on a script for an independent feature.
We had a chance to catch up with Ms Vollset to find out more about the film and her career post-NYFA.
Congrats on your upcoming film, “You Can’t Say No.” Can you tell us in your own words, what you believe this film is about?
To me, this film is about social, moral and relationship values; integrity of character and sanctitude of bonds between human beings. It is about soul-mates and serendipity, about honesty and commitment, and about being willing to think outside-the-box and follow your dreams without losing sight of what is most important at the end of the day — taking care of yourself and the one’s you love the most.
How did the role of Allison come about for you?
Allison is a nomadic vagabond free-spirited young woman in the midst of her journey of life discovery. Her and Hank’s serendipitous crossing of paths turns out to be that of a very valuable friendship for the both of them — driving the story forward in a way where Hank’s value system and integrity is challenged, and he ultimately ends up earning a place in all our hearts by the end of their arc.
What were some of the challenges of getting into your role?
The subtle balance of naiveté and bravery. Allison is so willing to put her heart on the line — to risk being hurt — just to stay true to every present moment and living it freely. Accessing her vulnerability and her loneliness and yet letting her strength supersede it all — she is someone with an amazing capacity for forgiveness, understanding and compassion. She will willingly dry her eyes and smile at the world, no matter how many times it seemingly lets her down — she doesn’t see it that way and accepts whatever comes her way as ‘meant to be’.
https://vimeo.com/179696208
Were you able to work directly on set with Peter Fonda?
Unfortunately, my shooting days were not aligned with Peter Fonda’s, as our characters did not meet in the film. I heard amazing stories of the other actors and crew members of how much they learned from him and enjoyed having him on set!
Would you say your NYFA experience was useful in terms of being prepared to perform in this film and other films/shows you’ve worked on?
I’ve learned many valuable skills and tools at NYFA that I have been able to use in all my work as an actor. Acting for Film classes with Paul Warner taught us how to meticulously break a script down and unveil beats, actions and tactics that ultimately help reveal the physical life of your character.
The Improv classes were extremely helpful as so much of the work on set and in rehearsal is improv based. And the Meisner work helping to get you out of your head as an actor and better trust your instincts and impulses in the moment.
The Shakespeare classes with David Vando taught us how to let the text float as a boat on the river of the inner life that is present in the actors. And our scene study classes with Glynis Rigsby taught us to understand our characters on a deeper level, ask questions, be curious and connect with the story and the objectives in a way where you end up having real skin in the game. The wide variety of classes offered allowed us as students to find out where our strengths and weaknesses as actors lie.
Also, the experience of acting in the directing students’ short films created amazing hands-on experience that prepared us for professional settings in the safest of circumstances.
Which role are you most proud of thus far? Why?
The role I am most proud of this far is the one of Paula in “Paula, Why?” This is a film I wrote and produced myself, and has a very autobiographical component to, so it was one of the most challenging parts I have ever had to play.
Are you currently working on anything new and exciting that you’d like to share?
Currently, I am co-producing and acting in the first season of a dramedy webseries where we are hoping for an early 2017 release. Two friends decide to open up an Airbnb in their apartment to cover their NYC rent and do not expect it to be a life-changing experience.
I am in post-production for “Paula, Why?” where we are hoping for a late 2017/early 2018 release mainly geared towards the festival market. The music and boxing themed story of an immigrant brother and sister’s survival in the outskirts of NYC.
We will be going into production before the end of the year on a short film called “Tendencies”: the story of two sisters cleaning out their mother’s house as she needs to move into a retirement home due to early onset Alzheimer’s and everything they discover over the course of that weekend.
For those of us deeply engaged in of the field of international education, last week was analogous to the film industry’s Academy Awards week. This year’s International Education Week (IEW) highlighted the international education community’s efforts to increase the number of students and scholars that cross borders worldwide and, with exuberance, showcased the scores of success stories pertaining to this global exchange of knowledge. The week was also full of discussions and musings about possible changes to the sector that may occur when the new administration begins working in Washington, DC in six weeks.
International education holds an important place here at the New York Film Academy (NYFA), where more than 50% of the School’s enrollment is international; tens of thousands of visual and performing artists from nearly 120 countries have studied at NYFA since its founding 25 years ago, including dozens of Fulbright Foreign Students.
