Page 257 – NYFA

Sanzhar Madiyev Stars in Russia’s Highly Anticipated ‘Zaschitniki’

In 2011 “Kazakhfilm” studio sent a group of young filmmakers to the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles for a 4-week Filmmaking Workshop. Among them was an aspiring actor and director named Sanzhar Madiyev. Now, Madiyev stars in the neo-noir superhero film Zaschitniki (Guardians) directed by Sarik Andreasyan. The film was listed in the Top-20 most anticipated Russian movies in 2016.

“I liked the enthusiasm and the atmosphere at NYFA, so in one year I decided to come back and take the 8-week Acting for Film Workshop,” said Madiyev.

Since then, he has developed a very impressive acting career in both film and television, including Khod Konem (Armenia/Kazakhstan) directed by Gor Kirakosian, The Way Home (Kazakhstan) directed by Rashid Suleimenov, the TV series Marco Polo (USA), Hunting the Phantom (Kazakhstan) directed by Marina Kunarova, Amanat (Kazakhstan) directed by Satybaldy Narymbetov and, most recently, Married at 30 (Kazakhstan) directed New York Film Academy alum Askar Bissembin and Zaschitniki (Russia) directed by Sarik Andreasyan.

Madiyev initially found out about the open casting from his friend and decided to submit photos and resume. For the second round he was asked to tape and send a scene. After that he was contacted by the production office and invited to Moscow for a meeting with director and producer. This personal meeting resulted in him being cast as the lead character Khan. Khan (Windman) is a member of the group of superheroes altering and augmenting the DNA in order to defend the homeland from supernatural danger during the Cold War.

On working with Sarik Andreasyan, Sanzhar Madiyev said: “This is a case when the work becomes the pleasure and leads into a friendship. I like his directing style—he is very calm and unruffled, and it gives strength, especially during heavy scenes.“

Sanzhar Madiyev also directs music videos and short movies when he has a break between acting projects. In the future, he would like to direct his own feature but he believes that there is the right time for everything. He is grateful for the useful advice he has received from the talented professional NYFA instructors: David M. Wexler, George Russo, George McGrath and Bruce Ducat, who he still keeps in contact with.

The New York Film Academy is very proud of Sanzhar Madiyev, and we look forward to seeing him on the silver screen!

NYFA Students Launch Web Series Tackling US-Arab Racial Conflicts

AlArabiya, the largest and most respected Middle Eastern news outlet, has given a huge boost to the social media efforts of a group of New York Film Academy students who have teamed up to create the thought-provoking web series, Sargo. Within one week of airing on YouTube, the series trailer reached over 100,000 views and interest continues to grow.

Filmmaker Aymen Khoja (May ’14 MFA Feature Track Filmmaker) has written and directed the web series about a young Saudi guy who is kidnapped by two dim but dangerous men. The audience must ponder: ‘Will he be able to find his way to freedom or arrive home in a box?’

The series tackles relevant topics such as U.S. and Arab racial bias and racial profiling.

Khoja, in development at NYFA for his first feature film, Shoot, has assembled a team of currently enrolled NYFA students for the series. Working both behind the scenes and in front of the camera, NYFA students are:

Creator, writer/director AYMEN KHOJA (May ’14 MFA Feature Track Filmmaking)
Producers MUHAMMAD ALAWI (Fall ’15 BFA Producing) and ALMOTAZ ALJEFRI (January ’13 BFA Filmmaking)
Actors MAAN BIN ABDULRAHMAN (January ’13 BFA Filmmaking) and JUSTIN LIGHTFOOT (May ’14 BFA Acting)
Social media TALHA BIN ABDULRAHMAN (September ’13 BFA Filmmaking)

The AlArabiya interview can be viewed below:

Congratulations, NYFA students on your outstanding collaborative effort!

Dimitris Tranos Becoming a ‘Rising Star’ in Filmmaking

Former MA Film and Media Production student Dimitris Tranos decided to tackle a difficult subject in his New York Film Academy thesis film. The film, Heavy Cross, triggered by his grandfather’s irreversible illness which kept him confined to his bed for years, resulted in Tranos’ research about terminally ill people who asked their loved ones to assist them to commit suicide, due to the lack of legal alternatives. In his short film, which won a Rising Star Award at the Athens International Digital Film Festival, Tranos explores the moral and ethical dilemma that an individual faces when he or she is asked to do the same, taking into consideration that the religious and social factors have a great impact on this decision. Through this film, Tranos asks a simple question: If the right to life is indisputable, what about the right to die?

