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NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY MFA FILMMAKING ALUM PHYLLIS TAM NAMED A FINALIST IN 47TH ANNUAL STUDENT ACADEMY AWARDS

New York Film Academy’s (NYFA) own Phyllis Tam, who recently graduated with her MFA in Filmmaking from NYFA’s Los Angeles campus, has been named a finalist in the 47th Annual Student Academy Awards for her narrative short film Fragile Moon.

Still from Student Academy Award finalist Film ‘Fragile Moon’ (Photo Courtesy of Phyllis Tam)

Tam’s short film will compete in the Narrative (Domestic Schools) category in the Student Academy Awards.

Before coming to NYFA to study filmmaking, Tam was an illustrator and a novelist. “I always felt that these things I did were not powerful enough. I wanted to find a way to have my stories touch more people,” she shares. “I watched a lot of films when I grew up, and I realized that film is the way to give life to the stories I tell, and I can feel its calling.”

Her recognized thesis film Fragile Moon tells the story of a 60 year old Chinese immigrant named King, who was known in China as a famous Peking Opera singer before immigrating to Los Angeles and becoming a dishwasher in a Chinese restaurant. The film grapples with themes of memory, loss, and the impact of immigrating to the U.S and pursuing the American dream.

Still from ‘Fragile Moon’ (Photo Courtesy of Phyllis Tam)

Tam, who was a NYFA student at the time of filming her movie, recalls the long shoots spent in a Chinese restaurant and how taxing it could be, but it resulted in the crew becoming closer during the shoot. Tam also remembers how one of her favorite shots was a result of improvisation from one of her actors.

“There’s an apple eating scene where Wen Ping cuts some apples for her and King. The apple was marinated in vinegar before the shoot to prevent the color of the fruit changing. After shooting that scene multiple times, the actress of Wen Ping improvised on the spot and fed King more apple slices because she couldn’t eat them anymore; it became our best shot.”

Film poster for ‘Fragile Moon’ (Photo Courtesy of Phyllis Tam)

Fragile Moon is a film that Tam hopes all audiences can relate to from their own personal experiences. “Even though it is a complicated story, King is just one of us. You do not have to be a Chinese immigrant to understand or relate to the story. For me, this is a nutshell of my family’s life. I hope it can touch all my audience’s hearts.”

“My principle when it comes to film is the story; what I am telling has to be honest and is something that I can feel with my heart. I love to portray people that are easily ignored in real life and tell their life stories because I believe the deepest human emotions lie within the daily small things. To me, the only way to the audience’s heart is by telling honest stories, and conveying honest feelings.

Finalists for the Student Academy Awards were announced on August 13, 2020, with the ceremony confirmed for Thursday, October 15, 2020. The winners of the Student Academy Awards will be eligible to compete for the 2020 Oscars in the following categories: Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, or Documentary Short Subject category. Previous Student Academy Award winners have gone on to win 11 Oscars, and receive 63 Oscar nominations, among them include: Cary Fukunaga, Spike Lee, Trey Parker, and Robert Zemeckis.

***THIS ARTICLE WAS UPDATED ON AUGUST 14, 2020

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.

New York Film Academy MFA Filmmaking Student Phyllis Tam Named a Finalist in 47th Annual Student Academy Awards

Tam’s short film will compete in the Narrative (Domestic Schools) category in the Student Academy Awards.

“I could not be more excited that Fragile Moon made it to the semifinals for the Student Academy Awards,” shares NYFA’s Director of Film Festivals, Crickett Rumley. “Phyllis worked so diligently to perfect every single detail of her film — down to the placement of subtitles — that it’s no wonder her dedication paid off. It is such a timely story about the impact that immigrating to the U.S and pursuing the American dream has on families. The themes of memory, loss, and the healing power of art resonate long after the film is over.”

“We are proud to see Phyllis Tam’s creativity and hard work pay off with her film Fragile Moon as she continues to advance in this prestigious competition for student filmmakers worldwide,” says NYFA President Michael Young. “Like Phyllis’ honorary achievement with the Student Academy Awards, we are excited to see NYFA students go on to achieve their dreams with their outstanding work.”

Finalists for the Student Academy Awards were announced on August 13, 2020, with the ceremony confirmed for Thursday, October 15, 2020.

