Page 88 – NYFA

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Filmmaking Alum Tracy Oliver Launches ‘First Wives Club’ Series

First Wives Club, the new adaptation of the hit 1996 film developed for television by New York Film Academy (NYFA) Filmmaking alum Tracy Oliver, premieres this week.

Oliver attended the New York Film Academy 4-Week Filmmaking workshop at our Los Angeles campus in 2005. In that workshop she met fellow classmate and NYFA alum Issa Rae, forming a friendship and working relationship that continues to this day. Oliver wrote an episode of Rae’s career-launching webseries, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, as well as starring in the show as Rae’s antagonist, Nina. She has since become a wildly successful Hollywood screenwriter, with script credits including Barbershop: The Next Cut, Little, and The Sun is Also a Star.

Additionally, Oliver co-wrote the hit comedy Girls Trip with Kenya Barris, which made over $140 million at the box office. Oliver and Barris were nominated for a 2018 Image Award for their work on the movie.

First Wives Club, Oliver’s latest project, is loosely adapted from the feature film of the same name, which starred Diane Keaton, Better Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Maggie Smith, and took audiences by storm in 1996. The original film revolved around a group of women who cope with the divorce and seek retribution against their ex-husbands. The show has been in pre-production for several years, having gone through multiple producers, casts, and studios, before Oliver was handed the reins.

Oliver’s adaptation focuses more a story of sisterhood, and chronicles three best friends after one of them, Hazel, is caught up in an infamous cheating scandal. The three friends, who all recently came out of relationships, support each other while seeking revenge as they learn to put themselves first. The show stars Jill Scott, Michelle Buteau, and Ryan Michelle Bathe as the three friends—Hazek, Bree, and Ari. The cast also includes Mark Tallman, RonReaco Lee, and Malik Yoba. In addition to developing the show, Oliver also directed its seventh episode.

First Wives Club will premiere on September 19 as a launch title for the brand new Viacom streaming service, BET+, which also goes live on September 19. Its first season, which filmed in New York City late
last year, will air for ten episodes.

New York Film Academy congratulates Filmmaking alum Tracy Oliver on the launch of her new series, First Wives Club, and encourages everyone to check out the show when it premieres on BET+!

New York Film Academy Instructor Bob Eisenhardt & NYFA Community Win Big At 2019 Creative Arts Emmys

The New York Film Academy (NYFA) community came away with numerous statuettes this weekend at the 2019 Creative Arts Emmy Awards, including NYFA Documentary Filmmaking instructor Bob Eisenhardt’s Outstanding Achievement in Editing win for his work on critically-acclaimed Free Solo.

The Creative Arts Emmys are awarded by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), typically a week before the more well-known televised Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, and recognize technical and other similar achievements in television programming as well as more obscure categories. This year’s Creative Arts Emmys were held at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

Two big winners of the evening were the rock climbing documentary Free Solo and HBO’s juggernaut fantasy series Game of Thrones.

NYFA Documentary instructor Bob Eisenhardt, ACE, won Outstanding Achievement in Editing (Nonfiction) for cutting Free Solo, which has won multiple awards over the last year, including the Academy Award for Best Documentary. Eisenhardt has also won several other awards for his work on the film, including the editing industry’s highest honor, the Eddie Award.

Free Solo won an impressive six additional awards in addition to the Editing Emmy: Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program, Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Underscore), Outstanding Creative Achievement In Interactive Media Within An Unscripted Program, Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program, Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction Program (Single or Multi-Camera), and Outstanding Cinematography For A Nonfiction Program.

Game of Thrones also picked up an abundance of trophies, which is no surprise considering it’s now the most Emmy-nominated television show of all time. Creative Arts Emmy Award wins included Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes and Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour), among many others.

The series also won Outstanding Special Visual Effects for its penultimate episode, “The Bells.” NYFA 3D Animation & VFX alum Alexandra LoRusso worked on the special visual effects team for that episode, as well as the Game of Thrones finale, “The Iron Throne.”

