Page 84 – NYFA

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Welcomes President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige

On Wednesday, October 23, New York Film Academy (NYFA) had the pleasure to host Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios and Chief Creative Officer of Marvel. He is also the producer of Marvel’s hit movies and #5 in last week’s Hollywood Reporter’s top 100 most important people in the movie business. Tova Laiter, Director of the NYFA Q&A Series, moderated the event.

Feige has been the driving creative force behind several billion-dollar franchises and an unprecedented number of blockbuster feature films, all connected to create the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In his current role as producer and president of Marvel Studios, Feige is a hands-on producer and oversees Marvel Studios’ feature film productions, whose 23 films released have all opened #1 at the box office and collectively grossed over $21 billion worldwide. Eight of the MCU films have crossed the $1 billion threshold at the global box office. Avengers: Endgame broke records on its way to becoming the highest-grossing worldwide release of all time after just 89 days in theaters. Most recently, Feige was just announced as producer for a new Star Wars franchise.

Following a compilation reel of all the Marvel films, Laiter opened up the Q&A by inquiring what it takes to create those successful Marvel movies, asking “Is there a formula, or some concept, that you would like to share with us?”

Feige answered, “I wish there was a formula I could divvy out to everybody, but the truth is, we came about as a studio in an interesting way. We were tasked with making two movies in 2008, and I had been with Marvel for five to six years at that point. I learned just by being around filmmakers. By the time we got to Iron Man, I got to use everything I learned—the good and the bad—and focus our vision on what we wanted.”

Feige shared his more of his wisdom, telling NYFA students, “You need a couple things to make a great film. You need an amazing team and you need to trust that team around you. We’ve been very lucky with the filmmakers we’ve worked with, in that they’ve all wanted to work with us and make a fun crowd-pleasing movie. It’s easy to stop when it’s hard and it’s easy to settle, but we don’t. Once we announce a movie and it’s release date, we are committed. We reshoot and edit sometimes up to the premiere and once we added a shot to Avengers the day after… Obviously we earned the trust of the studio to do that.”

Laiter then opened up the Q&A to students. When asked by a student what he believes was the key to the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Feige expressed, “I think the key to success was Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and dozens of writers and artists that created an amazing world in the span of 40+ years. It’s amazing. And not just them, but we also have these new artists putting their own spin on these characters. There’s too many people responsible for it.”

New York Film Academy would like to thank Marvel Studios President and Marvel Chief Creative Officer Kevin Feige for his time and for sharing his film expertise with our students!

Another Successful Year for Nordic International Film Festival Founders & New York Film Academy (NYFA) Alumni

Last week saw another successful edition of the Nordic International Film Festival (NIFF), founded by New York Film Academy (NYFA) alumni Johan Matton and Linnea Larsdotter. This October marked the fifth year for NIFF.

This year’s fest was held at the renowned Roxy Cinema in Tribeca, and ran from October 16 – 20. The week saw a world premiere, six international premieres, two North American premieres, one US premiere, and 11 New York premieres among its multiple programs, with 79% of the official selections including at least one woman in a prominent role behind the camera. Jury members, hosts, and alumni of the festival included industry notables like Kristin Chenoweth, Bruce Greenwood, Jerome Flynn, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Veena Sud, Julian Glover, Lyndsy Fonseca, and Eric Roberts. Two special awards were given at this year’s program: the Nordic Film Grand Prize, which offers a one-week trip to the Faroe Islands, and the International Film Grand Prize, which offers a one-week trip to Finland.

Two additional awards were sponsored by New York Film Academy, and presented by NYFA President Michael J. Young. Night Cleaners by Hanna Nordenswan won Best Documentary Short, while Tia Kuovo, writer and director of We Retired People, won the Aurora Borealis Award for Best Up and Coming Filmmaker. Both award winners received scholarships for a 4-Week workshop of their choice at NYFA to advance their filmmaking studies.

“New York Film Academy is proud to support the Nordic International Film Festival,” Young expressed to the audience in a short speech, continuing, “and especially proud of our alumni Johan and Linnea, who created such an extraordinary and enduring festival.”

NIFF was founded in October 2015 by Swedish-born actors and producers Johan Matton and Linnea Larsdotter, both alumni of New York Film Academy. Matton attended the 2-Year Acting for Film conservatory in 2009 at our New York campus, as well as our 2-Day Line Producing workshop in 2018. Larsdotter attended the 2-Year Musical Theatre program at the Professional Conservatory of Musical Theatre at New York Film Academy (PCMT at NYFA) in 2010.