The winners of the Student Academy Awards will be eligible to compete for the 2020 Oscars in the following categories: Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, or Documentary Short Subject category. Previous Student Academy Award winners have gone on to win 11 Oscars, and receive 63 Oscar nominations, among them include: Cary Fukunaga, Spike Lee, Trey Parker, and Robert Zemeckis.

NYFA Acting for Film Alum Anatolii Panchenko Stars in Spy Thriller ‘The Bureau’

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Acting for Film alum Anatolii Panchenko (Анатолий Панченко) has plenty to celebrate as his first major acting credit is in one of the biggest TV shows in France — Le Bureau des Légendes (a.k.a The Bureau).

The political spy thriller television series, The Bureau , was created by Éric Rochant and produced by TOP– The Oligarchs Productions and Canal+. The series follows agents of the DGSE (General Directorate of External Security), France’s principal external security service. Panchenko appears in the latest season as Alexis Bakatine, a young, promising counterintelligence agent.

The New York Times named The Bureau as a NYT Recommendation, calling it “a stylish foreign espionage thriller” and “easy to binge.” The Times also hails the thrilling series as “one of the smartest and most authentic-feeling procedural espionage series anywhere in the world.”

Anatolii Panchenko as Alexis Bakatine in ‘The Bureau’

The first season received favorable reviews worldwide and won several awards. The sophomore season of the series also received much discussion as one of the best television seasons ever produced in France. The third and fourth seasons, respectively, aired in France beginning May 22, 2017 and October 22, 2018, and were also met with critical acclaim.

The first episode of the fifth season was originally slated to close Cannes Series 2020; being out of the competition itself. However, due to the public health crisis, the Festival de Cannes was pushed to October. The season went on to air in France on April 6, 2020, and is now available on Amazon Prime and Sundance Now.

Anatolii Panchenko (Middle) in ‘The Bureau’

Panchenko’s worldwide acting debut is in one of the most gripping seasons of the series yet. The NYFA alum also reveals that his character has an “interesting story arc and connection” with Malotru, the star of the show played by Mathieu Kassovitz (Amélie).

New York Film Academy encourages everyone to check out Anatolii Panchenko in the critically acclaimed series and would like to congratulate the NYFA alum for landing his first-ever acting credit; NYFA looks forward to seeing what is next for the international performer.

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY (NYFA) HOSTS CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTOR PAUL WARNER AND ACTORS THEMO MELIKIDZE & ANDREW BURDETTE FOR ‘THE 20/20 SERIES’

On Wednesday, July 29, New York Film Academy (NYFA) had the honor of hosting three members of the NYFA community: Director and NYFA Instructor, PAUL WARNER, and NYFA Acting for Film alumni THEMO MELIKIDZE & ANDREW BURDETTE for 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 from top left) Andrew Burdette, Liz Hinlein, Themo Melikidze, and Paul Warner

Paul Warner is an award-winning director and educator, whose more than 50 productions span film, theater, and opera. Warner directed a new musical, River of Stone by Drama Desk nominee Peter Melnick (grandson of Richard Rodgers) and his past credits include the feature film Fall Time starring Mickey Rourke, the short In The Name of The Father, the disco movie musical, Kaya: Taste of Paradise, and David Michalek’s Portraits in Dramatic Time, with Alan Rickman, William H. Macy, and Holly Hunter, which premiered in the Lincoln Center Festival, for which he directed the actors and served as Executive Creative Consultant.

Warner was also joined by actor and NYFA alum Themo Melikidze, who portrayed the main antagonist, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, in Mark Wahlberg’s film Patriots Day. Melikidze also appears as a recurring guest star on FOX’s 24: Legacy, and most recently on ABC’s The Rookie. Themo has done voice work for countless Triple A video games such as Metro: Exodus, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and the new upcoming project Marvel:The Avengers. Andrew Burdette also joined Warner and Melikidze to discuss the collaborative process of actors and directors. Burdette, along with Melikidze, will appear in the 2020 Paul Warner film Hamlet/Horatio, Burdette has also been receiving critical praise for his feature film directorial debut Bruh.MP4.

NYFA alum Themo Melikidze (Left) and Alex Wolff (Right) in ‘Patriot’s Day’

Hinlein began the conversation by discussing the importance of training for actors in respect to honing their craft. Warner responded: “It’s important to have longevity. The training is the foundation of the house.” Burdette, also a NYFA alum, commented that training is “being able to take what you’re good at and being able to focus on specific areas and explore that.” Melikidze echoed Warner and Burdette’s sentiments by driving home how helpful training is for actors and directors alike.

