New York Film Academy (NYFA) alum Francesca Scorsese breaks out in her first-ever TV series as Britney in Luca Guadagnino’s new miniseries We Are Who We Are for HBO.
We Are Who We Are marks Guadagnino’s first TV show after directing critically acclaimed films Call Me By Your Name and Suspiria. The series is a coming-of-age story set at an army base in Italy and follows the exhilaration and pitfalls of becoming a teenager. The series premiered on September 14, 2020 on HBO and also features Jack Dylan Grazer, Chloë Sevigny, Alice Braga, and Scott Mescudi (a.k.a Kid Cudi).
NYFA Alum Francesca Scorsese in ‘We Are Who We Are’ (Photo Credit: HBO)
Scorsese studied at NYFA’s New York City campus from 2012-2014 in NYFA’s Filmmaking Camps for Kids and Teens. We Are Who We Are is Scorsese’s first TV project, having also starred in Wolf at The Door and landing smaller roles in projects helmed by her father, famed director Martin Scorsese, which include: Boardwalk Empire, Hugo, and The Aviator.
Scorsese in ‘We Are Who We Are’ (Photo Credit: Alessio Bolzoni/HBO)
NYFA would like to congratulate alum Francesca Scorsese on her breakout role as Britney in the new miniseries We Are Who We Are, now appearing on HBO and streaming on HBO Max.
Watch the full trailer for Luca Guadagnino’s We Are Who We Are below or click here.
On Wednesday, September 16, 2020, New York Film Academy (NYFA) welcomed producer and director REBECCA HALPERN as part of The 20/20 Series, created by NYFA’s Creative Director of Filmmaking and Cinematography, Liz Hinlein. The conversation was moderated by Hinlein and was held virtually, allowing individuals to join NYFA and the special guests from all over the world.
The 20/20 Series, created by Hinlein, is a virtual pop-up event that takes us into the homes, hubs, and workspaces of an array of dynamic creative visionaries to allow for relaxed, engaging conversations on craft, creation and artistic vision.
Liz Hinlein (Left) and Rebecca Halpern (Right) for ‘The 20/20 Series’
Rebecca Halpern has recently developed and produced premium blue-chip programming with such visionaries as Robert Zemeckis, Ridley Scott, Jim Parsons, John Legend, and Common across a variety of genres for cable networks like National Geographic, A&E, History, Discovery, Syfy, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, Oxygen, CNBC, and CBS.
Halpern is currently directing her first feature documentary about famed Chef Charlie Trotter, and she recently served as Co-Executive Producer of Helter Skelter, a limited documentary series for Epix network from Academy Award-winning filmmaker Lesley Chilcott and Executive Producer Greg Berlanti.
‘Helter Skelter’ (Co-produced by Rebecca Halpern)
Hinlein, who then wanted to get more granular, asked Halpern how one could distinguish reality TV from a documentary. Halpern, who specializes in documentaries and docu-series explained that it comes down to unscripted series, which is the umbrella term for projects like documentaries and the scripted side treading towards projects like reality TV shows.
“Reality TV, to me, is more like ‘follow doc’ and is much more story-driven in post-production, whereas factual documentaries are more of a sit down interview that uses both A-Roll and B-Roll and is a more factual assemblage of storytelling,” shared Halpern. That storytelling aspect all comes down to your creative idea and how you pitch it to an executive.
Halpern, who has been involved in the pitching process for many projects in her career as an “idea person,” among many roles, then began to talk about pitching stories and projects like documentaries to directors, production houses, and even TV networks. She urged the audience to remember, when pitching any project, that “the person that you’re taking it [the story] to has to take it and show other people, so the trick is to include enough information so they can get a sense of what it [your project] is.”
But how do you know you explained enough to the network or person you pitched your great idea to? Halpern revealed, “the best compliment I get is ‘why has no one ever thought of that before?’ That is what you want to hear.”
