Michael PhillipsProducer

Brooklyn-born and Long Island-raised producer has been in the industry since the early 70s. He and his ex-wife produced Taxi Driver, The Sting, Steelyard Blues, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind throughout the 70s.

Wlliam FriedkinDIRECTOR

Legendary director William Friedkin commanded the audience of New York Film Academy students from the moment he walked in the door. He spoke with students at the Los Angeles campus, following a screening of The French Connection (1971). He talked about the film, which won 5 Academy Awards, including Best Director for Friedkin. During the discussion, he confessed that he never did a storyboard for the infamous car chase scene, adding that none of the collisions were planned.

He also discussed his acclaimed films The Exorcist (1973) and To Live and Die in L.A. (1985). The Exorcist is a horror classic that received critical acclaim and became one of the highest-grossing films of all time.

Over the years, Friedkin had a significant impact on the film industry and is considered one of the influential directors of the 1970s New Hollywood era. Throughout his career, he also directed an episode of The Twilight Zone, and adapted stage plays such as Twelve Angry Men and Bug for film and television.

When asked what advice he had for aspiring filmmakers during his visit to NYFA, Friedkin simply replied, “Watch Kubrick. Watch Hitchcock. Watch Almodovar.”