DATES / TUITION
Faculty
JERRY SHERLOCK
President and Founder
Executive Producer, Hunt for Red October. Independent producer: Universal, EMI, Disney, Tristar, NBC, Paramount, United Artists. Produced Lolita on Broadway with Donald Sutherland.
MICHAEL J. YOUNG
Provost, Director of Education
BA, Harvard University, magna cum laude; MFA, NYU, Tisch School of the Arts. Student Academy Award finalist. Award-winning film McJew screened at festivals internationally, including Oberhausen, Cinema Du Reel, Clermont-Ferrand, Tel-Aviv, Ann Arbor, et al. NEA grant.
Scorsese post-production award. Founding faculty of NYFA. 
DAVID KLEIN
Senior Director
MFA, NYU, Tisch School of Arts. BS, Tufts University, magna cum laude. Awarded Tisch Excellence in Producing Award. Winner of Warner Bros. Production Award for To Dye For. Wrote and directed numerous other projects including the award-winning short film Gone With the Moon.
ELLI VENTOURAS
Academic Dean
MFA, Parsons School of Design. M.A., New York Institute of Technology - summa cum laude. Award winning film Voices screened internationally at Golden Gate Documentary Film Festival in San Francisco, Miami Short Film Festival, Barcelona Short Film Festival, and Festival Du Cinema de Bruxelles. Voices was also Semifinalist at Boston Motion Picture Awards.
MICHAEL BESMAN
Producing Universal Studios
Executive Vice-President of Production, TriStar Pictures Division, Sony Pictures Entertainment:
He supervised such films as: Sleepless in Seattle, Single White Female, Jumanji, Wings of Courage, Devil in a Blue Dress and As Good As It Gets. 1987 Vice President at Guber-Peters Entertainment: Batman 1983 Production Executive at Paramount Pictures: Witness, Bevery Hills Cop, Star Trek 4. As an independent producer he has produced: Seven Years in Tibet, About Schmidt, Bounce, The opposite of Sex, Careless, Georgia Rule.
DAN MACKLER
Directing Universal Studios
MFA, NYU, Tisch School of the Arts. BA, Dartmouth College. Russian film scholar, consulted on Spike Lee’s 25th Hour. Director, feature film The Karaoke King
BELA GRUSHKA
Acting for Film
B.A. Brooklyn College, H.B. Studio-Uta Hagen, National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts - PARIS. She has directed many plays in Paris and acted in numerous American and European films and television shows, including "2 Days in Paris", performing with Martin Sheen, James Gandolfini, Sam Waterston, David Straithairn, Jean Reno, Lee Remick...
GLENN KALISON
Chair of Acting for Film Program
MFA, UC Irvine. Film credits include Robert De Niro's
ROBERT APPLETON
Animation
Art Director Bloomberg Europe 3-D Animator, Watchit.com et al.
KACIE STETSON
Acting for Film
BFA, Boston University & RADA in London. MA, Santa Monica University. Has starred in and professionally directed numerous plays & films around the world. Was the first female sword fight master in the country.
VALORIE HUBBARD
Acting for Film
Attended the Goodman School of Drama & “The Lab” in Poland. Recent Film & TV credits include; Resident Evil: Extinction, Hannah Montana Movie, Desperate Housewives & ER.
MELANIE ASHLEY
Scene Study, Monologues
MFA, University of North Carolina.
GEOFFRAY BARBIER
Director of Operations
Segment Line Producer HBO’s Addiction. Director, music videos for Shivaree and Elliot Murphy. Producer “Behind the Scenes” for Def Jam, NIKE, V2, and Universal.
PABLO BERGER
Directing
MFA, NYU, Tisch School of Arts
Feature Film, Torremolinos 73%
LEA BRANDENBURG
Acting for Film
BA University of Illinois. Actor in films and theater including Julie Johnson with Lili Taylor and Earthy Possessions for HBO with Susan Sarandon.
ANNA M. CIANCIULLI
Acting for Film
Editor, Sanford Meisner’s On Acting, Italian Edition. Nominated Best Actress, International Festival of Cinema and Technology. Artistic Director of BdA the Arts [enter] Theater. Numerous leading roles on New York stage and film.
MARK SAWICKI
Visual Effects
Mark Sawicki: DP, artist, and actor. Won an Emmy certificate for his contribution to the television series Star Trek while working for Illusion Arts. Has over 80 feature film credits including "Tropic Thunder", "Premonition", and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."
LIZ FOLEY
Producing
MFA Columbia University with Honors. BA Smith College Director, Writer and or Producer of numerous film and television productions including Funny Peculiar, Ode to Joy, and The It Factor.