“I chose the main theme of my film to be ‘the right to die as a moral principle’ because I wanted to explore how family, friends and society in general react to a terminally ill person’s will to terminate his or her own life,” said Tranos. “I have witnessed my own grandfather being confined to bed for several years, losing day by day his vision and his ability to communicate with his surroundings. Even if nothing was ever said, I knew that everybody in the family was praying for him to find redemption.”

In Heavy Cross, Sarah, a religious caretaker faces a serious moral dilemma when she meets Mike, a seriously ill and confined to bed veteran of Iraq, who wants Sarah to help him commit suicide.

Tranos was able to collaborate with talented students and alumni from NYFA like Luciana Capela (Co-producer), Henry Li (Cinematographer), Alonso Grandio (Actor) and Leonardo Bentes (1st AD) to name a few.

“My studies at NYFA helped me a lot,” says Tranos. “My instructors were there to assist me in the whole process.”

Currently, Tranos is in the process of finishing the 1st draft of a feature script about unfulfilled teenage dreams and how impactful they can be in their adult life.

Los Angeles Photography & Documentary Students Visit Arizona

DAY ONE

Students from the Documentary and Photography Departments from New York Film Academy’s Los Angeles campus recently gathered before the crack of dawn to catch a flight to Phoenix, AZ on a six- day film and photo expedition led by Documentary Chair Barbara Multer-Wellin, and Photo Instructor Amanda Rowan.

After landing in Phoenix and a scenic bus ride, the first filming location was the Orpheum Theater in Flagstaff, AZ where a line-up of Native American musicians and activists gathered to perform at RUMBLE ON THE MOUNTAIN II, an event held to protect tribal water rights. The concert included blessings by tribal elders, a traditional dance performance and a dynamic set by the Navajo brother/sister punk rock duo Sihasin. It was a long day filled with excitement, entertainment, and great opportunities for capturing on film a beautiful cultural experience.

DAY TWO

On Day Two, the NYFA team was granted access to the kiva exhibit at the Museum of Northern Arizona. A Kiva is a traditional sacred space. There they filmed artist and musician Ed Kabotie whose father painted the historical mural on the walls of the Kiva. Ed spoke about the meaning of the mural’s images and the native people’s ongoing fight to protect their ancestral lands. Later, Jeneda and Clayson Benally, of Sihasin, arrived for a joint interview about their efforts to combine traditional music with hard edged rock and roll with their message of “Sihasin” (a Navajo word meaning “Hope”). Day Two ended with a sunset tour of the magnificent Grand Canyon.

DAY THREE

NYFA LA’s Documentary and Photo expedition left the beautiful Flagstaff, AZ to head back to Phoenix. In Phoenix, NYFA students were welcomed at Canyon Records, the oldest and biggest record label devoted to Native American music in the United States. First, the NYFA students filmed and photographed Canyon Records artist, Tony Duncan. Duncan is both a renowned Native American flute player and a World Champion hoop dancer. Dressed in traditional regalia, Tony Duncan performed a ceremonial hoop dance at the label’s insert stage for NYFA’s cameras. Duncan then went into the studio to record a passage for his new album on three different traditional flutes. The day ended with sit down interviews with Duncan and Canyon Records owner Robert Doyle. After wrap, everyone hopped on the bus and headed to downtown Phoenix for a little exploration and recreation!

DAY FOUR

The NYFA bus left Phoenix for a scenic drive through cacti, pine and scrub brush to the historic old West town of Holbrook, AZ. Holbrook is the starting point for the Hashknife Pony Express, an annual recreation of the legendary delivery of the mail by horseback. For 58 years, men from the Hashknife Search and Rescue Team have ridden the 200 miles from Holbrook to Scottsdale, AZ. The NYFA team arrived to film and photograph the Hashknife riders, all on horseback, being sworn in as official carriers of the U.S. Postal Service at the old Navajo County Courthouse in Holbrook. That night, the NYFA team met the riders and people from the town of Holbrook at the send-off dinner held at the local Elks Lodge.

DAY FIVE

NYFA’s Documentary and Photography students met the Hashknife Pony Express riders at 7:00 AM at the stables in Holbrook to film them mounting up and to take a group portrait. The 200-mile ride is run like a relay race. Teams of two riders and two horses work together. The first man rides one mile, carrying a canvas bag of mail. The second rider waits at the mile marker, where they must exchange the heavy bag from horse to horse with the cry of “Hashknife!” (A hashknife is a curved blade used by chuck wagon cooks to tenderize meat.) The NYFA filmmakers and photographers were split up among the various teams to document the event from many different angles and points of view. The ride ended for the day when the riders arrived in formation at the Payson, AZ post office to deliver the mail. They were greeted by post office officials and an enthusiastic crowd.