Emmy wins for the NYFA community continued throughout the two-day ceremony. Netflix original series Russian Doll also came away with three Creative Arts Emmys: Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour), Outstanding Contemporary Costumes, and Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour). NYFA Cinematography alum Rebecca Rajadnya worked on Russian Doll’s cinematography team as first assistant camera.

HBO’s hit comedy Barry won Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) And Animation. The show was created by and stars NYFA alum Bill Hader, who has already won Primetime Emmys for his work on the show.

Netflix’s nature documentary Our Planet notably picked up Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. The docuseries became event television last spring, with an early Hollywood screening in February moderated by NYFA Acting for Film alum Lana Condor giving Our Planet some early buzz.

RBG, the wildly popular documentary about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, won for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking. The film was shot by Documentary Filmmaking cinematography instructor Claudia Raschke.

Rachel Bloom, creator and star of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, recently spoke with NYFA students as a guest speaker. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend won Outstanding Choreography For Scripted Programming this weekend.

New York Film Academy congratulates NYFA instructor Bob Eisenhardt and all of the winners at this year’s Creative Arts Emmys, and looks forward to the Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony this Sunday, September 22!

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Filmmaking Alum Tushar Tyagi Films ‘Saving Chintu’

New York Film Academy (NYFA) Filmmaking alum Tushar Tyagi has shot Saving Chintu, a film exploring LGBTQIA+ themes in India, starring Life of Pi actor Adil Hussain.

Tyagi originally hails from India and attended the 1-Year Filmmaking conservatory at NYFA’s New York campus in 2013. He is currently based in Hollywood and has won multiple awards and nominations for his work, including at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards and the Canada International Film Festival. His previous film was the 2017 short Kaashi.

“I thank New York Film Academy for the constant support, from where it all started,” Tyagi tells NYFA. “I’m thankful for the valuable time I spent there, developing much-needed skills required for an independent filmmaker. It’s been an absolute pleasure learning my craft at most hands-on practice academy in the world.”

Saving Chintu was directed by Tyagi, who co-wrote the film with Sanyam Kumar and Corey Wright. The cast includes Edward Sonnenblick, Sachin Bhatt, Dipannita Sharma, Priyanka Setia, and Adil Hussain (Life of Pi, Hotel Salvation, What Will People Say.) The short was produced by Ritika Jayaswal and Tyagi.

The film is already receiving buzz for its thoughtful exploration of LGBTQIA+ themes in the Indian and Indian American community. The story focuses on the lives of an Indian American gay couple who visit India to adopt a child suffering from HIV, examining social issues including the LGBTQIA+ communities of India, HIV/AIDS, and the child adoption system.

In 2018, homosexuality was decriminalized in the country by the Supreme Court of India, making it more relevant than ever for these themes to be explored by artists and filmmakers like Tyagi.

“I feel making this film is so important for me,” says Tyagi. “It’s like my calling, to start the conversation in my small capacity and to start a wave of change in the evolving circumstances around the globe and in the world of present Asia. It’s high time to create awareness and start a conversation on a bigger level through the medium of film and art for social issues like these.”

New York Film Academy congratulates Filmmaking alum Tushar Tyagi on Saving Chintu and wishes him success as he continues to explore complex and socially important issues through his work.

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New York Film Academy (NYFA) 3D Animation & VFX Alum Joins Paradox Interactive

Hanna Johansson, an alum of the Fall 2016 1-Year 3D Animation & Visual Effects conservatory at New York Film Academy (NYFA), has been hired as a character animator for Paradox Interactive.

Paradox Interactive AB is a video game publisher based out of Stockholm, Sweden, and was founded in 1999. They are best known for their historically-themed strategy games, as well as role-playing games and management simulators.

They are perhaps best known for their games Prison Architect and Cities: Skylines. The latter was released in 2015 as a competitor to SimCity, and has sold over six million copies.