Rebecca Halpern for ‘TimeOut Magazine’ (Photo Credit: Jeremy Bolen/TimeOut)
Once the pitching process is complete and your project is green-lit, Halpern reminded the audience that, in that moment, your project is “the closest you get to the show you want to make.” In other words, from that point forward, you have to incorporate other people’s input. To stay on track with your initial vision, Halpern urged the audience to start considering to make style reels or a compilation of what you want your project to look and feel like, similar to a “look book.”
One member of the audience asked Halpern how, for documentaries in particular, one can add personal touches as a director or producer since it is factual and not one that can feel as symbolic or have creative freedoms like a fictional story.
Halpern responded that it is possible to add your own touch to even the fictional mediums like documentaries by focusing on how you want to incorporate your visuals and even text and graphics. She also encouraged the audience to grow their networks now as creating a quality project is hardly ever a one person job.
New York Film Academy would like to thank producer and director Rebecca Halpern for joining the NYFA global community to discuss pitching creative ideas and the creative process for The 20/20 Series, created by and moderated by Liz Hinlein.
To watch the full conversation, view the video below or watch on our Youtube channel.
These guests are not faculty and do not teach at NYFA, but they have appeared to share their stories and experience with our students. As guest speakers are scheduled based on their availability, NYFA cannot guarantee whether a guest speaker will visit during a student’s attendance or who that guest speaker may be. This guest speaker forum is not part of any NYFA curriculum and attendance at guest speaker events is purely voluntary. Students should be aware that guest speaker events do not represent a job opportunity nor are they intended to provide industry connections.
On Wednesday, September 23, 2020, New York Film Academy (NYFA) had the pleasure of welcoming award-winning filmmakers NINA MENKES and MARIA GIESE as part of The 20/20 Series, created by NYFA’s Creative Director of Filmmaking and Cinematography, Liz Hinlein. The conversation was moderated by Hinlein and was held virtually, allowing individuals to join NYFA and the special guests from all over the world.
The 20/20 Series, created by Hinlein, is a virtual pop-up event that takes us into the homes, hubs, and workspaces of an array of dynamic creative visionaries to allow for relaxed, engaging conversations on craft, creation, and artistic vision.
(Clockwise) Nina Menkes, Liz Hinlein, and Maria Giese for ‘The 20/20 Series’
Nina Menkes is considered a cinematic feminist pioneer and one of America’s foremost independent filmmakers. Menkes’s honors include a Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, an AFI Independent Filmmaker Award, a Creative Capital Award, and a Berlinale FIPRESCI Prize for the feature documentary Massaker. In 2011, her feature film The Bloody Child (1996) was named one of the most important films of the past 50 years by the Viennale International Film Festival, Austria.
After four years of activism in the Directors Guild of America, Maria Giese became the person who instigated the groundbreaking industry-wide Federal investigation for women directors in Hollywood. She is the subject of the award-winning feature documentary This Changes Everything. Her new TEDx talk, The Battle For Female Voices in Entertainment Media, and her upcoming book, Troublemaker, describe her work getting the ACLU and EEOC to investigate this issue— the ramifications of which are resonating globally.
Maria Giese for ‘Fortune’ (Danny Liao, 2015)
Hinlein began the discussion by asking how both Giese and Menkes began rallying behind women in Hollywood and challenging the current landscape. “I come from a place where I was trying to get more women directors working,” shared Giese. “When you consider that 80% of the media content comes from the United States and almost all of them are directed by white men, you begin to see a style or language or cinema that portrays women as ‘less than’ or with a bias.”
Menkes agreed and elaborated that “over time [for shot design] most of the films we see (international, independent, Hollywood) have a very different way of shooting male actors and female actors. How can this not affect our own feelings about ourselves and how we look at other women?” Menkes, whose forthcoming film Brainwashed focuses on this topic, elaborated on how filmmakers employ framing, lighting, visual effects, and more to disempower women while appearing to glamorize them.
Hinlein, intrigued, asked both famed directors to share more on how they believe culture is impacted by cinema and certain portrayals of women. “Film has a huge impact on our behavior and intent,” noted Menkes. “All women don’t have to be powerful all the time and the stories do not always have to be uplifting, but the key factor is understanding the difference between a subject and an object.” “Exactly,” Giese agreed, “and if the cinematic languages continue to oversexualize women, it’s obviously going to have a major impact on our cultural narrative and how we look at things.”
