With the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival underway, the New York Film Academy is proud to have both an alumnus and an instructor screening their films at this year’s festival. The two films are:
“Gods Acre” – directed by Kelton Stepanowich and produced by NYFA alumnus Eric Janvier
The film is about an older aboriginal man, Frank, struggling to adapt to a constantly changing world. Isolated in the wilderness, his roots are firmly planted in the customs passed on to him like his ancestors before. The everyday problems of the outside world creep closer to his doorstep. As water begins swallowing up the land his cabin stands on, Frank must grapple with the decision to either abandon his home or adapt to an impossible situation.
“I was able to use the skills I learned at NYFA after graduating,” said Janvier. “I want to thank the staff at NYFA for all the great things they’ve taught me, and I wouldn’t be where I am without the school.”
“Citizen Jane: Battle for the City” – directed by Matt Tyrnauer and edited by NYFA instructor Bob Eisenhardt
NYFA editing instructor Bob Eisenhardt is a three-time Emmy Award winner and Oscar nominee. With over 60 films to his credit, he has edited documentaries for Barbara Kopple, Maysles Films, Susan Froemke, Matt Tyrnauer, Marc Levin, David Grubin and Alex Gibney. His recent films include “Wagner’s Dream,” which received an Emmy nomination for editing, “Valentino: The Last Emperor,” “Dixie Chicks: Shut Up & Sing,” “Living Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders” and “Dancing in Jaffa.”
The documentary, “Citizen Jane: Battle for the City,” chronicles legendary writer and urban activist Jane Jacobs’ battle to save historic NYC neighborhoods from the draconian redevelopment plans of ruthless power broker Robert Moses in the 1960s. At stake was whether the city’s historic neighborhoods of Greenwich Village, Soho, and Little Italy would stay intact or be split apart by expressways.
The Toronto International Film Festival runs from Sept. 8 – 18.