At NYFA’s Los Angeles campus, Johansson learned the craft from an award-winning faculty of professional animators and visual effects artists. In addition to working as a Teachers Assistant in NYFA’s Animation department, Johansson has worked as a freelance 3D animator since graduation. She has been working with Paradox Interactive’s Arctic Studio as a character animator since June 2019.

New York Film Academy congratulates 3D Animation & Visual Effects alum Hanna Johansson on her position and looks forward to her future work as an animator!

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY FILMMAKING ALUM HANNAH LUX DAVIS DIRECTS ‘CHARLIE’S ANGELS’ MUSIC VIDEO

The music video for “Don’t Call Me Angel,” the tie-in single to the latest Charlie’s Angels film performed by Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, and Lana Del Rey, and directed by New York Film Academy (NYFA) alum Hannah Lux Davis was released on Friday, September 13.

The song, released by Republic Records, is the first single off the Charlie’s Angels official soundtrack album and serves as the film’s main theme. The latest entry of the popular franchise about three crime-fighting women stars Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska, and was written and directed by Elizabeth Banks.

Davis originally hails from Bellevue, Washington, and attended the 1-Year Filmmaking Conservatory at NYFA’s Burbank-based campus in 2004. Since then, she has directed music videos for such high profile artists as Drake, Whitney Houston, Nicki Minaj, and Halsey. She has frequently collaborated with Ariana Grande, and directed the hit videos “Thank U, Next” and “7 Rings.”

For her work, Davis has been nominated for an MTV Video Music Award on numerous occasions, and has won twice—in 2013 she won Best Hip-Hop Video for “Love Me” by Lil Wayne, and in 2014 she won Artist to Watch for “Miss Movin’ On” by Fifth Harmony. “Davis has a uniquely colorful style that can be seen in her videos for Hilary Duff’s ‘Sparks’ and David Guetta’s ‘Hey Mama’ featuring Nicki Minaj,” writes Lucy Binetti in a profile on Davis for Substream Magazine.

In the article for Substream, Davis talks about her commitment to following her own instincts and style, as well as her passion for filmmaking. “I really do think this is the only thing I’m meant to be doing,” says Davis.

New York Film Academy congratulates Filmmaking alum Hannah Lux Davis on her successful career as a music video director, and encourages everyone to check out her latest project, “Don’t Call Me Angel” by Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, and Lana Del Rey.

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 (NYFA) Filmmaking Alum Robert Nazar Arjoyan Releases I Promised Her Life

This week, I Promised Her Life, the award-winning short film by New York Film Academy (NYFA) Filmmaking alum Robert Nazar Arjoyan, premiered on Vimeo.

The film is about a grieving Armenian-American mother named Elena who defies centuries-old tradition as she walks the line between death and the afterlife on the day of her daughter’s funeral. In the lead role is Anne Bedian (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Lost, The Grid). I Promised Her Life has played over 30 festivals, and has so far picked up 7 awards.

Arjoyan attended the NYFA 4-Week Filmmaking camp at our Los Angeles campus in 2004, where he made three films. His studies and eventual career in film was fate: after randomly stopping at a slot machine while vacationing in Las Vegas and winning the jackpot, Arjoyan celebrated by using the winnings to attend the camp. “The voice in my head demanded that someone, anyone, go pull that machine,” Arjoyan tells NYFA.

His gut feeling paid off; his mother pulled the handle on the slot, won the jackpot, and soon after Arjoyan was learning the skills needed to be a filmmaker in Hollywood. “I look back upon those weeks on the storied Backlot with tremendous fondness and gratitude,” says Arjoyan.

“The summer I spent at NYFA as a 15 year old taught me the core fundamentals that helped me make I Promised Her Life,” adds Arjoyan, “and will continue to do so for all future projects. That was a magical and invaluable experience.”

New York Film Academy congratulates Filmmaking alum Robert Nazar Arjoyan on the release of his new film, and encourages everyone to check out I Promised Her Life on Vimeo!