Hinlein returned the conversation to discuss how both award-winning filmmakers came to make movies. Menkes replied that it was “a real inner calling” and Giese explained that watching movies was the closest you could come to dreaming in real life.
Still from Nina Menkes’ ‘Brainwashed’
When asked about writing women as main characters, one member of the global audience asked both filmmakers for advice on what aspects of filmmaking to keep in mind to empower the character on screen. “Think of your main character as the subject of your story and remember the difference between a subject and an object. It’s about the experience, not what she looks like,” replied Menkes.
Giese agreed, adding that “there are so many different places in the process of filmmaking (screenwriting, editing, music, etc), where you can empower or disempower your character. It’s about being thoughtful about it.”
Hinlein closed the conversation by mentioning that, ultimately, we (as filmmakers) need to know our history and think about that as filmmakers. “Yes, and it’s not just women, it’s all marginalized people that need to understand the dominance aspect of society calling the shots and the impact it has on us,” added Giese.
New York Film Academy would like to thank Nina Menkes and Maria Giese for joining the NYFA global community to discuss women in film, thoughtful filmmaking, and more for The 20/20 Series, created by and moderated by Liz Hinlein.
These guests are not faculty and do not teach at NYFA, but they have appeared to share their stories and experience with our students. As guest speakers are scheduled based on their availability, NYFA cannot guarantee whether a guest speaker will visit during a student’s attendance or who that guest speaker may be. This guest speaker forum is not part of any NYFA curriculum and attendance at guest speaker events is purely voluntary. Students should be aware that guest speaker events do not represent a job opportunity nor are they intended to provide industry connections.
As the COVID-19 pandemic lingers, New York Film Academy continues to adapt and develop new ways of delivering an applied arts education. The Cinematography department on the Los Angeles campus has taken an updated approach to the “Stage Lighting Workshop” course using practical components integrated with remote instruction.
In preparation for the workshop, production design instructor Francis Pezza created a set for a modern urban apartment to be built on Stage 5 at TBS Studios (former home of NBC), down the hall from the famous soundstage where Johnny Carson hosted The Tonight Show.
The apartment design features a spacious floor plan that incorporates a living room, kitchen, and bedroom. The layout allows students a great degree of flexibility in designing shots and creating a variety of lighting schemes. Additionally, the set features a large window that looks out onto a 50-foot translight backing of the New York City skyline. The backing can be lit for either day or night, and allows the Cinematography students to incorporate a greater sense of depth and dimension in their photography.
Following the set build, department chair Anthony Richmond, ASC, BSC and Cinematography instructorJacek Laskus, ASC, PSC began their workshops with the MFA and One-Year Cinematography students. Each student is instructed to choose a reference image, which will first be analyzed by the class, and then used as inspiration in creating a new shot and lighting setup.
The instructors and the students worked remotely, relaying their instructions to a group of TA’s on set, who followed the students’ directions, placing and shaping the lights as instructed, and executing the cinematographer’s vision for the shot. The students were encouraged to incorporate camera movement into their visual design, utilizing the available space to best effect.
Throughout the workshop, the students learned new techniques for lighting, shot design, and moving the camera. This hybrid model of remote instruction with practical elements proved successful in delivering the goals of the workshop.
Reflecting on the class, Richmond said, “I was pleased with the success of this workshop. Working remotely proved very effective. I was with the students on Zoom, where we could all see each other, and the image from the Red camera as the students lit the set. We had additional cameras showing us what was happening on set, including a bird’s eye view of the entire stage. The crew worked well together, and the students were able to accomplish many unique shots.”
Watch a sneak peak at Cinematography student Nipun Chowdhary’s finished product from the Stage Lighting Workshop below.
