Angela Ruhinda

NYFA / ALUMNI / SCREENWRITING / ANGELA RUHINDA

Angela Ruhinda

Angela Ruhinda

SCREENWRITER
Graduated from NYFA LA Campus in 2011

Angela Ruhinda is a Tanzanian-born screenwriter, producer and actor. Her thesis pilot, Iman & Andy, sold to ABC during her second year at NYFA, with Whoopi Goldberg and Ben Silverman attached as Executive Producers. She went on to earn her first U.S. writing credit with the Hallmark TV movie Moonlight in Vermont in 2017 and created the mockumentary web series Morning Wood, recognized at the LA Web Festival for Outstanding Ensemble and Writing.

In 2018, Angela co‑founded Black Unicorn Studios with her sister Alinda, launching Tanzanian storytelling on the global stage Their first feature, Binti (2021), was the first Tanzanian film acquired by Netflix and premiered at the Zanzibar International Film Festival Angela earned a Best Script Writer (Drama) nomination at Kenya’s Women in Film Awards in February 2025, and most recently served as head writer for Showmax Kenya’s rom‑com series Big Girl, Small World (2024), leading an all-female writers’ room. In June 2025, she penned the Netflix crime comedy Inside Job, marking another significant milestone in her expanding on-screen repertoire.

Related
Content

NYFA Alum Pens First Tanzanian Film to Stream on Netflix, “Binti”

NYFA Alum Pens First Tanzanian Film to Stream on Netflix, “Binti”

New York Film Academy (NYFA) MFA Screenwriting Alum Angela Ruhinda is a writer and producer from Tanzania. In 2018, Ruhinda started a production company, Black Unicorn Studios, with her sister…
NYFA MFA Screenwriting Alum Sells Thesis Pilot Script to ABC

NYFA MFA Screenwriting Alum Sells Thesis Pilot Script to ABC

In their second year of study, students in New York Film Academy’s MFA Screenwriting program choose to write either a feature film or a television pilot for their thesis project….

Nick Jones Jr.

NYFA / ALUMNI / U.S. VETERANS / NICK JONES JR.

Nick Jones Jr.

Nick Jones Jr.

U.S VETERAN | SCREENWRITER | DIRECTOR
Graduated from NYFA LA Campus in 2012

Nick Jones Jr. is an American writer, director, producer, and actor who began his professional journey with 12 years of service in the United States Marine Corps before transitioning to the film industry. Most notably, Nick Jones Jr. was the head writer for Netflix’s 2021 anime adaptation of Yasuke, the true story of Japan’s first Black samurai.

While studying, he wrote, directed, and produced the award-winning short film Cold: Choices, featuring Neil Brown Jr from Seal Team. He interned on the ABC comedy series The Middle
and served as a military consultant and uncredited script contributor on Dito Montiel’s feature Man Down (2015), starring Shia LaBeouf and Gary Oldman.

Nick worked as a consultant writer on ten episodes of Starz’s Black Sails (2017) before joining the writing team of Hulu’s Casual (2018), contributing to eight episodes in its fourth season In 2021, he became head writer for Netflix’s anime series Yasuke, infusing the historical tale of Japan’s first Black samurai. Currently, he’s developing original series projects for Netflix, including a live-action follow-up to Yasuke, and co-writing the historical miniseries Buffalo Rangers.

Related
Content

NYFA Veteran Student Hired as Military Consultant for Shia LaBeouf

NYFA Veteran Student Hired as Military Consultant for Shia LaBeouf

You never know when or from whom your next opportunity will manifest. In such an arduous and competitive industry like filmmaking, it’s best to take advantage of every relationship and be…

Meshal Al Jaser

NYFA / ALUMNI / SCREENWRITING / MESHAL AL JASER

Meshal Al Jaser

Meshal Al Jaser

SCREENWRITER | DIRECTOR
Graduated from NYFA LA Campus in 2020

Meshal Al Jaser is an award-winning Saudi Arabian director, writer, and actor best known for his bold, genre-blending storytelling. His feature debut, NAGA (2023), a tense desert thriller, premiered in the Midnight Madness section at the Toronto International Film Festival and is currently streaming on Netflix. Al Jaser gained international recognition with Arabian Alien (2020), a sci-fi short exploring depression and cultural tension through the lens of an alien encounter. The film premiered at Sundance (Grand Jury Prize nominee), won the Jury Award for Best Narrative Short at the Atlanta Film Festival, and qualified for Oscar consideration. He was named GQ Middle East’s Filmmaker of the Year in 2021.