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BOLIVIA SELECTION FOR OSCARS INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM PRODUCED BY NYFA ALUM RODRIGO A. OROZCO

New York Film Academy (NYFA) is excited to share that NYFA Filmmaking alum Rodrigo A. Orozco’s film Tu Me Manques was submitted to the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) as Bolivia’s official selection to compete in the 92nd annual Oscars competition for outstanding achievement in film.

Still from ‘Tu Me Manques’ (Courtesy of Outfest Los Angeles)

Tu Me Manques (Translated as “I miss you”) originally premiered in L.A.’s Outfest in 2018, where it won the Grand Jury Prize for ‘Best Screenplay. The film marks Bolivia’s 11th Oscar submission since its first bid in 1995, though the country has still not received a nomination.

Tu Me Manques follows a man grappling with the suicide of his son, who travels from Bolivia to New York City to meet and confront his son’s boyfriend. Bolivian director Rodrigo Bellott adapted the film from his transformative stage play, based on his personal story about his boyfriend’s struggle with coming out and his family’s homophobia. The play had such an historic impact on Bolivian society that it led to the inclusion of the LGBTQ community in Bolivia’s anti-discrimination law with its Supreme Court declaring May 17 as National Day Against Homophobia.

Caption: Still from ‘Tu Me Manques’ (Photo courtesy of NewFest 2019)

NYFA Alum Rodrigo A. Orozco, who producedTu Me Manques, has previously worked on thriller Magic Magic starring Michael Cera and Juno Temple, and previously produced short film Little Girl Blue. Orozco is currently in production on an upcoming horror film called Blood-Red Ox, also directed by Rodrigo Bellot.

New York Film Academy would like to congratulate Rodrigo A. Orozco on such an outstanding achievement and looks forward to seeing the final Oscar selections for the International Feature Film category. The upcoming 92nd Academy Awards will be held on February 9, 2020 with the Oscars category shortlist to be announced on January 13, 2020.

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY PRESENTS MASTER CLASSES AND SCREENS STUDENT FILMS AT 2019 VENICE FILM FESTIVAL

New York Film Academy (NYFA) partnered with Giornate degli Autori, the Venice Film Festival’s independent film section, to host an all-day event on September 4, 2019.

The day began with a private Master Class held by NYFA 3D Animation & VFX Chair, Craig Caton (E.T., Ghostbusters, Jurassic Park) for the jurors of Giornate degli Autori. The 1-hour talk on motion capture and augmented reality was attended by all 28 jurors of the Giornate degli Autori. Also known as the 28 Times Cinema project, each juror is a film student from a university in each European Union nation.

“I had an amazing time learning about motion capture from one of the leading film professionals teaching at the New York Film Academy [Craig Caton] and I am very thankful I could take part in this event,” said Mladen Pechevski, the Bulgarian student ambassador.

The day continued with Craig Caton’s afternoon Master Class, which was open to the general public, press, and festival goers. The packed house had the opportunity to participate in a live, interactive facial recognition demonstration. Following the Master Class, NYFA screened three student shorts indicative of the quality of work NYFA students produce. Two of the students, directors Gabriele Fabbro and Alex Cvetkov, were present at the screening and answered questions from the audience about their experiences at NYFA.

Alex Cvetkov, Craig Caton and Gabriele Fabbro

“Having been selected and showcased at the Venice Film Festival is a true pleasure, and the feeling can’t be expressed properly […] Venice is a festival attended by worldwide film industry reps, they are all in one place, at the same time; this is where opportunities can happen, and I was at the right place, at the right time,” shared Cvetkov. “The more people I meet, the more people see my movie, the more your name resonates and people talk about your work. There is no better promotion than mouth to mouth, and at the end of the day this is all happening at one of the biggest film festivals in the world. Just being surrounded with the world-class filmmakers gives me the motivation to keep on chasing my stories and my creativity […] There goes big thanks to the New York Film Academy for the knowledge and for the support they provided me as a filmmaker!”