“It prepares you for the unexpected. What you do in class, anything goes, and that’s where you learn. So those mistakes prepare you for that not to happen [an error or misstep] when it really counts [in front of a casting director or producer]. It also makes you confident in the techniques you are learning, while keeping you connected with the creative process of collaboration.”

Alan Rickman in ‘Portraits in Dramatic Time’ (Dir. Paul Warner)

Hinlein then asked both actors (Burdette and Melikidze) whether they changed as actors through the process of education. “It’s as simple as looking back at what I did when I first joined NYFA to what I have done now, it’s been a ‘night and day’ transformation,” explained Burdette. Melikidze agreed, and also offered the advice that “learning doesn’t stop once you leave the classroom; you linger on things you discover in class and relate it to what you are currently preparing for [a new role or an audition].”

Warner chimed in that, as an educator and director, he is tasked with opening the minds of his students and actors who seek education for their craft by introducing new techniques, material, and breaking down walls so that everything feels truthful. “I can look out on day one and see who has walls,” he shared. “I even remember Andy [Burdette] on day three in a casting session, who gave a crazy performance at 18, and I thought ‘what an imagination’. So, it’s about instilling a sense of openness and empowerment [for your actors as a director/teacher].”

Paul Warner Directing ‘Hamlet/Horatio’ with Hernan Toro, Director of Photography

Melikidze remembers the breathing techniques that Warner would teach that really made him become a better performer. “The technique allowed me to become more present and that’s one of the tools that is constantly with me. The moment you get in your head and start thinking about your lines, that’s when you can lose everything. But if you relax your jaw and focus on your breath work and partner for the scene, you can become more present.”

“Breath is emotion,” Warner pointed out. “When you listen, breath is inhaled into the diaphragm and the actors need to listen not with their ears but with the body. Burdette – “Getting to work creatively with other people is really something to lean on. It’s a night and day transformation.

NYFA Alumni Andrew Burdette (Left) and Themo Melikidze (Right) shooting Paul Warner’s ‘Hamlet/Horatio’

The collaborators closed the conversation by highlighting some important advice for being in the film industry as a performer and a playmaker for each project.

Burdette: “Remember that they [the casting director] saw something about you that they liked. Do you and make the adjustments when given that direction, but trust yourself. Make strong choices and always prepare.”

Melikidze: “It’s very simple. Love your work. When you love what you’re doing, that passion will speak for itself. When you try to force something, you’re forgetting what you’re saying; stop and listen as your character and as a human being, which can impact your performance.”

Warner: “As an actor, be confident, especially when talking with a director. Share ideas; whoever has the better idea, that’s where the project is going to go. It’s never about ‘I’m holding on to my idea’.”

New York Film Academy would like to thank Paul Warner, Themo Melikidze, and Andrew Burdette for taking the time to speak with the NYFA global community on directing actors and tips for how actors can also work with directors for The 20/20 Series, created by and moderated by Liz Hinlein.

To hear the full conversation, click the video below our watch on our YouTube channel here.

NYFA Digital Filmmaking Alum Dylan Greenberg on Originality, Artistry, and Her Upcoming Film ‘Spirit Riser’

When Dylan Greenberg first came to New York Film Academy (NYFA), she was nine years old; one of the youngest students NYFA had ever enrolled at the school. In fact, due to NYFA’s program age restrictions, it was not common to have someone that young attend such an intensive program. However, Greenberg wowed NYFA early on with her film Ankh, which was inspired by director David Lynch, and the NYFA alum has never looked back since.

Greenberg has gone on to direct the films ReAgitator: Revenge of the Parody, Glamarus, Wakers, and Amityville: Vanishing Point. Her third film, Dark Prism, was covered internationally by VICE, Rolling Stone, and Flavorwire, among others. She has also been featured in PAPER Magazine and has directed music videos for James Chance and the Contortions, Mac Gollehon, Pastel Confession, and many others.

Greenberg’s next project is set to release this year and is described as a supernatural martial arts movie. The film, Spirit Riser, stars Amanda Flowers, Cherie Currie, Kansas and Parker Bowling, Lynn Lowry, Jesse Yungbei, Patti Harrison, and will be narrated by the Tarantino-favorite Michael Madsen (Kill Bill Vols 1& 2, Reservoir Dogs).