Matton and Larsdotter have worked hard to put NIFF together while building on each year’s success with bigger and grander goals. While speaking to the audience on closing night, Larsdotter highlighted the festival’s commitment to gender equality in filmmaking: “Here at NIFF it’s been our focus since the very beginning, me being a female producer in this industry, I know that there are obstacles we have to face, and I’m so proud to say … in this Official Selection we were 50/50 male and female directors,” stated Larsdotter to thunderous applause.

The Nordic International Film Festival is the biggest fest of its kind outside Europe, and features quality work of Scandinavian and international filmmakers in an exclusive, beautifully organized New York setting. NIFF has a mission that goes beyond the average film festival, one that seeks to build bridges between the Nordic region, encouraging and connecting filmmakers from all over the globe.

NIFF has presented diverse independent films with strong characters and storylines from artists around the world, including Oscar-nominated filmmakers, Nobel Prize winners, and star-studded casts, and aims to achieve a 50-50 male/female ratio each year, as well as creating zero non-recyclable waste during the festival while providing only environmental friendly, vegan food and snacks.

All in all, this year’s fest was a great success. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to have completed our 5th annual Nordic International Film Festival,” says Matton. “With our strongest lineup of world premieres yet and the support from our incredible partners and organizations … this film festival will keep growing–and now with the support from NYFA, so will these incredible filmmakers.”

New York Film Academy congratulates NYFA alumni Johan Matton and Linnea Larsdotter on another successful edition of their Nordic International Film Festival, and looks forward to another stunning event next year!

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NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY (NYFA) WELCOMES ‘JOHN WICK’ CREATOR DEREK KOLSTAD

On Tuesday, October 15, New York Film Academy (NYFA) had the pleasure of hosting Derek Kolstad, creator and writer of the iconic John Wick franchise starring Keanu Reeves. Tova Laiter, Director of the NYFA Q&A Series, moderated the event.

Derek Kolstad penned the original screenplay for John Wick, which has become Lionsgate’s most profitable franchise with two sequels, a VR game, a mobile game, and a probable third sequel, as well as a planned scripted TV adaptation that Kolstad is executive producing and a comic book series that he is consulting on.

Additionally, Kolstad most recently wrapped as a co-executive producer on the highly-anticipated Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier for Marvel Studios.

Following a screening of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Laiter opened up the Q&A by asking Kolstad how he got his start in the business and how that led to his success as a screenwriter. “I started to write screenplays when I was 13,” Kolstad began, continuing, “when I didn’t even know the format. I wrote and filed it. I became a salesman and then one day, it was 2000, I drove out to LA and I got noticed right away.”

He added, “I wrote a script called Acolyte and I got a manager and did two direct-to-DVD movies that were an ungodly challenge. I was going to walk away and one producer on that project introduced me to managers Mike Goldberg and Josh Adler, who are still my reps, and they saved me.”

In regards to the inspiration for the John Wick franchise, Kolstad shared, “When I wrote John Wick, I was writing a love letter to the movies I loved. I wrote that initial screenplay in three days, the second draft in two weeks, sold it in February, and we went into production that November. So when you think of overnight success, I know I’m blessed, but I worked hard and long to get to that point.”

When asked by Laiter about the moment John Wick clicked for Kolstad, he stated, “John Wick was just me suddenly going, ‘I’m going to stop trying to be who I’m not and just embrace what I love.’”

The Q&A was then opened up to student filmmakers, where Kolstad was asked how the John Wick franchise stood out from other action movies in the market. Kolstad credited the success to the importance of character relationships, saying, “A good movie, regardless of genre, is a good movie. It comes down to the character and their relationships, and the audience wanting to be a part of that character’s life.”

New York Film Academy would like to thank Derek Kolstad for joining us and sharing his expertise with our students!

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.

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Welcomes Participant Media CEO David Linde

David Linde, CEO of Participant Media, the leading global media company dedicated to entertainment that inspires and compels social change, recently spent a morning in conversation with New York Film Academy (NYFA) Producing Chair Neal Weisman as the latest NYFA Producing Department Industry Speaker. Linde and Participant are coming off a hot streak having produced recent Oscar winners Green Book and Roma.

Linde spoke at NYFA’s New York campus. Attending the speaker series event were students of the NYFA Producing department, as well as students from the NYFA Documentary, Screenwriting, and Filmmaking departments.

Linde shared his biographical highlights, starting with his first job in the paralegal department of Paramount Studios in New York City. He discussed his move into film sales starting with Fox Lorber, and then Miramax, before becoming a partner of the seminal New York production outfit Good Machine.

Many of Linde’s relationships with acclaimed filmmakers were forged during this period, including directors Alfonso Cuarón, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Ang Lee, Todd Haynes, and Todd Solondz. Linde lavished high praise on one of his mentors, legendary producer Saul Zaentz; they worked together on The English Patient (winner of nine Academy Awards).