As the COVID-19 pandemic lingers, New York Film Academy continues to show how its adapting to delivering an applied arts education. The Cinematography department on the Los Angeles campus has taken an updated approach to the “Stage Lighting Workshop” course using practical components integrated with remote instruction.
Production design instructor Francis Pezza created a set for a modern urban apartment to be built on Stage 5 at TBS Studios (former home of NBC), down the hall from the famous soundstage where Johnny Carson hosted The Tonight Show.
The apartment design features a spacious floor plan that incorporates a living room, kitchen, and bedroom. The layout allows students a great degree of flexibility in designing shots and creating a variety of lighting schemes. Additionally, the set features a large window that looks out onto a 50-foot translight backing of the New York City skyline. The backing can be lit for either day or night, and allows the Cinematography students to incorporate a greater sense of depth and dimension in their photography.
Following the set build, department chair Anthony Richmond ASC, BSC and Cinematography instructorJacek Laskus, ASC, PSC began their workshops with the MFA and One-Year Cinematography students. Each student is instructed to choose a reference image, which will first be analyzed by the class, and then used as inspiration in creating a new shot and lighting setup.
The instructors and the students worked remotely, relaying their instructions to a group of TA’s on set, who followed the students’ directions, placing and shaping the lights as instructed, and executing the cinematographer’s vision for the shot. The students were encouraged to incorporate camera movement into their visual design, utilizing the available space to best effect.
Throughout the workshop, the students learned new techniques for lighting, shot design, and moving the camera. This hybrid model of remote instruction with practical elements proved successful in delivering the goals of the workshop.
Reflecting on the class, Richmond said:
“I was pleased with the success of this workshop. Working remotely proved very effective. I was with the students on Zoom, where we could all see each other, and the image from the Red camera as the students lit the set. We had additional cameras showing us what was happening on set, including a bird’s eye view of the entire stage. The crew worked well together, and the students were able to accomplish many unique shots.”
BFA Producing alum Thandiwe Mlauli has announced an upcoming project called SOLA. It will be South Africa’s first independently produced and women-led afro-animation, with Mlauli acting as producer, director and showrunner through her animation company Studio Yezi.
The South African native, who had been told before that there was no audience for afro-anime, decided to take matters into her own hands. “I knew that [not having an audience] was not true. I had friends both Black and Brown, who were interested in seeing representation in animation,” she shared. “I decided to arm myself with the knowledge I would need to make this dream happen and Studio Yezi is the fruit of this decision.”
Founded in 2019 in Johannesburg, Studio Yezi (short for/inspired by “inkanyezi,” which means “star” in Zulu) aims to create economic opportunities for Black and Brown people in the animation industry, as well as creating accurate representation on screen.
Studio Yezi, founded by NYFA Producing alum Thandiwe Mlauli
Studio Yezi has recently launched the campaign #MakeSolaHappen, a crowdfunding initiative to develop SOLA, a story about a magical young girl who awakens in a world where magic is considered dangerous. Set in 22nd century South Africa, the film would also reimagine a world where the country would have been colonized by the Spanish instead of the British. The short film is based on the TV series that Studio Yezi is also developing.
Founder and CEO of Yezi Studios & NYFA producing alum Thandiwe Mlauli
“We’re crowdfunding to help us get to the finish line,” explained Mlauli. “We’ve gathered a team of really dope creatives who can definitely bring a product worth talking about. If anybody is interested in supporting us, or becoming a producer, please visit our crowdfunding campaign.”
The film, still in development, is a project that Mlauli hopes will “inspire other young artists to invest in their dreams and pursue them, despite whatever resistance they experience.” The studio CEO also noted how this is a project where more people can recognize Africa for its talents and the people. “We want to create a hub where people refer to us as much as they refer to other places in the world.”
For other creatives, Mlauli shares that it’s imperative to keep focus. “Remind yourself, as often as you can, why you chose the career path that you chose. When you focus on what you love, and give yourself a chance to dedicate yourself to your dreams, the world will open up for you. I’m an example of that.”
New York Film Academy would like to thank Producing alum Thandiwe Mlauli for sharing more about her upcoming film SOLA and the vision of her newly formed company, Yezi Studios. To learn more about Yezi Studios and the campaign to develop SOLA, click here.