The New York Film Academy was able to get the scoop on Greenberg’s upcoming film and discuss the NYFA alum’s career as a director, actress, and a creative, who has a strong collaborative nature and a keen sense of originality woven into the fabric of any project she touches.

New York Film Academy (NYFA): What made you want to come to NYFA? Have you carried any learnings with you into your career?

Dylan Greenberg (DG): I wanted to come to NYFA because at the time I was the only little kid in my neighborhood who seemed really interested in film, especially offbeat films. It was a way for me to find other kids with my interests. Most of the kids were older than me as I believe the classes went from ages 10-13, but it was the first time I was in a room with other children who shared my passions. At NYFA, I learned that realizing your vision is sometimes a fluid effort, and part of that is the understanding that what ends up on screen may not be exactly what you originally pictured. It was also the first time I walked through the process of writing, pre-production, shooting, post and a premiere.

NYFA: What have been some of your career highlights so far?

DG: One of my big career highlights was when the trailer for my third feature film Dark Prism was covered internationally by VICE, Rolling Stone, Flavorwire and others. I was 18 at the time and that was the first time I saw my work get relatively mainstream attention. Another highlight was seeing a music video I directed for Sam Huber, on the True Groove Records Label, air on national television in Finland, on the YLE network. Those were two big firsts for me and encouragement that I was going in the right direction.

Dylan Greenberg (Right) and Lloyd Kaufman (Left) on the set of ‘Shakespeare’s Shitstorm’ in Albania

NYFA: Can you tell us more about your collaborations with Troma Entertainment?

DG: I got my first job right out of high school working in the Troma offices. In fact, I was still in high school when I started working there. So, it was pretty great being 17 and 18 and having your first job in the field you wanted to be in. I was basically in charge of creating and editing the majority of their internet content while I was there, as well as special features for their Blu-rays. I’ve since become a freelance music video and commercial director, but continue to collaborate with Troma. Recently, I starred in their upcoming feature film Shakespeare’s Shitstorm, which is a super obscene, epic adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

NYFA: Can you tell us more about your role as a full time music video and commercial director?

DG: A big reason why I’m able to work as a music video director full time is because of my third feature film Dark Prism. When it got all the press it did, it caught the attention of True Groove Records, who hired me to direct several music videos for them when for others that might have seemed like too much of a risk because the only music videos I had really done before were for my own music. As a result of my work with True Groove, who I still work with to this very day, I was able to get work with many other clients. I learned a lot of networking skills, as the truth is there are many artists in New York City that need a video that both looks one of a kind and is in their budget. So, once I had some more videos under my wing I could send it as examples of the kind of work I do.

I fill the niche for “weird but engaging” videos, as I’m known for very colorful, in your face visuals. However, I’m able to shoot in any style the shoot demands, and last year when I directed my first commercial to air on CBS, NY1 and News12, I was asked to take a more conventional approach. It was for a disco mega-concert, and because of the commercial, it sold out within a week or so! They actually didn’t have to air the commercial for as long as they thought they did because the tickets sold so fast. I was really proud of that, and again I have True Groove Records and Tomás Doncker to thank for that.

NYFA: In addition to your career as a director, you’re also in a band. Can you tell us more about that?

DG: I’m in a band called Theophobia, which I feel is very similar to a lot of my film projects. In fact, my band mate Matt Ellin was, and is, also a big part of my film projects and has created music for my feature films since they were a teenager. Initially, the band started when my solo song and self directed video “Mia” became an unexpected success and premiered in PAPER Magazine, so I decided to tour the song around New York and promote it at clubs and local television stations. I wanted to have a guitarist and a lot of my friends as backup dancers to make it very theatrical, and I asked my friend Matt to be my guitarist, since they were already such a close collaborator, and I always felt like they were a total whiz kid. At a certain point, we both realized we had such a mutual love for music like Sparks, the work of Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf, and we realized it would just be so much more fun to make it a collaborative effort where we contribute an equal amount of ideas, and shine the spotlight on each other. I feel like besides synthesizers and vocals, I also “play” the video, because video is a big aspect of our performance.

