New York Film Academy Documentary Department students learn to make films by making films. Hands-on Conservatory and bicoastal MFA programs pair rigorous instruction with close mentoring by a distinguished faculty including Bob Eisenhardt (Free Solo), Claudia Raschke (RBG), and Randy Dottin (the Chicago TV franchise), who support both beginners and professionals from around the globe in creating their own documentaries. Alumni work across the industry and have won Emmys, as well as earned Academy Award nominations, and honors at Sundance, Berlin, Cannes, and Toronto. NYFA has been named one of The Hollywood Reporter‘s “Top American Film Schools,” Variety‘s “Stellar Film Schools,” and The Independent’s “10 Best Academic Programs for Documentary Filmmakers.”
Alien Ride | Director: Irtaza Qadeer
A Muslim man bikes across the United States to experience true American culture andmake connections with locals. (USA, Pakistan, India, 17 MIN)
Boukman’s Prayer | Director: Richard Brookshire
Five young Black artists in Brooklyn - the epicenter of the nation’s Covid-19 crisis,discuss their views on freedom, artistic expression and identity as the virus ravages Black and immigrant communities around them and the world watches on. (USA, 16 MIN)
Human | Director: Amelia Deschamps
An experienced Colombian journalist develops psychological illnesses after covering the earthquake in Haiti. (USA, 2 MIN)
Mellow | Director: Inabiriyai Peters
Musician Dan, who was forced to quit performing due to the Covid-19 lockdown, is getting ready to perform alongside his bandmates as New York City gradually opens up. Before his street gig, Dan holds a warm-up session by playing for his granddad using an old but cherished saxophone he had passed on to him. (USA, 2 MIN)
Mounted | Director: Charnell
Blizzard Einstein prepares for duty in Times Square. (USA, 2 MIN)
Painter in Distress | Director: Lisa Marie Wills
Thibault, a young painter, attempts to paint a live model for the first time. (USA, 8 MIN)
Sacred Solitude | Director: Chiara Camaccioli
A seventy-year-old man who lives alone off the grid in the mountains of Central Italy--after having spent his life with hippies, abused drugs, and wandered around the world--has to find a way to survive when he runs out of water. (ITALY, 16 MIN)
Strong Spirits | Director: Katsi'tsakwas Ellen Gabriel
Indigenous peoples’ identity, language, culture, and value systems have been persistently under attack due to ongoing systemic racism embedded in Canada’s colonial laws, which ruptured the family unit. This story tells of the strength and resiliency of Indigenous peoples to retain their identity. (CANADA, 14 MIN)
Teo | Director: Oreana Franchy
Teo, a 36-year-old Italian, was adopted by Cesare and his wife when he was just a baby. A few years ago, his mother died of cancer and that changed his life. As Teo begins to heal, he decides to change paths and start studying acting, a decision with which his father disagrees. (ITALY, 2 MIN)
Why Docs? | Director: John Nyberg
Why a documentarian wants to use film to explore the world. (USA, 2 MIN)
This screening will be followed by a Q&A with a filmmaking team.
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