Every writer has heard the expression “write what you know,” and MFA Filmmaking student Fernanda Belmar took that advice to heart in developing her intermediate film Undocumented. Inspired by her mother’s experience coming to the United States alone to work in order to support her family home in Chile, Fernanda said, “I can’t even imagine how hard it was for her to be away from her only daughter and her mother in a country where she didn’t even know the language.”
NYFA’s Director of Film Festivals Crickett Rumley sat down with Fernanda and asked her to talk more about the film ahead of its screening in theNew Filmmakers LA In Focus: Latinx and Hispanic Cinema Event this weekend, September 25 and 26, 2020.
Cricket Rumley (CR): This is such a personal story. Can you tell us more about it?
Fernanda Belmar (FB): My mom came here to the U.S. with my grandmother and me when I was four years old. We stayed for a year and a half until my mom decided to send my grandma and me back to Chile since it was getting harder for her to support us all. So, she stayed by herself. At that time, she was allowed to stay here for six months then go to Chile for the other six out of the year. But when I was nine, she took the risk and stayed here longer than she was allowed, and ended up working here for four years straight. She made that decision because she wanted to give me a better future. It was extremely hard being away from her, and I can’t even imagine how hard it was for her to be away from her only daughter and her mother in a country where she didn’t even know the language.
Because of that situation, my mom is not allowed to enter the country again. I don’t know if next year that situation will change, but what I do know is that if something ever happens to me here she wouldn’t have the chance to come here because more than a decade ago she broke the rules to give her family a better life.
Film poster for ‘Undocumented’
CR: And that’s where the idea for the film came from?
FB: Undocumented is about a Latinx family with immigrant parents and two American (U.S. citizen) daughters. They live in California except for their oldest daughter, who is studying in New York. A phone call informs the Gómez family that their daughter has been in an accident, and that’s when as a family they have to put everything on the line. Because as undocumented parents they can’t just take a plane and go since the risks of being detained or even deported are higher.
Still from Belmar’s film ‘Undocumented’
CR: What was your favorite thing about directing this film?
FB: My favorite thing about directing this film is the emotions I felt during the whole process. After I met Carolina (who played the mom), Michael (the dad), and Victoria (the daughter who lives at home), I knew it would be an incredible project because when we talked about what Undocumented means to me they just understood. They felt the deep struggle of this family. On set they were the Gómez family. I can’t even put into words how I felt when I saw them bringing these characters and this story into life.
CR: What a remarkable experience! Tell us, was the most challenging thing about making Undocumented? What did you learn in the process?
FB: While I was in pre-production on this film, I was also struggling with how to pay for my school tuition. I had to make the decision to take a semester break, and I wasn’t sure if I would make it back. I was hopeful, but I didn’t have anything secure at the time. And even though it was a devastating feeling, I was so excited about telling this story that I just kept going. We had a low budget, and just two days of shooting, so I had endless meetings with the heads of each department to make sure it would go smoothly and that our schedule will work. It was very hard, but what I learned was that as a director I need a crew that believes in the story as much as I do, because we can make everything happen.
Still from Belmar’s film ‘Undocumented’
CR: Which festivals have you been in so far? What has that experience been like?
FB: I’ve been in the First-Time Filmmaker Sessions, Life Screenings International Short Film Festival, Lift-Off Film Festival, and I also got selected in the South Texas International Film Festival. The experience has been great. I have had the chance to talk about my film with the audience at some of these festivals. Knowing that people that I don’t know get to see this story makes everything so much worth it.
CR: I hear this from filmmakers all the time – that seeing your film, talking about your film with complete strangers, is so inspiring and invigorating. So what are you looking forward to with your screening with NFMLA?