SETH MICHAEL DONSKY
Writing, Directing
MFA, Columbia University. Award Winning Feature Film Twisted (1997). Recipient of the 2002 Hallmark Development Grant for the short film Loopy.
JOSH KLAUSNER
Screenwriting
BA. NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Wrote and produced Wonderland, starring Val Kilmer and Factory Girl, starring Guy Pearce and Sienna Miller. Has also written for Lions Gate, the Weinstein Company and Warner Brothers.
LONNIE DEAN HALOUSKA
Producing
An entertainment, media and telecommunications transactional lawyer and business consultant. Producer of numerous television commercials. Has worked for CBS, ABC, Warner Bros., Republic Pictures and Telecommunications, Inc.
DYLAN KIDD
Directing
MFA, NYU, Tisch School of the Arts. Writer/Director, Roger Dodger, Ian’s Ghost. Winner Bronze Award, Houston Worldfest. Finalist Award, USA fest. Artistic Achievement in Short Film Award Huntington Int’l Film Festival.
CLAUDE KERVEN
Director
MFA, NYU, Tisch School of the Arts. BA, University of Buffalo. Directed over 25 shorts for Saturday Night Live. Director for Afterschool Specials, Birthday Boy, Candy Store, and the David Brenner Show. Co-wrote Mortal Thoughts, starring Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, and Harvey Keitel.
ZENON KRUSZELNICKI
Acting / Directing
MFA in Acting from National Academy of Drama in Poland and MFA in Directing from New School for Social Research in New York City. He is a member of SSDC, The Actors Studio, FIA, ZASP and SAG. In 2004 he professionally coached Willem Dafoe. He also received an artistic grant from the Liberace Foundation for the Performing and Creative Arts in 1998-2000.
MATTHEW KOHNEN
Cinematography
MFA, USC. Award-winning cinematographer of feature films, documentaries, and television.
LARRY LEAHY
Directing
MFA, NYU, Tisch School of the Arts. Wrote and directed the feature film Confessions of a Hitman. Has worked with Director’s such as Sam Mendes, Robert Zemeckis and James L. Brooks
MICHAEL LAIBSON
Acting for Film
BA, UCLA. Executive Producer of soaps including Guiding Light, Another World and As the World Turns.
HENG-TATT LIM
Directing, Cinematography
MFA, NYU, Tisch School of the Arts. Awarded Excellence in Filmmaking at NYU’s First Run Festival, 1991. Wien Scholar, Brandeis University. Worked on over fifty films.
RUSTY LEMORANDE
Producing
Executive producer, Caddyshack. Producer, the Academy-Award-winning musical, Yentl. Writer and producer for various projects at Universal, Paramount, Warner Bros, Turner and MGM for stars including Madonna, Michael Jackson and Barbra Streisand, Francis Coppola and George Lucas..
BEN MARANISS
Screenwriting
MFA University of Southern California.
DANA LUSTIG
Producing
Graduate, AFI. Directed and produced 16 feature films. Her latest film, Confessions of a Sociopathic Social Climber, Oxygen Network, stars Jennifer Love Hewitt. Co-produced Brick and Dancing at the Blue Iguana..
ALAN METTER
Directing
BA, University of Arizona. Student Academy Award finalist. Directed Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Back To School, and Police Academy 5: Mission To Moscow. Wrote, produced, and directed music videos for George Harrison, Donna Summer, and Chicago.
CAROL MAYES
Directing
MFA, AFI; BA, Princeton University Writer/Director of award winning films including, Commitments, Rituals, and Tendrils. Student Oscar Finalist, CINE Golden Eagle Winner, Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame Award for Best Short Film.
TIM NAYLOR
Camera, Lighting
Cinematographer of Music Videos including Busta Rhymes. Last Call from Westchester-Spike Lee Award. Transeltown, San Francisco's Gay and Lesbian Festival. Marvin Feldheim Award, Cine Eagle Prize, Merit Award, Chicago Film Festival.
BENJAMIN MORGAN
9th Year Director High School Program at Universal Studios
BAHonors USC, MFA, magna cum laude. Thesis film has appeared in festivals worldwide and on cable television..
ADAM NIMOY
Directing
Director, NYPD Blue, The Practice and The Gilmore Girls. Co-wrote, directed and performed in Art of the Brain.
SOL NEGRIN ASC
Advanced Camera and Lighting
Instructor, New York University. President, New York Cinematography Union. Some of his credits include: Robocop, Superman, Coming to America, The Kojak TV Series
MELANIE WILLIAMS ORAM
Directing, Writing
MFA, Columbia University B.A., Harvard University, cum laude Peabody Award, HBO 90-minute documentary, Dare To Compete. Emmy Award, HBO series Real Sports.