I program a lot of the synthesizer elements into video that plays behind us, and then we play along with that. Our performances and music are super theatrical and we act our shows out like an improvised play, we deliberately act like clowns and try to get a reaction out of the audience, we sometimes physically fight each other on stage and one time I brought a Christmas tree into the venue in the middle of the performance. It’s really cool to get to direct videos not just for my own music but for OUR music, because whenever I create anything I immediately have a visual image of what I want it to look like, so it’s so cool to get to bring that to life. Definitely one of my favorite parts of music is making music videos. I‘ve watched 80s music videos non stop since I was a kid and found Pop Up Video on TV, so music videos are really my whole life.

NYFA: Some directors choose to subvert a personal style or auteurist approach to directing, but that doesn’t seem to be your approach. What would you say makes something a “Dylan Greenberg” project?

DG: I would say, that in terms of my feature films, many consider them giant music videos. I have a lot of music from all different kinds of artists in my films, and almost always have at least one scene where someone actually sings a song within the film. Like my music videos, my projects are super colorful and in your face. I use a lot of fisheye lenses after falling in love with Hong Kong action cinema and Scott Shaw’s Zen filmmaking. I try to get really dominant with the colors red, blue and green and try to shoot in colorful locations with colorful people. My new film Spirit Riser has a lot of music, and musicians in it such as Dorian Electra, Cherrie Curie, the late Alan Merrill, and of course music from True Groove. That’s my seventh feature film, and will likely see a premiere in October. It’s so long I might have to split it into two movies, actually!

NYFA: Can you tell us about some of your upcoming projects?

DG: Oh my goodness, so many! As I mentioned before, I have a feature film called Spirit Riser coming very soon starring Amanda Flowers, Cherie Currie, Kansas and Parker Bowling, Lynn Lowry, Jesse Yungbei, Patti Harrison, and it’s narrated by Michael Madsen! The only way to describe it is a supernatural martial arts horror fairytale. It’s got music, animation, live action, the Statue of Liberty coming to life and destroying New York, giant talking hands, and ghosts!

Furthermore, I have a short film called The Bathtub, which is actually the first short I’ve directed since I was a teenager that doesn’t also serve its primary purpose as a music video. It took me three years to make with Khloaris and I consider it as big of an achievement to me as one of my feature films.

We shot the entire project on green screen and we then built all of the sets as miniatures, keying the actors in frame by frame. It’s so cool, because for the first time ever I got to literally build a world from the ground up, out of paper and cardboard. The point wasn’t to make you believe the miniatures are full size or hyper realistic but rather to make you believe the actors really live inside these boxes, ride the train high above them, and interact with these surreal wacky environments. It’s truly an experience and it stars Bob Bert of Sonic Youth, who also contributes music to the film. We were supposed to premiere it in March at WFMU, but obviously that got delayed. It will be coming soon, though! New York Film Academy would like to thank Dylan Greenberg for taking the time to share more about her directorial style and passion for creation. NYFA encourages everyone to check out Greenberg’s upcoming project Spirit Riser, when it is released later this year.

NYFA Broadcast Journalism: August 2020 Updates

Having “Guest Speakers” for instructional classes isn’t unusual. But it is unique when the guest calls-in from the middle of a raging wildfire she is covering in Southern California…

Late Monday, after putting in a full day at KGET in Bakersfield, NYFA alum Karen Hua was sent to cover a wildfire burning out of control. It meant doing live shoots that evening, sleeping in the station SUV, and doing more live shoots Tuesday morning.

She found time to share with the NYFA Broadcast Journalism Summer School participants what it is like to work as a multimedia journalist (MMJ), the challenges of meeting deadlines and how it really is a very small world. (Her roommate is a reporter at a rival TV station in Bakersfield.) If you want a role model, someone who embodies contemporary TV journalism in the United States, I can’t think of anyone who better fits the bill than Karen. Note she is wearing high-visibility fire gear…

Fifteen years ago I created a documentary that still remains special to me…

August 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. It also marks the 75th anniversary of an amazing rescue. During the final days of World War II, small groups of specially trained American troops parachuted into prison camps in Japanese-occupied China, liberating innocent children, their parents, teachers and friends. They had been imprisoned for the “crime” of being American, British, Australian and Dutch, confined to camps where hunger, disease, brutality and despair were their everyday companions.

These are the real-life stories behind Steven Spielberg’s epic film “Empire of the Sun,” as told by those who actually lived them.

