Now in its 25th year, the New York Film Academy has established itself as one of the premier visual and performing arts schools in the world. Its reputation has not gone unnoticed, as shown in Variety’s “Entertainment Education: Stellar Film Schools in 2017” article, which listed the 30 most “stellar” entertainment academies in the U.S. and abroad.
Now with locations in New York; Los Angeles, CA; South Beach, Florida; Gold Coast, Australia; Florence, Italy; and Beijing, China; the New York Film Academy offers a variety of accelerated degree, conservatory, or workshop programs.
The editors at Variety highlighted the continued success of NYFA’s alumni, who have screened films at the foremost film festivals in the world, such as Cannes, Sundance, SXSW, Toronto, and Venice. Variety also published an article in which they recognized NYFA’s Musical Theatre program for its outstanding and original movie musicals, which have reignited the genre for young performers.
This past year we proudly recognized many alumni success stories, including Jean de Meuron and Raphaela Neihausen, who were recently producers on Academy Award-nominated short films. Alumna Issa Rae, star and creator of the HBO series, “Insecure,” was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a TV Comedy or Musical. Alumni Themo Melikidze starred alongside Mark Wahlberg in the Peter Berg action thriller, “Patriots Day.”
Our students have had the privilege of sitting in on hands-on Master Classes with industry professionals such as Matthew Modine (“Full Metal Jacket,” “Stranger Things”), Bill Duke (“Predator,” “A Rage in Harlem”), film critic Peter Rainer, and many more. Furthermore, NYFA continues to offer its Guest Speaker Series and welcomed many new faces this past year, including Academy Award winner Mel Gibson, Seth Rogen, Kim Cattrall, Kevin James, and many others.
As a continual effort to provide real-world experiences, NYFA’s Industry Lab has allowed our students and alumni to work on major productions for professional clients such as Warner Bros., Snoop Dogg, Matthew Modine, and others.
NYFA’s professional faculty has maintained a working relationship with the film, TV, and entertainment industry. Some recent examples include NYFA Cinematography Chair Tony Richmond, who was the director of photography on “Diary of Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul.” NYFA Dean of Academic Advising at NYFA Los Angeles Mike Civille directed the film, “The Rachels,” which premiered on the Lifetime Movie Network. Acting instructor Ken Lerner has acted in critically acclaimed series like “This is US,” “Legion,” and “American Crime Story.”
The New York Film Academy looks forward to a bright future as it continues to grow and expand its diverse and multi-talented student body, faculty, and staff.