I took the 16mm filmmaking workshop. I have since sold a pre-school show to the Disney Channel called “Handy Manny.” Although it’s an animated show, I learned so much about just general storytelling at the NYFA. Thank you!
It is hard to believe that it was three years ago when I took your wonderful four-week film production workshop. So much, so very much has happened since then. Many people have asked for my impression of your program and I always — and without hesitation — recommend your programs. The four weeks I spent there was one of the most meaningful experiences I have ever had. All of your instructors and staff had one goal, and that was to see to it that I was given the tools to succeed.
…Since I’ve returned home, I have written/directed three shorts and two features. In August, I shot “Ripple,” a 15 minute digital short, and a movie that received a three-star review from a local film reviewer. Next I shot the short comedy, “The Bumbling Detective,” in digital. The latest short movie that I’ve made was “Welcome to Kentuckiana,” a 15-minute satire that was accepted to the IUPUI film program, and screened.
I’ve also shot “Losers Lounge” that was screened to a standing room crowd and was awarded Best Narrative Film Noir at the Bare Bones International Film Festival in 2004. It was also screened at two other film festivals and receive very good reviews in both print and web-based independent film sites. “Losers Lounge” was shot in Black & White digital.
My second feature on 16 mm color film and digital was called, “Somewhere In Indiana.” The movie was screened to almost 600 people at its premiere. I have just signed a distribution deal with Echelon Entertainment in LA who have U.S. and Canadian rights to “Somewhere In Indiana.”
I am currently writing another screenplay and am helping some friends who are shooting a movie. I am active in the Indianapolis film scene … Keep up the good work!
Dear Friends of the Academy. The workshop I did with you was an open door for a career beginning in filmmaking that couldn’t have been better. I shot a 35MM documentary on the arrival in Venezuela of two ships filled with Jewish refugees just before WWII. The film has been broadcast on HBO for… Read more Jonathan Jakubowicz Filmmaking New York City Dear Friends of the Academy. The workshop I did with you was an open door for a career beginning in filmmaking that couldn’t have been better. I shot a 35MM documentary on the arrival in Venezuela of two ships filled with Jewish refugees just before WWII. The film has been broadcast on HBO for all of Latin America. It has premiered in 13 countries. It has received the following awards: – Winner: Best Documentary, Premios a la Calidad de CENAC (Venezuelan Oscars) – Best Direction of Photography, Documentary – San Juan Cinemafest – Semi-Finalist, Director’s Guild of Americas, Angelus Awards – LA NYFA was the first exposure I got to any kind of formal education in filmmaking. It was my ABC’s, the first steps I took to make movies professionally. That was 20 years ago. There’s no doubt that what I learned at NYFA helped. It was very emotional for me to shoot a scene with De Niro and Ellen Barkin, two legendary New Yorkers, a few blocks from the school. It definitely felt like those two moments in my life, being a film student and directing my dream movie, were connected.
I could not have fathomed how much I would gain from attending NYFA. I never thought that anyone beyond my classmates and family would see my final project, a 13-minute documentary called “The Triumvirate” (made in four days during my final week). But at the encouragement of Matt Arnold and Gordie Haakstad, I submitted it to a couple of film festivals. It received the runner-up audience award for Best Documentary at the Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films (selected out of 2300 entries, also being named to the top 20 Best of Fest), and went on to win Best Documentary at the Smogdance Film Festival.
After attending the screening of the film in Palm Springs, Andrew Crane from American Cinematheque approached me about including the film in his organization’s annual celebration of women directors of short films (it screened with six other films at the Egyptian in December). Then the Cinema Society of San Diego approached me to have the film included in their annual Award Winning Shorts program (a one-time screening to 800 members). The films in both of those programs were half international, half American — and each had a film that went on to win an Oscar (“Wasp,” which won for Best Short Narrative, and “Ryan,” which won for best short animated film). That my little NYFA film would be included in such company is a credit to the instruction and encouragement that I received from your staff.
The film is currently being used by organizations in New Jersey and Minnesota to help pass legislation to open records for adult adopters. In addition, a couple from San Diego are trying to help me get funds to be able to make a 35mm film transfer of the film (so it can be submitted for an Oscar next year). “The Triumvirate’s” journey continues. I’ll keep you posted.
None of this could have happened without NYFA. Saying thanks just doesn’t cover it!
When I finished the 8-Week course, I came home with my 12-minute, 16mm film in my hands and sent it directly to the Venice Film Festival, where it had been accepted. The film then received one Jury Prize and one Audience Choice Award at the Capalbio Film Festival in Tuscany, after which it was invited to several festivals in Canada, Turkey, France, Germany, and Switzerland. It was then bought by television stations in Italy and in Switzerland.
People are still very surprised that I edited the short film myself, just with what I learned at NYFA. In fact, what was aggressively taught at NYFA helped me to be an editor for a documentary shot in Italy for the French-German TV channel Arte.
Subsequently, I have written a script that received funding from the Italian government. I can say that I still have clearly in mind the basics that I learned at NYFA to write, produce, direct, and edit. In no other way could I have learned this in Italy so well, and in so little time.