Of the event and partnership with NYFA, Giorgio Gosetti, Director of Giornate degli Autori said, “Hosting the New York Film Academy was an important confirmation for us at Venice Days. We have always encouraged (and increasingly so) an open dialogue with the new generations of filmgoers who choose film as their main profession. Even more so when the talk is held by a great “craftsman” like Craig Caton who suits up one of our young jurors and, in real time, turns him into an animated character under everyone’s eyes. Our challenge and motivational trigger is to relate the experience of Hollywood’s giants with all those who dream about cinema and train hard to ultimately make films of their own.”

Upon reflecting on his own experience at the event, Master Class presenter Craig Caton expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity to attend the festival and the students with whom he engaged while there.

“Being at the Venice Film Festival was very rewarding. Sharing my experiences was met with great enthusiasm,” said Caton. “It was nice to hear several times how NYFA has internationally acclaimed instructors who really care about their students and teach with great passion! I am honored to be part of such an incredible organization!”

As part of New York Film Academy’s presence at this year’s Venice Film Festival, many NYFA alumni were prominently featured throughout the 2019 edition. NYFA Screenwriting alum Shahad Ameen screened her film Scales (Sayidat Al Bahr in Arabic) which tells the story of Hayat, a young girl who lives in a poor fishing village in which every family must give one daughter to the sea creatures who inhabit the nearby waters. The film marked a milestone not just for Ameen’s career but for Arab cinema in general as it was the first narrative Arab film to premiere in Venice.

NYFA Filmmaking alum Stefano Cipani also screened his film, Mio Fratello Rincorre i Dinosauri at the Giornate degli Autori as part of a special event. The film, which features stars Alessandro Gassman, Isabella Ragonese and Rossy de Palma, recounts the relationship between two brothers, the younger of whom has Down Syndrome.

New York Film Academy faculty, students and alumni are honored to have partnered with Giornate degli Autori, and look forward to the opportunity to engage with attendees in years to come.

New York Film Academy at 2019 Venice Film Festival: Master Classes and Student Film Screenings

New York Film Academy’s (NYFA) kicked off a successful partnership with Giornate degli Autori, at the Venice Film Festival with an all-day event on September 4, 2019.

NYFA 3D Animation & VFX Chair, Craig Caton (E.T., Ghostbusters, Jurassic Park) kicked off the day’s events with a private Master Class for the jurors of Giornate degli Autori. The 1-hour talk focused on motion capture and augmented reality was attended by all 28 jurors of the Giornate degli Autori, each of whom is a film student from a university in each European Union nation.

Craig Caton held a second Master Class open to the general public, press and festival-goers in the afternoon. The packed house participated in a live, interactive facial recognition demonstration. Following the Master Class, NYFA screened three student shorts indicative of the quality of work NYFA students produce. Two of the students, directors Gabriele Fabbro and Alex Cvetkov, were present at the screening and answered questions from the audience about their experiences at NYFA.

New York Film Academy alumni were prominently featured at this year’s edition of the Venice Film Festival. NYFA Screenwriting alum Shahad Ameen screened her film Scales (Sayidat Al Bahr in Arabic). The film tells the story of Hayat, a young girl who lives in a poor fishing village in which every family must give one daughter to the sea creatures who inhabit the nearby waters. Ameen’s film is the first narrative Arab film to premiere in Venice.

As part of a special Giornate degli Autori event, NYFA Filmmaking alum Stefano Cipani also screened his film, Mio Fratello Rincorre i Dinosauri. The star studded cast features stars Alessandro Gassman, Isabella Ragonese and Rossy de Palma. The film recounts the relationship between two brothers, the younger of whom has Down Syndrome.

New York Film Academy faculty, students and alumni are honored to have partnered with Giornate degli Autori, and look forward to the opportunity to engage with attendees in years to come.