BRYAN NORTON
Directing
BA, Sarah Lawrence MFA, NYU, Tisch School of the Arts.
ROBERT PIETRI
Directing, Editing
NYU Graduate Film BFA, Carnegie-Mellon Fox Searchlab New Directors program.
REBECCA PETERS
Directing and Camera
BA, University of Westminster with high honors, Camera Credits on feature films such as Goldeneye, The Saint, Entrapment and Eyes Wide Shut.
PAUL WARNER
Directing
BA, Harvard University; MFA, American Film Institute. Princess Grace Award, Ashley Amulis Fellowship for directing. Feature film, Fall Time, Winner of the Cine Golden Eagle.
TASSOS RIGOPOULOS
Directing
MFA, UT Austin Writer/Director/Editor of Features, Shorts, Documentaries, TV Series, Commercials, and Corporate Videos. Student Emmy Award Winner.
JOHN HENRY RICHARDSON
Acting for Film
BA, The University of Los Angeles Has starred in dozens of television shows and feature films.
MICHAEL SANDOVAL
Director of NYFA for the High School Program
MFA, NYU and University of Michigan BA, Brown magna cum laude. Ang Lee Fellowship, NYU. Writer, Director of short film, The Good Son, screened in competition at Berlin.
CRICKETT RUMLEY
Writing
MFA, Columbia University. Studied under screenwriting legend William Goldman.
RICHARD SHORE ASC
Director’s Vision, Cinematography
Winner of three Emmies M.A. in Cinema from U.S.C. His credits include: Bang the Drum Slowly, In the American Grain Night of the Dark Shadows, The Responsive Eye, and Three Women Alone. He has also been Director of Photography on hundreds of commercials, documentaries, educational and scientific films.
SHIRA-LEE SHALIT
Acting for Film, Directing Actors
MFA, Film, Columbia University. BFA, Drama, NYU. Student Academy Award finalist for short film, Full Cycle. Winner, Presidential Scholar of the Arts for Acting. Winner, Acting Award, National Foundation of the Arts.
JAMES PRICE
Meisner Technique
Indiana University; Neighborhood Playhouse; Trinity Rep Conservatory; is founding director of The Acting Studio, Inc. & Chelsea Repertory Company in New York for over 25 years. Mr. Price was a protege of Sanford Meisner. He teaches and coaches actors, acts in theatre and film, directs and produces plays in New York City.
NORA STONE
Scene Study, Directing Actors
BA, University of California at Santa Barbara. Acted for numerous film, television and theater projects, including several recurring roles on Days of Our Lives.
NICK SIVAKUMARAN
Directing
MFA, USC. Director, Diwali, Director's Guild of America Student Film Award, Kodak's Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at the 2002 Cannes International Film Festival.
JOHN TERREY
Chair of Filmmaking, Universal Studios
MFA in directing from AFI. Produced Panavision New Filmmaker Grant recipient feature film "Five Spices". Worked extensively on independent films with actors such as Rose McGowen, Sean Astin, Stacey Keach, Moira Kelly and Danny Wahlberg.
ANITA TOVICH
Producing
BFA Carnegie-Mellon University. Producer, Emmy Award Winning Nick News. Segment Director for Dr. Phil show.
RON STACKER THOMPSON
Screenwriting
Producer, A Rage In Harlem, Deep Cover, The Cemetery Club, Sister Act 2 and Hoodlum. Has worked with Whoopi Goldberg, Maggie Smith, Laurence Fishburne, Ellen Burstyn, Danny Glover, Christina Ricci, Jeff Goldblum and Andy Garcia.
SAM TURICH
Acting for Film
BA Columbia University. Wrote and stared in The Box. TV appearances include Law & Order & Blind Spot on NBC.
MICHAEL UNGER
Directing, Chair of Filmmaking Program
MFA, Columbia University, BA, Brown University. Writer and Director of numerous Shorts and Music Videos. Awards: "Best of the Festival" NYIIF Festival, 2001. Directed and Produced Kidz Show and Directed Off-Broadway. Editor of Documentaries and Music Videos appearing on PBS, MTV, MOMA, and THE BOX. He has just finished his latest film, GRAVITY. Program Director for NYFA workshops in Paris, London, Tokyo, Porto, and Bilbao.
MICHAEL URBAN
Screenwriting
MFA, American Film Institute Wrote the screenplay for Saved! starring Mandy Moore and Macaulay Culkin.
ANDREA SWIFT
Chair of Documentary Program
MFA, Columbia University.