DAY SIX

On the last day of NYFA Los Angeles’ Arizona adventure, documentary and photography students spent the morning downloading footage and editing the photographs taken during the past five days. After lunch, they met up with the Hashknife riders as they made camp at the Verde River just outside Scottsdale, AZ. The students took portraits of and interviewed the riders. As the riders and horses settled in for the night and the cooks fired up the barbecue, the NYFA team said their good-byes, packed their gear for travel, and rode the bus to the Phoenix airport for the flight back to Los Angeles. Now the work of cutting short documentaries out of the great material gathered in Arizona begins.

NYFA MA Grad Konstantin Frolov on How to Be Productive

After taking a look at the list of successful projects that New York Film Academy graduate Konstantin Frolov worked on during his first year after graduating, we can confidently say that he is not only talented and organized, but also knows how to make connections. In 2015, Frolov worked as a director of photography on several projects, including:

A music video for Abdulrahman Mohammed (directed & produced by NYFA Grad Hanaa Saleh Alfassi) that already has almost 2 millions views on Youtube
A feature documentary on the Russian Special Olympics
A music video for Baby Kaely called “Smile” (directed by NYFA Grad Mykyta Samusiev and produced by former NYFA student Kelline Kanoui)
A commercial for the Suites Investment (directed by Mykyta Samusiev)
A short “YUMNA” that received an Award of Merit Film festival, an Award of California Film Festival and will be represented at Marché Du Film at Cannes in May 2016 (directed by NYFA Grad Noor Al Yaseen)
A short “Fire Water” (written and directed by NYFA grad David B. Johnson)
A music video for the Russian singer Selfieman called “For All The Broken Hearts,” which will premiere on Valentine’s Day (produced by former NYFA student Kelline Kanoui)

Despite his busy schedule he was recently able to share a few interesting stories about his career as a cinematographer.

What made you decide to study at NYFA?

I was working as a cameraman in Moscow and was thinking about getting a cinematography education abroad. I checked out options in France, England and the United States. And I guess NYFA was my destiny. On one cloudy day I was walking through the center of Moscow. I had no plans, but it was cold and I wanted to stop into some place to warm up. Then, I noticed a banner on the street saying New York Film Academy. It was exactly what I needed. So I went in. A girl with a smile told me the Master Class with American screenwriter Paul Brown was about to begin. He didn’t simply walk into the room, he was almost flying. It turned out that he was a bit late, and I was just on time—otherwise I would have missed the beginning. Paul Brown told the story of a strange flock of penguins in the Moscow Metro, which were probably going to the North Pole, so they created traffic. Then, he began to talk about movies, about the Academy, and all of it was so fascinating that I applied a week after.

fire water — David B. Johnson and Konstantin Frolov on the set of “Fire Water.”

Is there any secret how to be so productive?

The most important thing is to organize the process in the correct way. This list of my rules will explain:

Most of the meetings I arrange are on one day of the week, so the other 6 days I can work on the projects.
I don’t answer calls after 9 pm, unless we have scheduled it in advance.
Before I go to bed I spend time on creating storyboards, shot-sheets or watch movies. I believe that filmmakers have to devote at least an hour every day to watch a movie or new TV-series, even if it is not very interesting.
I also try to minimize the number of meetings that can be solved by e-mail.
I spend about an hour a day walking. The best way to do it on a regular basis is to get a dog.
One day a week I fully dedicate to myself.

What would you say are the main keys to success?

Experience is a large part of the success, and you shouldn’t fear participating in experimental and complicated projects. Be hardworking and remain humble at all times. And listen more than you talk!

Broadcast Journalism Grad Andras Takacs Selected for Inaugural “Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe: Media”

Award-winning Hungarian journalist and documentary filmmaker Andras Takacs took the hands-on training he got as a student in the New York Film Academy Broadcast Journalism program and literally travelled around the world. Having interviewed former President Bill Clinton, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, he has now been selected by Forbes magazine for inclusion in their prestigious “30 under 30 Europe: Media” list.

Andras has produced and presented the current events series On The Spot, with his colleague and wife Eszter Cseke, for 7 years. From the revolution in Egypt to the front lines in Afghanistan, they work with just two small cameras and no crew, giving their programs extraordinary intimacy and honesty. The famed Hungarian war photographer Robert Capa provides their motto: “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.”

The BBC called their work “rare and exclusive.. “Up-close and visceral,” wrote the Financial Times about their films, adding that “Takacs and Cseke plunge their cameras into the heart of the action, asking questions that are normally suppressed.”

Andras credits NYFA for giving him the skills to embark on his remarkable career, lessons that he still uses every day.