Al Jaser first rose to fame as a teenager creating viral satirical videos for popular Arabic-language YouTube channels like FOLAIM Ya Gholaim and Telfaz 11, which collectively garnered hundreds of millions of views. His professional directorial debut, Is Sumiyati Going to Hell? (2016), tackled domestic worker abuse in Saudi Arabia and was featured in Netflix’s Six Windows in the Desert anthology; it also won a Gold Movie Award. He followed with Under Concrete (2017), winner of the Qomrah Award.

Meshal Al Jaser Alum Work

Related
Content

NYFA Alumni Meshal Al Jaser, Tushar Tyagi, and Dr. Ariel Orama López Qualify for 93rd Academy Awards

NYFA Alumni Meshal Al Jaser, Tushar Tyagi, and Dr. Ariel Orama López Qualify for 93rd Academy Awards

New York Film Academy (NYFA) is excited to announce the eligibility of three alumni projects that are officially qualified to be nominated in the upcoming 93rd Academy Awards for the…
Netflix Streams Two Short Films by New York Film Academy (NYFA) Alumni

Netflix Streams Two Short Films by New York Film Academy (NYFA) Alumni

In the interest of promoting social issues and international diversity, Netflix has curated a series of six films from Saudi Arabia, including two shorts by New York Film Academy (NYFA)…
‘ARABIAN ALIEN’ BY NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY (NYFA) STUDENT NOMINATED AT SUNDANCE 2020

‘ARABIAN ALIEN’ BY NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY (NYFA) STUDENT NOMINATED AT SUNDANCE 2020

New York Film Academy (NYFA) BFA Screenwriting student Meshal Al Jaser is headed to Utah later this month–his short film, Arabian Alien, will screen in this year’s lineup at the Sundance…

Krios Song

NYFA / ALUMNI / SCREENWRITING / KRIOS SONG

Krios Song

Krios Song

DIRECTOR | SCREENWRITER
Graduated from NYFA NYC Campus in 2016

Krios Song is a versatile writer and producer whose early career in New York City involved key roles in acclaimed feature films. As a producer, he contributed to The Kindergarten Teacher, which won the U.S. Dramatic Directing Award at Sundance (2018); Skin, which received the FIPRESCI Prize at TIFF (2018); and The Short History of the Long Road, honored with a Jury Mention for Best Screenplay at Tribeca (2019). Song also played a vital part in developing Skin—a short version that earned the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film in 2019.

In the realm of television and animation, Song has demonstrated his writing prowess with the BBC/CBeebies preschool series Supertato, penning standout episodes such as “The Wishing Tree” and “Pea Repeat” for Season 1, and continuing to write for Season 2. He further expanded his creative footprint into animation production, producing the climactic Season 2
finale of Bilibili’s The Capsule Project, titled “Amy and Frog,” under director Paul Williams with original music by Laurent Perez Del Mar—an episode adapted from a Galaxy Award-winning novella.

Rethabile Ramaphakela

NYFA / ALUMNI / SCREENWRITING / RETHABILE RAMAPHAKELA

Rethabile Ramaphakela

Rethabile Ramaphakela

SCREENWRITER | PRODUCER
Graduated from NYFA NYC Campus in 2010

Rethabile Ramaphakela is a writer, filmmaker and producer. Ramaphakela began her career as a KTV presenter before transitioning to the world of film production. Her notable works include directing and producing the popular film Seriously Single (2020), and creating and producing the Netflix Original series How to Ruin Christmas.She has also served as executive producer for Bedford Wives (2017), and was a writer for Check Coast (2014).

As an executive producer and script editor, she contributed to My Perfect Family (2015). Ramaphakela has received several accolades, including “Best Achievement in Screenwriting for a TV Comedy” at the South African Film and Television Awards in 2015 and 2019. She was also recognized as a “Producer to Watch from Africa” at MIPtv in Cannes in 2019.

Her recent projects include the Netflix comedy Disaster Holiday, which Rethabile wrote and directed, How To Ruin Love: The Proposal, a spin-off from her successful Netflix franchise, and serving as the creative producer for season 3 of MTV Shuga Down South. Additionally, she developed the 13-part comedy-drama Magaeng for Mzansi Magic. She is also the co-founder of Burnt Onion Productions.

