Page 349 – NYFA

Italian Video Competition for NYFA Florence Scholarship

The Italian Ministry of Education in collaboration with the New York Film Academy and Mecenate 90, announce the first edition of “La Tua Città in Primo Piano” (“Your Town Up Close”). The initiative is a video contest open to all Italian private and public high school students, in order to promote film culture, the development of new creative expressions and enhance the artistic talents of a younger generation.

There will be two competitive sections: the first, “Nuovi registi in città” (“New Directors in the City”) addressed to individual students who will try to achieve a commercial (a video lasting a minimum of 30 seconds to a maximum of 3 minutes.) The video can be any theme, as long as it presents an important aspect of their city. The second is “Una scena per la tua città” (“A Scene For Your City”) addressed to the teachers to shoot a video with their classes. The topic of this video is an adaptation of a famous movie scene shot in Italy.

Students can then share their videos via social media in order to get as many votes and as much exposure as possible.

The ten videos with the most votes will be considered the finalists and a committee, consisting of representatives from NYFA and the Ministry, will select the winner. The winner will receive a scholarship for a 4 week filmmaking workshop and accommodation at the New York Film Academy in Florence.

NYFA Grad Melissa Palazuelos as Head Writer on ‘Gossip Girl Acapulco’

MFA Screenwriting grad Melissa Palazuelos is currently working as head writer on Gossip Girl Acapulco, a Mexican adaptation of the hit American television show. Just six months after her graduation, she met with TV producer Pedro Torres, and pitched two of the screenplays she had written while at New York Film Academy. That piqued Torres’ interest, and he brought Melissa on to develop some reality shows, commercials, a web series, and a game show. She also recently worked on the hit video for the platinum-selling Mexican pop-rock duo Jesse & Joy’s song ¡Corre!, which has over 125 million views on YouTube!

When she heard that Torres and his production company, El Mall, was working with Warner Bros. on a Mexican adaptation of Gossip Girl, Melissa knew she had to be involved. “Being part of the writers room at that point sounded like an amazing opportunity for me so I immediately [watched] the five American seasons that were out so far and lost track of my own social life,” she says. “I kept a list of what I considered the best moments of the show, which characters would need some tweaking and more work on the Mexican version, and finally, once I could call myself a true Gossip Girl connoisseur, I took [NYFA instructor] Adam Moore’s advice when pitching a show to a producer, and dressed the part. All the research and plotting paid off and I became the head writer for the show!”

Melissa left her hometown of Mexico City to attend New York Film Academy’s MFA Screenwriting course in Los Angeles in 2009. She says, “I was very lucky to be taught by super talented instructors at NYFA LA.” She suggests that students “Take it seriously. Take notes. Use your time in school to work on a project that could possibly lead to business. I’d say think universally so that way you can get better chances of selling your story. Work so hard they can’t ignore you.”

Philip Dorling Screens “Why Stop Now”

This Monday evening, the New York Film Academy welcomed back former 1-Year filmmaking graduate, Philip Dorling. Philip’s last visit came back in 2011 when he screened his thesis film, “Predisposed.” Since then, Philip raised funds to shoot the feature with Melissa Leo, Jesse Eisenberg, and Tracy Morgan. The film was accepted at Sundance and picked up for distruction by IFC. Along the way, the title was changed to Why Stop Now, which Philip says was the producers’ idea. Though, Eisenberg eventually came up with the wording for the title. This being one of several compromises Philip had to make in order to successfully finish his feature film. As the evening’s host, NYFA Instructor Tassos Rigopoulus puts it, “Filmmaking is all about compromises.”

Philip suggests young filmmakers take the independent route, as opposed to writing a script and trying to get it in front of a big agent or producer. “If you want to make independent films, you should try to relate to someone who can raise money,” says Philip. Ultimately, Philip was able to convince three major actors to believe in his vision and after three years of planning, the financing eventually came from BCDF Pictures. With NYFA’s intense training and busy schedule under his belt, Philip was able to pull off a twenty day shoot on a relatively small budget, especially for feature standards. And from the words of renowned film critic Roger Ebert, “Why Stop Now is a bright screwball comedy about one fraught day in the life of a piano prodigy, his crackhead mother and her drug dealers.” Not a bad critic to have on your side.

The young director is currently in the middle of raising finances for his next project, Eat My Love, which he began writing two days after Why Stop Now was completed. Not only that, Philip extended an open invitation to NYFA filmmakers and actors to be a part of his next film. He hopes to have more details in the near future.

David Lynch Foundation Event

This past Saturday and Monday evening, the New York Film Academy hosted a screening event with the David Lynch Foundation at our Union Square campus. The documentary covers renowned filmmaker, David Lynch’s 16 country tour as he spreads his philosophy of transcendental meditation.

“I have been ‘diving within’ through the Transcendental Meditation technique for over 30 years,” says David Lynch. “It has changed my life, my world. I am not alone. Millions of other people of all ages, religions, and walks of life practice the technique and enjoy incredible benefits.”

The meditation techniques are aimed to alleviate, and hopefully eliminate, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and other stress-related disorders. The unique benefits of TM technique are well documented by extensive research.

Saturday’s event was represented by David Lynch Foundation’s Lil Malinich, Jessica Wisk, and Executive Director Bob Roth. While Monday’s event was hosted by Director of Programs, Peter Trivelas. “NYFA students are passionate, courageous, and genuinely curious to know more about what can enlighten and strengthen their work as artists,” said Lil Malinich from the David Lynch Foundation. We couldn’t agree more.

Both events were a tremendous success, with a full house of curious students and transcendental meditation enthusiasts. We want to thank the David Lynch Foundation for setting up two enlightening evenings to share with our community at the New York Film Academy.