Linde also shared his experience as Chairman of Universal Pictures, where his lengthy—and ultimately successful—campaign brought the studio full force into animation and the family market.

Two major themes emerged from the discussion – Linde spoke extensively about melding his sales perspective with long-standing relationships with filmmakers. As Co-Head of Focus Features, he went on to distribute such notable projects like Brokeback Mountain, The Motorcycle Diaries, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, 21 Grams, and Lost in Translation.

Linde also shared Participant’s philosophy of backing entertaining narrative feature films and documentaries that can serve as catalysts for social change.

He spoke extensively of the social and political action inspired by Roma. One victory cited by Linde is that domestic workers in Mexico will now be entitled to participate in their country’s social security system. Weisman mentioned that comparable efforts are underway through Participant’s work in the US in conjunction with the National Domestic Workers Alliance. Students are encouraged to check out the social action element of the Participant website here.

Linde also addressed the role of Netflix in the distribution of Roma and the industry-at-large. Both Participant and Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuarón are exceedingly pleased with the way Netflix rolled out the picture, as well as the large viewing figures. Weisman mentioned that Roma blazed a trail for a new kind of hybrid distribution model, about to be put to use with the release of the new Martin Scorsese film The Irishman.

Linde then inspired the students in attendance by noting that the advent of streaming services has created great opportunities as there are “so many new buyers.”

New York Film Academy thanks CEO of Participant Media, David Linde, for generously sharing his insight and wisdom with our students!

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Q&A with Veteran Game Designer and NYFA Instructor Andrew Ashcraft

On Thursday, September 26, New York Film Academy hosted veteran and award-winning game designer and NYFA instructor Andrew Ashcraft.

Ashcraft came to speak at NYFA as part of the school’s Masters of Game Design series, a speaker series in which distinguished members of the gaming industry visit for an informal chat with NYFA instructor Scott Rogers about their career in gaming. The series has included industry luminaries like Insomniac Games president Ted Price and veteran writer and game designer John Zuur Platten.

The event was attended by over 50 students and industry professionals who has been invited by the school. Ashcraft and Rogers talked about Ashcraft’s 23-year career, starting with his early years at UCLA, before moving on to his transition into the gaming industry and his vast experience creating games for Sony Santa Monica, Disney Mobile, THQ, and Activision. Ashcraft’s career as an independent designer of board games and LARPs was also discussed. Audience attendees were then invited to ask Ashcraft a series of questions.

In addition to working for major game development companies, Ashcraft teaches for the NYFA Game Design school at our Los Angeles campus, where students are given the chance to make multiple games, work with a variety of different professionals, and build their portfolio to help them find a game design career after college.

New York Film Academy thanks instructor and veteran game designer Andrew Ashcraft for taking the time to speak with our students and sharing his expertise.

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Welcomes ‘John Wick’ Creator Derek Kolstad

Derek Kolstad, creator and writer of the iconic action franchise starring Keanu Reeves, John Wick, spoke with students at New York Film Academy (NYFA) at a special event on Tuesday, October 15, moderated by Tova Laiter, Director of the NYFA Q&A Series.

Derek Kolstad penned the original screenplay for John Wick, which has become Lionsgate’s most profitable franchise with two sequels, a VR game, a mobile game, and a probable third sequel, as well as executive producing a planned scripted TV adaptation that Kolstad is executive producing and a comic book series that he is consulting on.

Additionally, Kolstad most recently wrapped as a co-executive producer on the highly-anticipated Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier for Marvel Studios.

Following a screening of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Laiter opened up the Q&A by asking Kolstad how he got his start in the business and how that led to his success as a screenwriter. “I started to write screenplays since I was 13,” Kolstad began, continuing, “when I didn’t even know the format. I wrote and filed it. I became a salesman and then one day, it was 2000, I drove out to LA and I got noticed right away.”

Speaking of his inspiration for creating the series, Kolstad shared, “When I wrote John Wick, I was writing a love letter to the movies I loved. I wrote that initial screenplay in three days, the second draft in two weeks, sold it in February, and we went into production that November. So when you think of overnight success, I know I’m blessed, but I worked hard and long to get to that point.”

Laiter also asked Kolstad about the moment when John Wick clicked for him. Kolstad answered, “John Wick was just me suddenly going, ‘I’m going to stop trying to be who I’m not and just embrace what I love.’”

New York Film Academy would like to thank Derek Kolstad for joining us and sharing his expertise with our students!

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Filmmaking Alum Furaha Bayibsa Authors New Book, ‘Children’

Children, a new book written by New York Film Academy (NYFA) Filmmaking alum Furaha Bayibsa, was released last month.