Decades later, those now-grown children still felt Very Far From Home. Because, to them, “home” would always be China. See their stories now on Vimeo.

NYFA Alum Valéria Costa Works as Production Manager for Netflix’s ‘Sergio’ and ‘Street Food: Latin America’

When shooting abroad, a solid production team is essential for shooting projects in an area you may be unfamiliar with. New York Film Academy (NYFA) MFA Filmmaking alum Valéria Costa makes it her job to ensure that foreign companies have everything they need, which is exactly what she recently did for the Netflix productions of Sergio and Street Food: Latin America.

Originally from São Paulo, Brazil, Costa came to NYFA after wanting to learn the practical side of filmmaking. “I also wanted to study abroad and improve my English,” she tells NYFA, “so I decided to apply to the MFA Filmmaking program at NYFA and kill two birds with one stone.”

Costa has since worked her way up through the ranks at production house Brazil Production Services, becoming a Production Manager. She has worked on multiple projects both in Brazil and in the United States, including Netflix’s Hyperdrive and 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way. Costa also worked on the NYC unit for the Brazilian feature film Minha Vida em Marte and on the set of the shoot for the Get to Know Me music video with Brazil’s biggest pop star, Anitta.

Costa’s recent projects as a production manager have been with big-name titles like the Netflix film Sergio, which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, starring Ana de Armas and famous Brazilian actor Wagner Moura. “It was a great experience,” shares Costa. “We had several weeks of pre-production and the challenge to build a 100+ local Rio de Janeiro crew, and served as the main members of the crews (being bilingual) to communicate between the Brazilian crew and American crew that flew to Brazil for this shoot.”

As with any production, Sergio posed many challenges for Costa and the crew. Some of those challenges included finding the right person for a certain type of shoot and transforming a whole set to resemble an entirely different decade.

“We had an underwater scene being filmed in Rio de Janeiro that meant we needed to bring in the best underwater camera operator in Brazil to ensure we had the best footage possible,” reveals Costa. “We also needed to make sure all scene components were true to the time period, with many written as Sergio’s flashbacks from the 70’s; everything from street signs, cars, beach wear, people’s wardrobe, accessories, and more needed to be thought through.”

Another exciting project helmed by Costa and her team was the Netflix docuseries Street Food: Latin America. Costa managed the Brazil Unit for the streaming series and reveals it was a “fulfilling experience” but also challenging overall.

“The city of Salvador [where the shoot was taking place] is not as developed as São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, so, at some point during production, we had an issue with the equipment and we had to act very fast and put somebody on a plane to bring equipment from São Paulo for us ASAP so our schedule wasn’t affected. Everything worked out in the end and I’m very happy that people from all over the world get to know some of the best Brazilian and Latin American food.”

Valéria Costa (Second from left) with the production crew behind the scenes of a shoot

Costa’s job is certainly never quiet. Besides having the usual responsibilities of a Film Production Manager, she is also in charge of advising her clients on the local filming requirements of the country that they are looking to film in while also seeking to align their expectations based on the limitations of that location.

“There’s a Brazilian saying that I believe summarizes working in the film industry for me: ‘A rapadura é doce, mas não é mole não.’ That translates to something like, “The candy is sweet, but it’s not easy to bite. What we do is definitely not easy. You work long hours, deal with extremely tight deadlines and budget limitations, but I really love making movies and dealing with all the moving parts of a set and once you can see the final product I can guarantee that it’s worth it.”

New York Film Academy would like to congratulate MFA Filmmaking alum Valéria Costa on her recent successes for the two Netflix productions and is excited to see what’s in store for Costa as she continues to manage productions in two different global hemispheres of the world.

ACTRESS SAMANTHA SOULE EXPANDS HER CRAFT WITH NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY’S ONLINE WORKSHOPS

At New York Film Academy (NYFA), we are excited to continue to offer our creative and performing arts workshops online so that everyone, from artists and industry professionals like Samantha Soule, can continue to hone their craft under the guidance of renowned instructors from anywhere in the world. Samantha Soule, who recently took an Online Film Directing Workshop and Online Cinematography with NYFA, already boasts an active acting career, with credits including Outer Banks, Godless, City on a Hill, Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, amongst many others.