Related
Content

NYFA Cinematography Alum Ilaria Serantoni is Booked and Busy

NYFA Cinematography Alum Ilaria Serantoni is Booked and Busy

It’s Spring, and NYFA Cinematography alum Ilaria Serantoni has graciously made time in her very busy schedule to talk to NYFA. We’re at the Coppola Cafe in Manhattan, and early…
NYFA Alum Step Into The Spotlight at Cannes

NYFA Alum Step Into The Spotlight at Cannes

Join us in celebrating NYFA alumni debuting films at the 77th Cannes Film Festival! Under the direction of jury president, filmmaker, and actress Greta Gerwig, known for the 2023 blockbuster…
Film Festival Successes of the New York Film Academy Community

Film Festival Successes of the New York Film Academy Community

Each year, the New York Film Academy (NYFA) community–including our students, alumni, and faculty–find a great deal of success on the film festival circuit, including fests around the globe like…
NYFA at the Nordic International Film Festival (NIFF) 2023

NYFA at the Nordic International Film Festival (NIFF) 2023

The Nordic International Film Festival (NIFF) returned to New York City for its ninth year, running from October 18th – 22nd. NIFF, the largest Nordic film festival outside of Europe,…
abraham-amkpa

NYFA Alum Abraham Amkpa’s “Lift” Selected as Festival Finalist

NYFA alum Abraham Amkpa’s thesis film Lift (2022) has been selected as a finalist for the Fine Cut Festival of Films. His film will be broadcast on KCET on September…
Golda Movie

The Golda Meir Movie: Takeaways for Emerging Filmmakers

Biographical films give insights into the lives of the most influential figures. These films help audiences explore a particular era’s norms, values, and challenges, providing a better understanding of history…
NYFA Students Awarded “Top of the Class” in MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy

NYFA Students Awarded “Top of the Class” in MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy

With filmmaking, aspiring visual storytellers can embark on a unique journey. From the formative experiences of early life to the continuous growth, filmmakers are presented with endless opportunities to learn…
NYFA Brazilian Alumni Reunite in São Paulo

NYFA Brazilian Alumni Reunite in São Paulo

In March 2023, NYFA representatives Roger DelPozo, Miriam Estevam, and Larissa Korolkovas traveled to São Paulo, Brazil, to meet with NYFA alums living in Brazil. It was a great turnout,…
jamesfriend

NYFA Alum James Friend Wins the Best Cinematography Oscar for All Quiet on the Western Front

Continuing success for NYFA alumni is always something to celebrate—and this year, Cinematographer and NYFA alum James Friend won the Academy Award for best cinematography for his work on All…
The 2023 Oscars: Highlights & Full List of Nominees (Updating Live)

The 2023 Oscars: Highlights & Full List of Nominees (Updating Live)

The nominations for the 2023 Oscars were announced on Tuesday, January 24th, with Riz Ahmed, who won the Oscar for best live-action short last year, and Allison Williams, who currently…

Lucy Luna

NYFA / ALUMNI / SCREENWRITING / LUCY LUNA

Lucy Luna

Lucy Luna

SCREENWRITER | DIRECTOR
Graduated from NYFA LA Campus in 2017

Lucy Luna is an award-winning screenwriter and director. Born in Mexico she made a name for herself with her multi-award-winning feature spec script Sophie & Valentina, which won both the HBOAccess and ScreenCraft Fellowships and was selected for the Young & Hungry List. She also wrote and directed the horror short We’re All Here, which received multiple festival awards—including the Jury Award for Best Horror Short at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards

On television, Lucy has written six episodes and produced five across shows including Two Sentence Horror Stories (The CW) and All Rise (CBS/OWN), even producing her All Rise episodes end-to-end. She has also penned horror feature scripts for major studios like Sony and Paramount and has sold her own TV show to a major studio, with more projects in development.

Luna was nominated for ‘Best Screenplay Drama’ at the Austin Film Festival’s Screenplay & Teleplay Competition for Sophie & Valentina.

Lucy Luna Alum Work

Related
Content

Q&A With Screenwriting Grad Lucy Luna

Q&A With Screenwriting Grad Lucy Luna

NYFA: Hi Lucy, would you mind telling us a bit about your background and what drew you towards screenwriting? Why did you decide to study screenwriting at NYFA? LUCY LUNA:…

Manuel Billeter

NYFA / ALUMNI / CINEMATOGRAPHY / MANUEL BILLETER

Manuel Billeter

Manuel Billeter

CINEMATOGRAPHER
Graduated from NYFA NYC Campus in 1997

Manuel Billeter is a cinematographer known for his work on award-winning shows for HBO, Netflix, and Showtime, including Inventing Anna, Ozark, The Gilded Age, and Marvel’s hit noir drama Jessica Jones.