FB: Wow! I am so excited about this festival. Last year NYFA invited me to this event, and I remember I was so in awe with the whole event, the films, the industry panels, the Q&A with the directors. I remember at some point during the event I told myself: “One day I’ll be part of this festival…” And now I’m actually going to be part of this! I just can’t believe it. I think what I’m most excited about is for the amount of people that are going to see Undocumented, and I wonder how they will react with this story. I’m excited about the entire festival and the opportunities they give us as filmmakers to engage with important people from the industry and the chance to talk about our films.
CR: It’s going to be an amazing experience! Let’s back up a little. What were you doing before you came to NYFA?
FB: I got my undergraduate degree in Digital Audiovisual Communication in July 2018 in Chile. That’s where I found my passion in film after making multiple short films. In my last semester of school, I started my internship at MG Consulting, an important communication company in Chile. After three months as an intern, they hired me full time. While working with them I learned a lot about animation and graphic design. I got the opportunity to make videos for important clients like Sony Music Chile, MG motor, Reebok, and Mobike.
CR: Then you came to study at NYFA. What has that been like?
FB: I’ve learned so many things here at NYFA, it’s insane! The amount of experience I have gotten so far has made me grow tremendously as a filmmaker and as a person as well. NYFA has given me plenty of tools and opportunities to make films and fail and learn and keep making films.
What is good about NYFA is that everyone in the class has to make a project, so that means we don’t just get to direct, but also we get the chance to be part of the crew of someone else’s project. That’s how we get experience in our field, that’s how we know what we like about filmmaking and what we don’t. That experience is what shapes us to be great filmmakers.
CR: Do you have any special shout-outs to faculty or staff who really helped or inspired you?
FB: Shout-out to Kim Ogletree for making me like producing someway, somehow. Shout-out to Nick Sivakumaran who was my first directing instructor and taught me so much more than just directing. To Kevin Richey the best cinematography instructor I’ve had. To Gil McDonald for teaching me the wheel to structure my scripts — now I can’t live without it. To Graham Tallman, a fantastic directing instructor. And shout-out to Missy (Dominguez, LA’s Director of Student Life) for always supporting me.
Fernanda Belmar (Right) behind the camera during a film shoot
CR: Several NYFA students were part of your crew. What was it like to work with them?
FB: The best about my crew was the diversity that was in it. This crew had NYFA students from all over the world: India, Kazakhstan, Russia, Italy, Ecuador, Peru, Puerto Rico, Yemen and so many more. Having on the same set people from so many different places and cultures made the set incredibly rich.
CR: These are trying times in the world today. Art matters more than ever. Do you want to share your personal views about the importance of film in the lives of humans living right now?
FB: Films don’t just entertain us, they also help us understand the world, and they give us the opportunity to see much more than what we are used to from where we are from. Films have the power to open our minds, to make us feel and relate to something we didn’t know we could. Films and the arts in generals are so powerful, and I believe that the arts are what can make us humans be better.
CR: Beautifully said! Lastly, tell us when your film screening is and where we can get tickets. Is there anything else we should know about the screening?
FB: The film is for two days: Friday the 25th and Saturday the 26th. You can get the tickets here in this link. There are two kinds of passes:
One that is for the whole festival with industry panels, Q&A’s with all the directors and the screening of all the films
Or you can get single tickets for specific programs. My film is in Program #3: Generational Echoes, Saturday 26th at 6:15 pm PT, with the live Q&A at 8 p.m. PT.
Since it is a virtual screening, after you get your tickets you’ll receive an email to watch the respective films at any time you want between Friday and Saturday.
I can’t wait to see you all there!
The New York Film Academy is a proud Academic Delegation Partner of New Filmmakers LA and will be taking a group of students to the festival this weekend to enjoy the panels, the discussions, the networking, and the films. Fernanda, we’ll see you there!
New York Film Academy (NYFA) is proud to share that Photography alum Jon Henry has been featured in the October 2020 issue of National Geographic (“Nat Geo”).
Henry, who previously won photography’s most prestigious honors—the Film Photo Award—for his series Stranger Fruit, had his photographs from the series displayed on multiple pages in the Nat Geo issue. The series itself incorporates Michelangelo’s Pietà as a response to the ongoing, senseless murders of African American men by police officers across the United States, Henry shared.