A full time actress for many years, Soule holds numerous credits for TV and film across Netflix, Showtime, CBS, and many more. She has a number of projects in the works for the upcoming year which, unfortunately, are currently on hold due to the advent of the global pandemic.

“When COVID-19 shut down the projects I had in the works, it felt like a really good time to learn and evolve,” shares Soule. “So much of my life as a performer is being the clay for another’s vision, which is a job I love, but as I move forward in life I am interested in the ways I can expand: use other parts of my brain, create stories, create opportunities to collaborate in different ways, and create opportunities for others, and not just benefit from them myself.”

Samantha Soule as Charlotte Temple in Netflix’s ‘Godless’

While taking her online courses at NYFA, Soule shares that learning more outside of acting has been an eye-opening experience, allowing her to pursue and learn different elements of the business like film directing and cinematography. “I learn best by doing, and this course has been an incredible kick in the butt to just get out there and start trying, learn from mistakes, fail, get up and try again.”

As Soule pursues more avenues for creating more opportunities in the future, she shows no signs of stopping in her acting career, having already gained recognition for many of her roles including the put-together high society woman, Charlotte Temple, on Netflix’s Godless. A predominantly female-driven cast, Soule starred alongside Michelle Dockery, Jeff Daniels, Merritt Weaver, and Jack O’Connell in the streaming giant’s western mini-series.

Soule remembers that her time on set for Godless, in particular, was such an impactful experience for her. “Because film and theater are often short lived projects, you can band together for the span of the job but then you go your separate ways once production is over… this is just not the case with Godless. Many, many, many of the people involved in that project will be with me the rest of my life like Scott Frank and the whole creative team, who were so encouraging of each of us bringing ourselves to the table, along with our thoughts and our individuality.”

Samantha Soule as Anna Carrera on Netflix breakout series ‘Outer Banks’

Soule also recently appeared in Netflix breakout series Outer Banks (also referred to as OBX), which was recently renewed for a second season that has yet to begin filming due to the COVID-19 restrictions. Soule plays Anna Carrera, the caring and concerned mother of main character Kiara (played by Madison Bailey). Soule praises the show for its themes of the trust, loyalty and love that you build with the family you are born into and the family you choose. As for whether we will see more of Soule’s character next season, Soule says: “I think there is some of that ferocity in Anna. She has her own history and has made some bold choices herself along the way, but I haven’t a clue where the story is going! We shall see!”

Samantha Soule (Right) in Showtime’s ‘City on a Hill’

Soule’s long standing career as an actor has brought her many roles both big and small, but she approaches them all with a student mindset with what she’s absorbed from her experiences along the way. “I have been both really lucky and active in my fight to work on a really diverse array of characters. I love leaping from one world to the next and I learn from each. Each character is a new vantage to view the world, so the wider the range of humans I get to understand the deeper the education. I think most of what I love is the extreme juxtaposition, it’s like using different muscles.”

New York Film Academy would like to thank actress and NYFA alum Samantha Soule for taking the time to speak to us on her experience as a constant student to her craft and also encourages everyone to check out Soule in AMC’s supernatural thriller Nos4a2, which premiered this summer, and her upcoming project with Godless creator Scott Frank called Queen’s Gambit.

TV & Film Actress Samantha Soule Expands Her Craft With New York Film Academy’s Online Workshops

At New York Film Academy (NYFA), we are excited to continue to offer our creative and performing arts workshops online so that everyone, from artists and industry professionals like Samantha Soule, can continue to hone their craft under the guidance of renowned instructors from anywhere in the world. Samantha Soule, who recently took an Online Film Directing Workshop and Online Cinematography with NYFA, already boasts an active acting career, with credits including Outer Banks, Godless, City on a Hill, and Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, amongst many others.

During her online courses at NYFA, Soule shares that learning more outside of acting has been an eye-opening experience, allowing her to explore different avenues of the business like film directing and cinematography. “I learn best by doing, and this course has been an incredible kick in the butt to just get out there and start trying, learn from mistakes, fail, get up and try again.”

As Soule pursues more avenues for creating more opportunities in the future, she shows no signs of stopping in her acting career, having already gained recognition for many of her roles including the put-together high society woman, Charlotte Temple, on Netflix’s Godless, where Soule stars alongside Michelle Dockery, Jeff Daniels, Merritt Weaver, and Jack O’Connell in the streaming giant’s western mini-series.