Billeter’s credits include episodes of: HBO’s And Just Like That, Marvel’s The Punisher; the award-winning dramas The Affair and Orange is the New Black; the dark and stylized CBS vigilante crime-fighting series, Person of Interest (Seasons 1-3, EP: Jonah Nolan, J.J. Abrams), the seminal Dick Wolf show Law & Order (Seasons 18-20); and camera work for films including Lawless (Dir: John Hillcoat, starring Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain, Guy Pearce, Mia Wasikowska) and Tower Heist (starring Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy).

Previously, Billeter shot the Red Line pilot for CBS and Berlanti Productions and the Run for Your Life pilot for Blumhouse Television and Syfy. Also for Netflix, Billeter shot the critically-praised Luke Cage, starring Mike Colter; and Iron Fist. He made his feature film debut as Director of Photography with Cat Person, a genre-bending thriller directed by Susanna Fogel, starring Emilia Jones and Nicholas Braun, which premiered at Sundance 2023.

Manuel is a member of the Swiss Society of Cinematographers.

Related
Content

Film Festival Successes of the New York Film Academy Community

Film Festival Successes of the New York Film Academy Community

Each year, the New York Film Academy (NYFA) community–including our students, alumni, and faculty–find a great deal of success on the film festival circuit, including fests around the globe like…
Janek Ambros, MFA Producing Alum, Produces Festival Hits ‘Ukrainians in Exile’ and ‘Monica’

Janek Ambros, MFA Producing Alum, Produces Festival Hits ‘Ukrainians in Exile’ and ‘Monica’

UPDATE: In May 2023, the Los Angeles-based filmmaker and NYFA alum received the ‘Auteur Filmmaker Award’ at the Roots of Europe International Film Festival. The festival screened Ambros’ films Son…
NYFA ALUM MOHAMED AL SALMAN’S FEATURE ‘RAVEN SONG’ IS SAUDI ARABIA’S PICK FOR 95TH ACADEMY AWARDS

NYFA ALUM MOHAMED AL SALMAN’S FEATURE ‘RAVEN SONG’ IS SAUDI ARABIA’S PICK FOR 95TH ACADEMY AWARDS

For the 95th Academy Awards in March 2023, Saudi Arabia nominated a coming-of-age comedy to represent the Kingdom. The feature film Raven Song (2023), directed and written by NYFA 1-Year Filmmaking program alum Mohamed…
NYFA WELCOMES SCREENWRITING ALUM AND MARVEL STUDIOS DIRECTOR MOHAMED DIAB TO LOS ANGELES FOR Q&A

NYFA WELCOMES SCREENWRITING ALUM AND MARVEL STUDIOS DIRECTOR MOHAMED DIAB TO LOS ANGELES FOR Q&A

Years ago, Mohamed Diab was a 1-Year Screenwriting program student studying at the NYFA Los Angeles campus. Today, he is the lead director and executive producer of Marvel Studios’ Emmy Award-winning series Moon Knight, available to…
One Million YouTube Subscribers and ‘The Swipe Life’ with NYFA Acting Alum Charlotte Dobre

One Million YouTube Subscribers and ‘The Swipe Life’ with NYFA Acting Alum Charlotte Dobre

You’ve probably heard of the name Charlotte Dobre from the popular YouTube channel of the same name that features hundreds of videos where she reacts to current events and social media posts in ways…
Peacock Original ‘Hell of a Cruise’ Produced by NYFA Alum Mehdi Darlis

Peacock Original ‘Hell of a Cruise’ Produced by NYFA Alum Mehdi Darlis

You’re stuck on a cruise ship for fourteen days. A mysterious illness is spreading as fast as the Motaba virus in the movie Outbreak (1995). Sounds like a nightmare–except it…
Q&A with MFA Producing Alum Paul Hutchens About the Documentary Series ‘Life After’

Q&A with MFA Producing Alum Paul Hutchens About the Documentary Series ‘Life After’

Paul Hutchens, Producer, and Writer is known for his film and television work, including Coconut Cowboys, A Football Fantasy, Loco, The Other Side of Normal, Rabid Love, and Mamma Mia!…
NYFA ALUM EVE HEWSON GOES IN FOR THE KILL IN BAD SISTERS