Military Education Benefits: Study Filmmaking and Acting with Post 9/11 GI Bill

You’ve done so much to help our country. Now, let us help you make your dreams of working in the entertainment and motion picture industry a reality. The New York Film Academy is proud to work with the Department of Veterans Affairs and to participate in the GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon tuition assistance programs at our Los Angeles Hollywood school. These military education benefits can help eligible veterans receive full tuition plus an excellent living stipend.

NYFA offers associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees in a range of art fields, including filmmaking, screenwriting, acting for film, and photography. And with our online learning option, there’s an education solution to fit your schedule.

It’s important to explore what’s available to you, and learn more about the benefits you’ve worked so hard to earn. Fill out the form to the right to learn how the GI Bill or Yellow Ribbon

For more information on these benefits, visit http://www.gibill.va.gov.

If you have any questions about financial aid and military benefits at New York Film Academy, please contact [email protected] or call (818) 733-2600.

Spanish Goya Nomination for Jorge Laplace

New York Film Academy screenwriting graduate, Jorge Laplace is the screenwriter behind the Goya Nominated Animated Short, Alfred & Anna. The Goya Awards, known in Spanish as los Premios Goya, are Spain’s main national film awards, considered by many in Spain, and internationally, to be the Spanish equivalent of the American Academy Awards. This is Jorge’s second Goya nominated script, the former being the documentary, 30 Years of Darkness.

Alfred & Anna was directed by Juanma Suarez with music by Roque Baños, whose known for his work in Sexy Beast and The Machinist.

We’re very proud of Jorge on another wonderful accomplishment and wish him the best at the Goya Awards on February 17!

Congratulations NYFA Grads!

Congratulations to New York Film Academy’s new crop of future filmmakers! Last weekend, 54 filmmaking students graduated from the school’s Los Angeles campus. Four-time Emmy Award winner, Jay Kogen, delivered a rousing commencement speech to the grads. The producer/writer/director, best known for his work on The Simpsons, Frasier, The Tracey Ullman Show, and Malcolm in the Middle, inspired the students to chase their dreams.

Congratulations to the AFA Filmmaking graduates: Eskil André Brattgjerd, Carlos Garcia, Mohammad Lajevardi, James Neill, and Elias Smith; and to our MFA Filmmaking graduates: Yagiz Acar, Farah Fuad Alhashim, Victor Aminger, Charles Ancelle, Kirsten Eleanor Anderson, Adrian Aquino, Annique Arredondo, Raul Asensio Molina, Eduardo Augusto, Stefani Avila, Tatiana Beller, Askar Bissembin, Nataliya Bobytska, Nicolas Brouwers, Neil Casey, Pablo Chozas Zambrana, John Chuka, Filipe Ferraz Coutinho, Min Dai, Lu Feng, Seth Fuller, Jubilee Gamaniel, Rafael Garcia, Matthew Gengel, Yifei Guo, Yang He, Shirley Hon, McKinley Johnson, Prarthana Suneel Joshi, Christian Jurgensen, Geet Kandya, Dae Kyu Lee, Nancy Lee, Rishi Mehta, Jason Mohan, Adrian Morales Ramos, Roona Mukhopadhyay, Rima Naim, Sishu Peng, Juhi Roddam, Bryan Rooney, Thomas Schade, Galo Semblantes, Anna Skrypka, Keith Thompson, Aili Wang, Robert Womack II, Zi Xiang, Wen-Hsin Yu!

Oscar Winner Wally Pfister Talks Chris Nolan

Over 400 students signed up to attend Oscar-winning cinematographer Wally Pfister’s Q&A in after the screening of Inception for New York Film Academy in Los Angeles. The atmosphere in the room could only be described as a rock concert. And though Pfister was recovering from a bout of food poisoning, he wasn’t going to let down the auditorium full of excited students, who greeted him with cheers of “Wally! Wally!” He spoke about his long-time collaboration with Chris Nolan, saying, “Chris is an incredible storyteller and incredible screenwriter.”

Following an interview with producer Tova Laiter and Cinematography Chair Michael Pessah, Pfister took questions directly from the students who lined up in what can only be described as a conga line to ask the master about his work. “You have to take risks,” he said. “That’s what will make your career last longer. You have to fight to get your vision on the screen (but not fight with your director).”

Besides winning the Oscar for Inception in 2011, Wally also garnered Oscar nominations for The Dark Knight, The Prestige, and Batman Begins, and is well known for his work on Insomnia, The Italian Job, Moneyball, Memento, and The Dark Knight Rises.

MFA Screenwriting student Jordan Farrester said, “It was great to be there with someone who has worked on some of the biggest films of the past ten years. He was really thoughtful and insightful, and had a lot to say about the industry and his vision.”

Pfister’s latest project is his feature film directorial debut, Transcendence, starring Johnny Depp, and written by NYFA instructor Jack Paglen. The film is slated for release in 2014.

NYFA Soccer Team!

New York Film Academy at Los Angeles now has its very own soccer team! Soccer, or football, as it is known outside of the States, is the world’s most popular sport, played in over 200 countries. Spearheaded by BFA Acting for Film student Adam El-Manawy, the NYFA team formed over the past couple months and practices near campus on the weekends.

For Adam, soccer is a way of life. “I have played since I was four years old, and used to play in a club back in Belgium,” he says. “It’s like eating or sleeping for me.” But he says he had been missing out on the sport since moving to the US. He spread the word about creating a team, and 23 people responded in the first week. Proving to be as international as NYFA’s own student body, the team has players from 4 continents, many of whom had played in clubs back home, and one who had played professionally.

The team just received NYFA jerseys, and is looking to start competing soon! For more information on how to join the team, email [email protected].