Bayibsa has been very busy since graduating the Fall 2015 1-Year Filmmaking program at NYFA-Los Angeles—as a producer, screenwriter, director, and now as an author.

Originally from the Congo and born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden, Bayibsa has written four short films, three of which she’s directed. She has also become a prolific and talented producer, having worked on over a dozen films to date. These include Landfill, directed by MFA Filmmaking student Yesser Laham, and Straight to Hell, a comedy short written and directed NYFA Filmmaking alum Damon J. Barnes.

Bayibsa’s book is titled Children and takes place in a San Francisco community in present day. The book is based on new legislation approved and finalized by the Supreme Court that calls for police officers to be put on immediate unpaid leave, charged, and tried as a civilian when abusing their power in service to unarmed civilians. This legislation has been praised and implemented in several nations all around the world and began with the story of two children who fell in love.

“Writing is one of the most fun things in the world; it’s something I’ve always believed,” says Bayibsa. “Attending NYFA gave me guidance on how to think when I write, not actually how to write; that’s what I liked about NYFA the most.”

Bayibsa plans to adapt Children into a feature film as buzz about the book grows, which she plans to also direct.

New York Film Academy congratulates Filmmaking alum Furaha Bayibsa on her new book Children and encourages everyone to read a copy today!

New York Film Academy (NYFA) BFA Photography Alum Lotta Lemetti Featured in Float Magazine

New York Film Academy (NYFA) BFA Photography alum Lotta Lemetti had her series The Ordinary recently featured in popular photo magazine, Float, as their latest issue’s cover story.

The Finnish-born artist and Fulbright scholar first attended the Photo Arts Conservatory at New York Film Academy (PAC at NYFA) in 2015 at our New York City campus, before continuing her studies in Los Angeles and earning her BFA in Photography.

Lemetti has refined a unique vision embracing the beauty of the simple and mundane with a minimal aesthetic that carries through her diverse body of work, which employs alternative processes, mixed media, and graphic design. She has earned two grants from the City of Vantaa, was the winner of the 2019 CCC Ad Open Call, and was named the 2019 Latitude Life APS Photographer of the year.

Her work has already been exhibited in group shows in New York City, Los Angeles, and Finland. Additionally, Lemetti has served as art director for the latest two issues of PAC at NYFA’s photo magazine, FAYN.

The cover story for the latest issue of Float features her portfolio The Ordinary, a series of beautiful still life compositions that include various types of colorful foods on a stark white background.

“With the series The Ordinary I want the viewer to share my sense of wonder and joy in the ordinary objects of everyday life,” Lemetti tells Float. “I want to give the audience a moment to appreciate the things we so often take for granted and overlook. I wish to encourage people to slow down from the hecticness of life to a more tranquil pace in which they are able to fully observe and receive the beauty and peculiarity of this miraculous world we live in.”

Float Photo Magazine was founded in March 2014 by Dana Stirling and Yoav Friedlander with a mission of celebrating the work of contemporary photographers from around the globe, both emerging and established, with the intention to inspire and push forward the photography community.

New York Film Academy congratulates BFA Photography alum Lotta Lemetti on her cover story and encourages everyone to check out the article, which includes several of Lotta’s beautifully composed images.

Select images from The Ordinary by Lotta Lemetti:

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New York Film Academy (NYFA) BFA Photography Student Joseph Ford Photographs Jeff Bezos, Blac Chyna, and More

Joseph Ford, current BFA Photography student at New York Film Academy (NYFA), recently captured photo coverage of the Amazon float at the 2019 SF Gay Pride parade, including Amazon founder and richest person in the world, Jeff Bezos.

Ford is a military veteran who originally hails from San Jose, California. After ten years of military service, Ford moved to Los Angeles to pursue his passion for fashion photography, enrolling in the BFA program at the Photo Arts Conservatory at New York Film Academy (PAC At NYFA).

He’s since started a beauty and fashion photography company, Gifted Mindset Photography, and has had success shooting numerous models in beautifully composed, striking images.

His talents have not gone unnoticed, and Ford has been tapped to shoot influencers like Blac Chyna and Brittany Renner, among others. He was tapped to cover the Amazon float at the 2019 SF Gay Pride parade, photographing the richest man in the world, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

“I think what sets me apart from other photographers is the experience models get when they work with me,” Ford told VoyageLA in a recent interview. “I still approach each shoot with the excitement and passion I did when I first started. And that’s actually easy for me because the excitement and passion is still there.”

New York Film Academy congratulates BFA Photography student Joseph Ford on his success and looks forward to seeing his future work as he continues his studies!

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