For the 2nd year in a row, NYFA is proud to be ranked in the top 5 ‘SPECIAL FOCUS INSTITUTIONS’ that host international students, according to the Open Doors Report, an annual report issued by the Institute of International Education (IIE) that was released last week by IIE and the U.S. Department of State. In the 2015-2016 academic year NYFA hosted 1,492 foreign students in the College’s degree programs, and also welcomed nearly 2,000 additional international students to non-degree and short-term programs that were not counted in the Open Doors Report data.
On the outgoing side of international education, for two decades NYFA has offered a wide range of study abroad programs at four permanent international locations (Paris, France; Florence, Italy; and Gold Coast, Australia), as well as at many satellite locations around the globe.
This year, NYFA made great strides in increasing study abroad opportunities by launching unique faculty led international ‘excursion’ programs, which included NYFA trips for students in the Photography and Documentary Filmmaking Departments. A total of 73 students traveled to Belize, Cyprus, and the Dominican Republic to experience unique aspects of these cultures as well as witness and develop a better awareness of important and critical events currently happening in the countries. This was part of NYFA’s commitment to the Generation Study Abroad Initiative — an undertaking to increase the number of U.S. students studying abroad.
The New York Film Academy highlighted its study abroad opportunities and accomplishments during the national celebration of International Education Week by hosting a social media contest: NYFA students and alumni had the opportunity to submit photographic representations of what “home” means to them via Facebook or Instagram by including the hashtag #NYFAInternational and tagging @NewYorkFilmAcademy. This contest was open to all current NYFA students (nearly 8,500) from the U.S. campuses in New York, Los Angeles, and South Beach, Florida, as well as students studying at all of our locations abroad in Florence, Italy; Paris, France; and Gold Coast and Sydney, Australia. The winner was announced this past Saturday and the image can be seen here.
Michael Young, President of NYFA, recently stated, “the power of storytelling is not owned by any one nation, it is an art form the entire world needs in times of peace and stability, and even more so during chaos and uncertainty. Thanks to the most powerful form of communication that exists, we expect our students to be the voices that will be heard through the noise.”
Like making lemonade from lemons, visual and performing artists have the opportunity to make lovely music — i.e. films, photographs, and performances — from all of the noise now out there.
This past weekNew York Film Academystudents had a rare opportunity to film and photograph a Snoop Dogg concert. Working alongside world famous SIR studios NYFA studentswere on hand for the concert, which was broadcast through the newly formedDECtv.tv. Celebrities including Omar Gooding, Ray J, and Chris Brown were in attendance.
The opportunity was available to top-performing students involved in the Industry Lab program. Students, Nora Yesshisayan (interviewer) and Alejandro Talens (camera operator) represented NYFA with pride.
“It’s exciting to see this kind of concert take place—an intimate look at a huge star on stage doing what he loves,” said Craig Ross, Jr., who led the NYFA Industry Lab event. “It feels like we were granted access to a day in the life of Snoop as opposed to just watching a concert.”
(Photo by @ATurnerArchives)
New York Film Academy would like to thank DECtv.tv and Snoop Dogg for helping students get involved in such an amazing experience.
If you’d like to learn more about NYFA’s Industry Lab program you can clickhere.
On November 10, 2016, over two hundred and fifty New York Film Academy students packed the lobby of the Riverside building in Los Angeles for our Student Networking Night. The event was run by Industry Outreach Chair, Barbara Weintraub.
The event brings together students from diverse backgrounds and allows students from different programs to meet. Students discuss their projects and can find collaborators from all across the school. This Networking Night was the largest one so far.
Representatives from Film Independent were on hand to let students know about the opportunities the organization offers including voting for The Independent Spirit Awards, screenings and celebrity Q & A’s.
Students ate pizza and sipped cola as they pitched new plays, scripts, and games. Sarah, a filmmaking student looking to cast her second film came to the event looking for a specific kind of actor. “My next project is deeply personal to me,” she said. “It was really important to me that whomever I cast cares about the project beyond just giving a good performance. I’m glad I came today. I met three actresses today that I think can carry the film and I’m so excited.”
This event was a tremendous success and New York Film Academy would like to thank all the students who came out and participated. We’d also like to thank Film Independent for helping to register students.
If you missed the networking event you can always follow NYFA on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
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Finding people who are completely dedicated to their careers can often be difficult. We had the opportunity to speak with Aisultan Seitov, a young student who is truly dedicated to his passion. His short thesis film, “The Jackal,” recently earned a Best Director Award at the Hollywood Boulevard Film Festival.
Soon you will be seeing Hollywood stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone on NYFA News as part of 
