As part of the Producing Department and Diversity Development in Los Angeles, the NYFA Industry Lab aims to provide students with a truly hands-on, professional experience. Students, along with their instructors, are brought on to produce, shoot, and edit full productions for industry clients. Thus far, NYFA Industry Lab has worked with a number of major companies, including Warner Records and actor Matthew Modine, infamous for his role as “Joker” in Stanley Kubrick’s classic Vietnam film, Full Metal Jacket.
Recently, the Lab embarked on its largest production to date. The team partnered with singer and songwriter, Michaela, to shoot her new music video, Strawberry Kisses. Michaela has appeared on the popular Nickelodeon show, iCARLY, and has appeared in commercials, theatre productions, as well as video games. Strawberry Kisses is Michaela’s brand new original song, which she even wrote the lyrics for.
Produced in collaboration with management company, WaterWalks Entertainment, Inc., the video was shot entirely at New York Film Academy’s Riverside building. The video was co-directed by Directing Instructor Jeff Byrd and student Laura Elisa Perez Rebullen. Aside from his teaching at NYFA Los Angeles, Jeff is the Co-Chair of the African-American Steering Committee of the DGA.
Pay close attention to the video, especially our NYFA Los Angeles students, as you may just catch your classroom in the shot!
After being raised in a military family, the idea for New York Film Academy Filmmaking graduate Molly Calliste’s thesis film, Linger, came quite naturally. With the theme of the film in mind, Molly’s best friend’s situation truly shaped the story. One of her close friends was a gay U.S. Marine terrified by the thought of being outed. He lived in fear as to what would happen–the least of which he thought would have been a dishonorable discharge.
“He couldn’t scream about the betrayal he felt,” said Molly. “So I thought perhaps, I could whisper it.”
And this is what paved way for her film, Linger, whichis about the United States military’s handling of gays or suspected gays in the armed services. The forced secrecy, the badge of ‘shame’ and mostly, the betrayal of what is taken when your country fails you on such a level.
So far, her message is being heard at film festivals around the country. Linger has received an Award of Merit at IndieFest and screened at the IndependentFilmmakerProject. Her upcoming screenings include the NewFilmmakersNY Film Festival fall series on November 12th at 7:15 PM and Bakersfield Film Festival on November 9th in Bakersfield, California.
Molly was born and raised in Grenada, the British West Indies, but has been living in New York City since the age of twelve. She chose to study at NYFA because of its intensive, hands-on curriculum.
“My training at NYFA was singularly instrumental in the production of this film, as well as several others. I knew nothing of storytelling in terms of moving pictures, except what I liked and didn’t like. I knew a good film when I saw one, and kept an open mind for the most part, but what I learned from NYFA was not just technical–though a large part of it was. It was also political, and dealt with the ethics and hierarchy of filmmaking. Essentially, you put into it what you hope to get out of your production, and your reputation travelled a lot faster than you ever could in filmmaking. When I didn’t know what I was doing, which was often, I asked for help. Instructors at NYFA: Piero Basso, Lanre Olabisi, Claude Kerven, Ivan Julien and many others were always eager to help. I will always be a perpetual student when it comes to filmmaking.”
Molly’s hope is for Linger to ‘reach’ at least one person, who in turn might alter their perception on how they view a simple human choice.
Aside from Linger, Molly has recently completed post-production work on a feature film directed by a fellow NYFA alum, Manoj Annadurai, titled Get Happy. She’s also trying to raise funds to film her own feature, tentatively set to begin filming November of 2015.
The acclaimed independent feature film Layover, written and directed by Joshua Caldwell, released via VOD on October 13th through their self-release platform at www.layoverfilm.com. The film is available as a streaming rental, a download or several levels of ‘DIY Filmmaker Bundle,’ which includes the film plus bonus content, interviews, commentary, filmmaking apps, software and more. Layover premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival where it was nominated for the prestigious FIPRESCI New American Cinema Award. The film stars Nathalie Fay (Hangover), Karl E. Landler (Syfy’s Metal Hurlant Chronicles), Bella Dayne, and Hal Ozsan (NBC’s The Black List) and was recorded in English and French with English subtitles.