“What we’re experiencing now is just this series of reliving these traumas as far as the African-American community,” Henry shared with Nat Geo. “It’s difficult to keep living these [traumas] over and over again, sort of like a perverse Groundhog Day where these murders just keep on happening,”
Lonnae O’Neal, who interviewed Henry for the Nat Geo feature, wrote: “The photographs of mothers and sons, of Black bodies—whole and unpierced, yet still Christ-like in death—do not gently plead with viewers any more than street protesters merely invite police to change.”
Henry enrolled in the 1-Year Conservatory at New York Film Academy’s Photography school in Fall 2010. In his visual artwork, he focuses primarily on the American Black family and the community at large, as well as the representation of athletes in fine art. His work has been featured on the covers of Jungle and PDN magazines, as well as in ArtExpo New York, Smack Mellon’s Hot Picks 2017, and Miami’s Spectrum Art Show.
Henry travelled across the country for five years and plans to continue for at least another two years through various additional locations, including New Orleans, Nashville, and throughout Texas in 2020.
NYFA Photo alum Jon Henry
The Film Photo Award is sponsored by Kodak Alaris and Kodak Professional and is awarded twice a year, providing three distinct grants of Kodak Professional Film and complimentary film processing by Griffin Editions to photographers who demonstrate a serious commitment to the art and are motivated to continue the development of still, film-based photography in the 21st century.
During each Spring and Fall award cycle, two Visionary Project Awards and one Student Project Award are granted to winners selected from emerging, established, and student photographers worldwide, who are 18 years old or older.
New York Film Academy congratulates Photography alum Jon Henry on his well-earned feature in National Geographic and looks forward to seeing his continued work in the field!
*This post has been updated from its original publication on February 28, 2020 highlighting Jon Henry’s prestigious Film Photo Award from Kodak
Please note: NYFA does not represent that these are typical or guaranteed career outcomes. The success of our graduates in any chosen professional pathway depends on multiple factors, and the achievements of NYFA alumni are the result of their hard work, perseverance, talent and circumstances.
One of the long-anticipated films of the summer, Bill & Ted Face The Music, starring Keanu Reeves (John Wick) and Alex Winter (The Lost Boys) was released everywhere on VOD and in select cinemas on August 28, 2020, with NYFA alum Alex Lebovici as a producer.
The free-spirited and beloved characters Bill (Winter) and Ted (Reeves) from the original films Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991), make their epic comeback in the Bill & Ted series’ biggest film yet, which has been hailed by critics and is being called a “Surprise Summer Hit.”
Film poster for ‘Bill & Ted Face The Music’ (Produced by Alex Lebovici)
The film was originally shot in 2019 and was slated for a full theatrical release. Like many indie films and blockbusters alike, the film opted for VOD and limited theatrical release due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the weekend of its release, it was the top-rented film on FandangoNow, Apple TV, the iTunes Store, and Google Play. Fandango also announced that despite being released for only four days, the film held the most popular spot on their most rented list for the month of August.
NYFA producing alum Alex Lebovici at a NYFA Q&A event
Lebovici, who produced the film, posted photos from the production on Instagram and said that the film was such “a blast” to make. “I can’t believe it,” he shared. “This was by far the most challenging experience of my life but I’m blessed to have an amazing family who supported me through it all.”
Lebovici was also an executive producer on The Red Sea Diving Resort (2019), Academy Award-nominated Denzel Washington drama, Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017), Mom and Dad (2017), Who We Are Now (2017), and The Clapper (2017). Lebovici will be an executive-producer for King Fury 2 starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Michael Fassbender, which is currently in post-production.
New York Film Academy would like to congratulate the Producing alum on his latest success with the release of Bill & Ted Face The Music, and looks forward to hearing more about the upcoming release of King Fury 2.
Please note: NYFA does not represent that these are typical or guaranteed career outcomes. The success of our graduates in any chosen professional pathway depends on multiple factors, and the achievements of NYFA alumni are the result of their hard work, perseverance, talent and circumstances.
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The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