New York Film Academy Café Opens in Amsterdam

Bringing an authentic combination of both the past and present features of New York City, the New York Film Academy Café in Amsterdam allows you to immerse yourself into a lively atmosphere that serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks. The cosmopolitan hangout offers a place for everyone, from business to leisure and local to tourists. So, if you’re looking for that New York feel in Amsterdam, you’ll definitely want to check out the New York Film Academy Café, which is open every day from dusk until dawn.

“The New York Film Academy is thrilled to be part of the wonderful restoration of this landmark building,” says NYFA Senior Executive Vice President, David Klein. “The New York Film Academy Café in the historic Beurs van Berlage is a wonderful place for the people of Amsterdam and tourists, alike, to gather for great food and spirits. The new café is also a wonderful opportunity to introduce the city to the New York Film Academy‘s fine arts courses. Just beneath the café, we have some terrific classroom space and, in the very near future, we will be holding our world-renowned, hands-on workshops in filmmaking, acting for film and other subjects.”

The Beurs van Berlage is a Dutch national monument, located at the Damrak and Beursplein, the tourist gateway to Amsterdam. The Beurs van Berlage is among the Top 100 of Dutch UNESCO monuments. The architecture of the Beurs van Berlage, designed by Hendrik Petrus Berlage, has a story of its own.

On December 16th, 2015, the NYFA Café held a launch party with Mr. Klein, which wound up being a wonderfully successful night, introducing the neighborhood to the new destination.

“It was a great night, and a terrific party to launch the café,” recalled Klein. “We plan to hold many cultural events in this great space. Seeing it now in all its restored glory, it’s hard to believe it was left empty for so long.”

For more information or a look at the menu, please visit the official website at www.nyfa-cafe.nl.

Former Producing Student Executive Producer on Sundance Hit ‘The Birth of a Nation’

Without a doubt, the most talked about film at this year’s Sundance Film Festival is Nate Parker’s The Birth of a Nation. The compelling drama tells the true story of Nat Turner, a slave in 1831 who taught himself to read and became a preacher before ultimately leading a deadly rebellion that wiped out 60 white slave owners. One of the executive producers on the film is former New York Film Academy 4-Week Producing student Jane Oster!

As of this week, the independent film became the biggest sale in Sundance history, as North American distribution rights have been sold to Fox Searchlight for $17.5 million dollars. With all of the controversy of inequality for African Americans in this year’s Oscars, buzz for The Birth of a Nation is already being generated for next year’s awards ceremony.

“I made this film for one reason: with the hope of creating change agents,” said Parker. “That people can watch this film and be affected. That you can watch this film and see that there were systems that were in place that were corrupt and corrupted people, and the legacy of that still lives with us.”

We’ll be paying close attention to the theatrical release of this film, as well as Jane and her team’s road to next year’s Oscars!

NYFA Screenwriting Graduates Celebrate with Industry Pitch Fest Event

On January 21st, 2016, graduating MFA and BFA New York Film Academy Screenwriting students attended their culminating Industry Pitch Fest Event, held at the penthouse ballroom of the Andaz Hotel up on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood.

A catered event and mingling opportunity for the students, executives, and faculty alike, this capstone event celebrated the New York Film Academy’s graduating Screenwriting students, offering them a professional outlet to jumpstart their careers by pitching their thesis projects to industry executives.

These writing students spent their final semester in their Business of Screenwriting III class, working with Business of Screenwriting instructor David O’Leary and Pitching instructor Ashley Bank, preparing and fine-tuning their pitches for their thesis film and TV projects. And they shined on this pinnacle evening, leaving with new professional contacts and a wave of interest in the scripts they’d worked so hard on all year.

Considered by the school to be their first night as professional screenwriters, this group of bright students brought their A-game, as they pitched agents, managers and production company representatives in a relaxed, round-table environment. The Screenwriting Department faculty who’d worked with the students all year came out to support them in this important and successful evening.

Organized and hosted by O’Leary, the event featured representatives from various Hollywood companies, including literary agencies, management companies, and TV and Film production companies.

Attendees included: BenderSpink, Bright Whale Entertainment, Blumhouse, The Coalition Group, The Dino De Laurentiis Company, Elevate Entertainment, ICM Partners, Kaplan/Perrone, Madhouse Entertainment, Magnet Management, Manifest Talent Group, Next Level Entertainment, No Bull Script, Original Film, Quadrant Pictures, RatPac Entertainment, Reel FX, Scenario Entertainment, Super Vision Entertainment and Writ Large Entertainment.

NYFA wishes to thank all of its participants, particularly our industry guests, without whom this evening could not have been possible. Also, we’d like to extend a big congratulations to all of our Fall’14 MFA and BFA graduates!

We can’t wait to see what you do next.