About Layover:
Simone, a cynical, young Parisian on her way to Singapore to get married, is forced to spend the night in Los Angeles when her connecting flight is cancelled. After contacting Juliette, an old friend with marital issues, the two head out for a night of fun with some of Juliette’s friends. When Juliette leaves the club with a stranger, Simone finds herself alone, downtown with no ride. The arrival of a handsome and mysterious motorcyclist changes everything. With his help, Simone navigates her way through the Los Angeles night-light of after-parties, beautiful people and endless lights. Over the course of her adventure, Simone begins to question whether or not the life she is leading is the one she actually wants. Will she make her connection?
About Joshua Caldwell:
Joshua Caldwell is an accomplished director, writer, producer, and MTV Movie Award winner. He has worked with a number of high-profile producers, including CSI: creator Anthony E. Zuiker, for whom he produced ‘Cybergeddon’, the online global motion picture event for Yahoo!, and directed all of the film’s ancillary content for its immersive website. His award-winning short film ‘Dig’, starring Mark Margolis of ‘Breaking Bad’, was featured in numerous film festivals, and his latest short ‘Resignation’ screened at Comic-Con. His debut feature film ‘Layover’ World Premiered at the 2014 Seattle International Film Festival where it was nominated for the New American Cinema Award. Joshua currently resides in Los Angeles, CA with his wife Danielle, son Austin, and rescue dog Hadley.
Eva Daoud completed the filmmaking course at the New York Film Academy Abu Dhabi and has already made quite a mark on the film festival circuit. In a marvelous joint collaboration with the talented Adnan Aschamat, a well known Syrian actor, A Spring Has Passed By has met tremendous international success and continues to collect accolades in some of the world’s leading film festivals.
The Academy is proud of students like Eva that give inspiration not only to their audience, but to their colleagues and alumni.
The film has been selected and screened at the following festivals:
1. Urban Mediamakers Film Festival – Atlanta, CA (2013) – Official Selection – Best International Short Film 2. Best Shorts Competition – La Jolla, CA (2013) – Award of Merit for Best Short Film 3. Wild Rose Independent Film Festival – Des Moines, Iowa (2013) – Official Selection – Short Film 4. Peace on Earth Film Festival – Chicago, Illinois (2014) – Official Selection – Short Film 5. Palm Beach International Short Film Festival – Palm Beach, Florida (2014) – Official Selection – Short Film 6. Liverpool Lift-Off International Film Festival – Liverpool, UK (2014) – Official Selection – Short Film 7. Sarasota Film Festival – Sarasota, Florida (2014) – Official Selection – Short Film 8. 2014 Athens International Film + Video Festival – Athens, Ohio (2014) – Official Selection – Short Film 9. The World Film Festival – Montreal , Canada (2014) – Official Selection – Short Film 10. Arab Short Film Festival – Beirut, Lebanon (2014) – Official Selection – Short Film 11. Female Eye Film Festival – Toronto, Canada (2014) – Official Selection – Short Film 12. Palm Springs International Shortfilmfest – Palm Springs, California (2014) – Marketplace Selection – Short Film 13. Malmo Arab Film Festival – Malmo, Sweden (2014) – Official Selection – Short Film 14. San Giò Verona Video Festival – Verona, Italy (2014) – Official Selection – Short Film 15. Bahamas International Film Festival – Bahamas (2014) – Short List Selection – Short Film 16. Phnom Penh International Film Festival – Cambodia (2014) – Official Selection – Short Film 17. Marbella International Film Festival – Spain (2014) – Official Selection – Short Film 18. Massachusetts Independent Film Festival – Somerville, Massachusetts (2014) – Official Selection – Short Film – Best Actor Nominee – Adnan Aschamat 19. Festival of the Mediterranean short film – Tangier, Morocco (2014) – Official Selection – Short Film 20. Lady Filmmakers Film Festival – Beverly Hills, USA (2014) – Official Selection – Short Film 21. Baghdad International Film Festival – Baghdad, Iraq (2014) – Official Selection – Short Film
If you’re 13 years or older and live in the New York City area, be sure to crash the famous Metropolitan Museum of Art this Friday, October 17th from 5:00pm – 8:00pm for the “Teens Take the Met” event! Middle and High School students are encouraged to join in for teen-only activities across the Museum including art making, performances, gallery activities ‘for teens by teens’, music, dancing, and more! This fun and enriching event is co-organized with over 40 community partners, including the New York Film Academy.
If you’re coming out, please use the ground-level entrance at Fifth Avenue and 81st Street on the Upper East Side. Doors will open at 5:00 p.m.
