In June 2024, the New York Film Academy (NYFA) partnered with
two film festivals to amplify diverse voices in the film industry
and create unparalleled opportunities for its students. NYFA hosted
three master classes in partnership with the 2024 American Black
Film Festival; and allowed students the opportunity to participate
in LGBTQ+ films, networking events, and more at New Filmmakers
LA.
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is an annual event
dedicated to empowering Black talent and showcasing film and
television content by and about people of African descent.
Dedicated to the belief that diverse artists deserve the same
opportunities as their mainstream counterparts, the festival was
conceived in 1997 as a vehicle to strengthen the Black
entertainment community by fostering resource sharing, education,
and artistic collaboration.
Each year, the ABFF conducts networking events, screenings, and
awards nights in South Beach, Florida, near the NYFA Miami campus.
This year, three master classes were hosted at the NYFA Miami
campus, two of which were conducted by NYFA instructors Patrice
DeGraff-Arenas and Miguel Parga. DeGraff-Arenas’ course, entitled,
“Act It Out: Scene Exploration with Patrice DeGraff-Arenas,” was an
intensive, two-hour long workshop focused on Acting for Film.
Parga’s course, “Low Budget, Big Film: Filmmaking with Miguel
Parga,” tapped into the art of filmmaking in a packed room of
festival goers and students.
In attendance at this year’s ABFF, Mike Gauyo and Amy Aniobi,
writers on hit shows Ginny & Georgia and Insecure,
respectively, taught a third master class called, “Write Here,
Write Now! A Mock Writers’ Room with Mike Gauyo & Amy Aniobi,”
which focused on screenwriting for television. NYFA alum Issa Rae
was this year's Creative Director, and NYFA is thrilled to have had
the opportunity to reconnect with her through the ABFF. Rae is an
alum of NYFA LA's 4-week filmmaking program from 2005 and with this
year's event, NYFA was able to help support her creative vision for
the festival as well as host a writer from her well-known HBO
series, Insecure, as a masterclass co-teacher on NYFA Miami’s
campus.
A handful of selected students were invited to volunteer at this
year’s highly anticipated ABFF. Volunteers and student
representatives took over NYFA’s social media accounts for the
weekend and attended screenings of new films like Swoon and Tyler
Perry’s Divorce in the Black, as well as participated in “Creative
Conversations” with Issa Rae, and “Friday Night Vibes” with the
cast of popular shows like All American and All American:
Homecoming.
“Attending the American Black Film Festival on behalf of the New
York Film Academy was an experience like no other. It was an
exciting and eye-opening journey, one in which I had the
opportunity to meet and connect with different people in the
industry from comedians to stars of Tyler Perry’s The Oval,
filmmakers, and other actors,” said Shari-Fay Bowen, NYFA Miami
student and festival volunteer.
At the NYFA Los Angeles campus, students, along with Crickett
Rumley, NYFA’s Senior Director of the Film Festival Department,
attended the LGBTQ+ focused film festival, hosted by New Filmmakers
LA, with a special reception by SAG-AFTRA. Students were treated to
two short film programs, including four world premieres, and the
Los Angeles Premiere of Student Emmy Award Winner Benjamin Howard’s
debut feature, Riley. At the SAG-AFTRA reception, NYFA LA students
walked the red carpet and networked with some of the biggest
up-and-coming filmmakers in Los Angeles, as well as other student
filmmakers in the metro area. In an ongoing partnership, New
Filmmakers LA and NYFA collaborate on festivals for each month of
the calendar year, filled with student opportunities.
“Through our partnerships with top-notch festivals in our campus
cities, NYFA is not only demonstrating thought leadership; we are
also able to offer special opportunities for our students and
recent alumni. From attending the New Filmmakers LA LGBTQ+ cinema
event to volunteering for the American Black Film Festival, our
community is enriched with opportunities to expand their knowledge
of the festival world and current cinema as well as network with
peers and industry professionals alike. What a win-win!” said
Crickett Rumley, Senior Director of the NYFA Film Festival
Department.
New York Film Academy’s partnership with various film festivals
across the country, including large organizations such as the New
York Film Festival, to indie festivals like Newfest, enables the
school to offer discount codes on student film submissions,
tickets, and event passes for students to attend screenings and
events at these film festivals and develop unique perspectives.
About NYFA
New York Film Academy (NYFA) is a world-renowned film, media,
and performing arts college that offers BFA and MFA degrees,
short-term workshops, 1-and-2 year programs, certificates, online
classes, and Summer Camps for teens and kids. NYFA has campuses
across the globe in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Italy, Australia,
and also online. NYFA students gain hands-on experience alongside
industry professionals in Filmmaking, Acting for Film,
Screenwriting, Cinematography, Producing, Game Design, Musical
Theatre, Broadcast Journalism, Photography, and more.
Learn more at https://www.nyfa.edu/.
- NYFA’s Patrice DeGraff-Arenas Hosts “Act It Out: Scene
Exploration,” One of Two Master Classes Hosted by NYFA for the
American Black Film Festival
- NYFA Students Took to the Red Carpet at New Filmmakers LA’s
Pride Event
Eric Heckler
New York Film Academy
pr@nyfa.edu