Directed, Executive Produced PBS documentary newsmagazine series, In the Life (two time Telly-winner, three-time Emmy-nominee). Writer of the original pilot, CATCH (Scriptapalooza TV Award winner). Writer, Director of the short film, Company (Raindance Best of Festival Selection). Director, Producer, Editor of the internationally-aired documentary DEAFSMITH a nuclear folktale (featured at the United Nations Earth Summit, multi-festival award winner including the Silver at the Chicago International Film Festival and 2nd prize at the American Film and Video Festival. Associate Producer of the short film The Killers (winner DGA award, Best Short Film Panorama Award at Berlin, New Directors/New Films.)
DAVID BROOKS
Acting for Film
Studied and performed in several plays at The Actors Studio. Has numerous film and TV credits including; Cast Away, Red Dragon, Dodgeball & Nighthawks. CSI, ER, Melrose Place.
MARIA GOBETTI
Acting for Film
BA & MA, UCLA Theatre. Co-founder of The Victory Theatre Center, where she has starred in, directed & produced numerous Award winning plays. Member of the D.G.A., Maria has coached & directed at numerous major studios.
LONNIE DEAN HALOUSKA
Producing
Entertainment, media and telecommunications transactional lawyer and business consultant. Producer of numerous television commercials. Has worked for CBS, ABC, Warner Bros., Republic Pictures and Telecommunications, Inc.
HEIDI TOKHEIM
Acting for Film
Pacific Conservatory of Performing Arts (PCPA Theaterfest), Neighborhood Playhouse, B.A. Whitman College. Actor and writer. Numerous Off-Broadway and regional theatre credits.
ALAN MURAOKA
Directing
Art director on award winning films, Little Miss Sunshine, Liberty Heights, Ghost World and Washington Square.
JAMES ROWE
Directing
MFA from AFI. Wrote and directed the feature film Blue Ridge Fall.
MARK DEVENDORF
Documentary Filmmaking
BA, UC Santa Cruz, MA, San Diego State, winner of multiple awards for writing and editing.
MICHAEL R. MILLER
Editing
A.C.E. Edited Miller's Crossing, Raising Arizona, Ghost World, and Patty Hearst. Assistant editor for Woody Allen on Manhattan and Stardust Memories.
MARSHALL LEWY
Directing
MFA from Columbia- Wrote and directed his debut feature film Blue State, starring Academy Award winner Anna Paquin and Breckin Meyer. Blue State premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival and is being distributed worldwide by MGM.
LEAH KEITH
Producing
Former Senior Motion Picture Development and Production Executive at Dream Works SKG and Vice President of Production at Walt Disney Television. Currently producing a feature film in partnership with Dreamworks and Christine Vachon’s Killer Films.
DENISE CARLSON
Producing
BFA, Rollins College, MA, Ryoken College. Worked in development for Disney Channel and ABC Family. Developed numerous produced films including High School Musical, Halloweentown High, Return to Halloweentown, Tru Confessions, Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior, Cheetah Girls, Cheetah Girls 2.
TOM HAMMOCK
Producing
BA, UC Berkeley, MFA, AFI. Has won various awards for production design including Angeles Award Production Design at Cannes, Sundance, Palm Springs, Venice, AFI Fest. Worked as production designer on numerous feature films, including; Weren't You Mitchy Cook?, The Iceman Chronicles
SEAN MULLIN
Producing
MFA, Columbia University; wrote & directed short films, which have won awards at various festivals. His film Sadiq was awarded Faculty Select honors and was a finalist for the Student Filmmaker Award at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards.
DEVON GREGGORY
Screenwriting
USC graduate, Devon served as Director of Development on various films including; Brown Sugar, Dynasty, Who’s got game and Hair show. Staff writer on televsion series Shark staring James Woods.
DAVID O’LEARY
Screenwriting
BA, Vassar College. worked as director of development for Valhalla motion pictures & story analyst at Silver pictures & Village Roadshow pictures.
ANDREW ZINNES
Documentary Filmmaking
BA, George Washington University, MA American University. Produced various documentary features. Author of The Documentary Filmmakers Handbook.
SONNY CALDERON
Screenwriting
MFA, USC. received the Creative Artists Agency Diversity Scholarship Award. He has had several projects in development at major studios, and his Web-based branded entertainment short films have won several awards.
JERRY SHANDY
Screenwriting
Jerry Shandy holds an MFA from USC's Graduate Screenwriting Program. He's worked for such companies as Warner Bros., Miramax, Lawrence Bender/Quentin Tarantino's A Band Apart, and Kelsey Grammer's Grammnet. Currently, he is the writer/producer of a new television crime series, Dirty Work, in development with Universal Cable and USA Network.
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