“Teens Take the Met” is free and open to all teens 13+ with a middle or high school ID. No need to RSVP―just show up!
The New York Film has partnered with the MET in other activities, including our “Art and Film” workshop, which has taken place for the past three years. Headed up by Documentary Chair, Andrea Swift, NYFA students learn the fundamentals of documentary filmmaking. Through the workshop, students create short documentary pieces about the Metropolitan Museum’s exceptional art.
Following our partnership with the online creative community, Zooppa, New York Film Academy students immediately began pitching ideas for the “Be Bold for Girls” campaign. The goal of the campaign, started by Plan USA, was to bring awareness to the challenges young girls face due to their age and gender.
Through the challenge, our student filmmakers were asked to create 30-59 second videos that showcase people who are taking action to empower girls and bring attention to oppression in their local communities and in developing countries around the world. The stories were to be inspiring, presenting how one person or many people are being bold and standing up for girls’ basic human.
Videos were judged based on the following factors:
How engaging was the story
Did the story convey the message of the brief and inspire action?
Production quality
After careful consideration from a number of videos, from not only NYFA students but also filmmakers around the world, the following Honorable Mention Award winners from the New York Film Academy were announced:
These female filmmakers, along with a number of other close calls, produced quality content in such a quick turnaround time for Plan USA and Zooppa! We cannot be more proud of our students for their hard work and dedication.
The winners of the official campaign are used leading up to, during, and after the “International Day of the Girl” on October 11th.
As a result of our enthusiastic response, Zooppa anxiously awaits for more NYFA student entries. Be sure to check the Zooppa site for more projects with cash and prize rewards and select New York Film Academy as your Creative Network.
The New York Film Academy is pleased one of its Acting Instructors, Deena Selenow, was selected among arts leaders across the country to be one of ten participants in the SPARK Leadership Program. SPARK intends to create a more diverse theatre landscape by supporting the professional development of exceptional rising leaders of color who aim to take on executive leadership positions in artistic, management or producing roles at U.S. not-for-profit theatres. Given NYFA’s diverse student body, SPARK’s development initiatives work hand-in-hand with our philosophy.
Building on the success of Theatre Communications Group’s Young Leaders of Color Program, this pilot program will provide ten leaders who self-identify as leaders of color with the opportunity to participate in a three-tiered curriculum:
Knowledge & Skills-Building: SPARK will provide the necessary practical skills for success in leading a not-for-profit theatre organization.
Networking & Professional Connections: SPARK will provide opportunities to develop empowering relationships with mentors, sponsors and career influencers, as well as with peers who are pursuing similar career goals.Self
Awareness & Inclusion Training: SPARK will provide tools and resources to empower participants and ensure they promote diversity, inclusion and equity in their work.
“I’m thrilled to have been selected for this exciting program, focusing on both the present and future of diversity and inclusion in the performing arts, as well as my role as an agent for change in our evolving American cultural landscape.” – Deena Selenow
Aside from her teaching at NYFA, Deena Selenow has directed opera, theater, concerts, puppetry, performance installation and site-specific happenings in Los Angeles at REDCAT, Highways Performance Space, Company of Angels, Machine Project and CalArts; and in New York at Dixon Place, NYTW’s 4th Street Theatre, CSV Cultural Center, NYU and various locations in Harlem, Midtown and Lower Manhattan.
Deena was a recipient of the 2006 Baryshnikov Art Center Multi-Disciplinary Artist Fellowship, the 2009/2010 New York Theatre Workshop Emerging Artist of Color Directing Fellowship, and was a participant in the 2013 Walt Disney Imagineering/CalArts Educational Initiative.
Congratulations, Deena! We’re proud to have you on our team.
We’ve stumbled across a terrific opportunity for our New York City filmmaking students, especially those who are living in Brooklyn. Starting November 10th, Passenger Bar in Williamsburg, will be running monthly movie/short film competition nights to screen short independent films and music videos created by local artists and students.
They’re aiming to have 6-10 shorts a night to screen, per week, and the best shorts of the night can win prizes!
The first screening night is Monday, November 10th, so students are asked to submit their films by November 8th.
Interested student filmmakers should email a YouTube or Vimeo link of his or her short to [email protected] for consideration.
Students will then need to bring the .mov file, nothing too large, for viewing the night of the event.