NYFA ALUM EVE HEWSON GOES IN FOR THE KILL IN BAD SISTERS

Since graduating from New York Film Academy (NYFA), Acting for Film alum Eve Hewson has been making a name for herself in the world of TV and film. Hewson has appeared with Sean Penn…
A Conversation with 1-Year Filmmaking Conservatory Alum & Director Florian Gunzenhauser

A Conversation with 1-Year Filmmaking Conservatory Alum & Director Florian Gunzenhauser

New York Film Academy (NYFA) 1-Year Filmmaking alum Florian Gunzenhauser is a filmmaker and assistant director from Switzerland. His directing, writing, and filmmaking credits include the television shows Voice of…
NYFA Alum Nathan Hale: Cinema as a Vehicle for Advocacy

NYFA Alum Nathan Hale: Cinema as a Vehicle for Advocacy

NYFA alum Nathan Hale is an award-winning filmmaker, best-selling author and entertainment attorney. Hale is a two-time NAACP Image Award® nominee, the recipient of the Thurgood Marshall Prestige Award for…

Anna Franquesa Solano

NYFA / ALUMNI / CINEMATOGRAPHY / ANNA FRANQUESA SOLANO

Anna Franquesa Solano

Anna Franquesa Solano

CINEMATOGRAPHER
Graduated from NYFA NYC Campus in 2011

Anna Franquesa Solano is a cinematographer known for The Farewell (2019), which won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature and earned Awkwafina a Golden Globe for Best Actress.

Solano’s recent projects include the Amazon series Expats (2024), starring Nicole Kidman, and the documentary short Take Me to the Moon, which screened at multiple international film festivals. Franquesa Solano’s work has been featured at Cannes, Sundance, TIFF, Telluride, MOMA, and other major festivals. Additional credits include Silent Notes, Singing on the Rooftops, and episodes of the mini-series Expats and Matermind: To Think Like a Killer. She also received an AICP Award for her cinematography on Apple’s Nian commercial.

Anna Franquesa Solano Alum Work

Related
Content

New York Film Academy Cinematography Alum Shoots Awkwafina’s Award-Winning Film ‘The Farewell’

New York Film Academy Cinematography Alum Shoots Awkwafina’s Award-Winning Film ‘The Farewell’

The Farewell, the multiple award-winning drama-comedy film starring Awkwafina, was shot by director of photography and New York Film Academy Cinematography alum Anna Franquesa-Solano, with BFA Filmmaking alum Qianying Zhou…

Bob Nguyen

NYFA / ALUMNI / CINEMATOGRAPHY / BOB NGUYEN

Bob Nguyen, ACS

Bob Nguyen, ACS

CINEMATOGRAPHER
Graduated from NYFA LA Campus in 2013

Bob Nguyen is an award-winning Director of Photography recognized for his mastery of shooting on celluloid film. He won the prestigious Golden Tripod and Milli Award for Australian Cinematographer of the Year in 2019, along with multiple Gold Awards and Judges’ Choice honors at the ACS Victoria Tasmania State awards.

Beginning his professional career in 2011 with his first feature film in Australia, Bob moved to Los Angeles in 2012 to pursue his passion for shooting on 35mm and 16mm film. He quickly established himself as one of the few young cinematographers dedicated to the traditional film medium. He was honored with a Panavision-sponsored prize for his 35mm feature work. His recent feature work on Black Hen and Muoi – The Curse Returns earned him double Gold Awards at the ACS Victoria Awards and two Golden Tripods at the National Awards from the Australian Cinematographers Society. Bob is celebrated for his international collaborations and critically acclaimed cinematography, including the Vietnamese features Sut and Song Lang, the latter of which has garnered over 30 awards worldwide.

Bob Nguyen is an accredited member of Australian Cinematographer’s Society.

Related
Content

New York Film Academy (NYFA) MFA Alum Bob Nguyen Wins Cinematographer of the Year & Best Feature Film at the Australian Cinematographers Society Awards

New York Film Academy (NYFA) MFA Alum Bob Nguyen Wins Cinematographer of the Year & Best Feature Film at the Australian Cinematographers Society Awards

Song Lang, the highly lauded Vietnamese feature film, picked up two major prizes at the Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) Awards—Best Feature Film and 2019 Cinematographer of the Year—adding two more…
MFA Cinematography Grad Bob Nguyen Wins Vietnam’s Highest Award for Cinematography

MFA Cinematography Grad Bob Nguyen Wins Vietnam’s Highest Award for Cinematography

New York Film Academy is proud to congratulate MFA Cinematography graduate Bob Nguyen on winning the Golden Kite Award for Best Cinematography in 2016 for his work on the feature…