New York Film Academy students learn to make films by making films. Intensive, hands-on Conservatory and MFA programs in Documentary Filmmaking, as well as short-term workshops, pair rigorous instruction with mentoring in order to support students as they work on a series of their own documentary films. Under the guidance of a worldclass faculty, this approach has earned NYFA a slot on The Independent’s list of the “10 Best Academic Programs For Documentary Filmmakers,” with graduates garnering an Academy Award®-nomination, an Emmy Award® and top honors at Toronto, Sundance and other major festivals.
NYFA’s showcase includes: In Leave-taking (USA, 23 min., Laura Snow), the filmmaker traces her father’s unusual life. At the famed Gleason’s Gym, Coach Mike (USA, 15 min., Anaïs Michel) demands perfection and strict discipline from his boxers even though they are only six years old. Unwelcome (USA/Greece, 16 min., Ida Theresa Myklebost) in Europe, a six-year-old refugee and his family dream of a different life. In an Indian hotel where people go to die, a man seeks Moksha (USA/India, 16 min., Pavan Kumar Indla), an escape from the circle of birth and death.