Coming off the huge success of our first musical production, Spring Awakening, the New York Film Academy Musical Theatre Department put together another magnificent performance in The Wedding Singer. A complete contrast from the former, The Wedding Singer is a comedic piece based on the 1998 Adam Sandler film. Featuring music by Matthew Sklar and lyrics by Chad Beguelin, with its book written by Beguelin and Tim Herlihy, The Wedding Singer is the story of a wedding singer and a cocktail waitress, both engaged to the wrong significant other.
Stretching over the weekend from September 26th – 28th, our diverse and talented team of 21 students from 11 different countries put on four shows at The Connelly Theatre in New York City’s East Village. Even two of our alumni returned to work with the lighting, costumes and house management.
Audiences packed the house with three of the four shows selling out, thanks in large part due to the wonderful performances orchestrated by our experienced NYFA friends and staff, which included producers, Chair Mark Olsen and Kristy Cates, as well as associate producer Jordan Dragutsy. Seasoned director Isaac Byrne directed the musical with music direction from Anne Ebbson. Once again, the gifted Chad Austin headed the choreography, making the performers look more like professionals than students.
“I am so proud of our students and their commitment to their craft, spending each day in class and each evening in rehearsal for nearly 2 months,” says NYFA Creative Director of Musical Theatre Kristy Cates, best known for her turn in the role of Elphaba in the Broadway, Chicago, and national tour of the smash musical Wicked. “At NYFA, we want to give our students every possible chance to succeed in this crazy business and it thrills me that each one of them rose to the occasion and had a wonderful experience in this show!”
For many students, this is their first ‘go’ at a major staged musical production. “The Wedding Singer has been one of the best experiences of my life!” exclaimed Musical Theatre student Stephania Sánquiz Donelli, who plays the role of Holly. “I’ve always wanted to perform in musicals and I never had the opportunity in my country because there were always so much political, social and economic problems that affected my artistic life.”
Adding his thoughts on the value of the whole production experience was student Conner Lyons, who plays the role of Robbie Hart. “The leaps and bounds we’ve made as artists and professionals from this experience is priceless!” he says. “I learned so much in all facets of musical theatre. I think the most invaluable assets of the show for me have been the positive motivation to improve my vocals and to believe in myself as a vocalist!”
Given the positive and overall resounding appreciation from our students, as well as our audiences, the New York Film Academy intends to continue producing musicals of this caliber as a regular part of its curriculum. In fact, look for our next musical in April 2015!
CAST (IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE): Robbie Hart – Connor Lyons Sammy – Christopher Lee George – Alec Lee Julia Sullivan – Raquel Tillo Holly – Stephania Sanquiz Donelli Glen Guglia – Charles Engelsgjerd Rosie – Fernanda Hidalgo Linda – Carrie McMahon Angie – Beatriz Cavalieri Ensemble – Mauritz Badenhorst, Miguel A. Candelaria Palafox, Melissa Jennifer Gonzalez, Alexis Guarneros, Cody Arturo Hernandez (guest performer), Charlotte Hughes, Cristina Hussey, Ilda Mason, Silvia Nicoloso, Carol Nolasco, Giovana Pancera, Georgia Roe (NYFA Alum) Naomi Wong
PRODUCTION TEAM: Producers – Kristy Cates & Mark Olsen Associate Producer/Prod Manager – Jordan Neil Dragutsky Production Stage Manager – Nikki Castle Production Assistant Stage Manager – Momo Sugawara
CREATIVE TEAM: Director – Isaac Byrne Choreographer – Chad Austin Music Director/Conductor – Anna Ebbessen Speech & Dialect Coach – Lauren T. Mack Fight Director – Mark Olsen Fight Coordinator – Dan Renkin Associate Choreographer – Georgia Roe (NYFA Alum) Associate Music Director – Daniel Lincoln Book by Chad Beguelin & Tim Herlihy Music by Matthew Sklar Lyrics by Chad Beguelin
DESIGN TEAM: Scenic Design – Ryan Howell Costume Design – David Withrow Lighting Design – Mary Ellen Stebbins Sound Design – Jacob Subotnick
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If you’re 13 years or older and live in the New York City area, be sure to crash the famous Metropolitan Museum of Art this Friday, October 17th from 5:00pm – 8:00pm for the 
The New York Film Academy is pleased one of its 
