First New York Film Academy students in Spain

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Students at the New York Film Academy course in Bilbao. Photo: EFE

According to its webpage, The New York Film Academy was designed for a new generation of film artists who share a passion for motion pictures and want to learn by making their own projects in a hands-on, intensive program. Courses in their Film School balance the study of the art form with practical experience, in order to train students to be the best filmmakers they can be. This is achieved by a rigorous schedule of classroom instruction, hands-on workshops, and film production.

Students at the New York Film Academy received a full, practical and intensive training: screenplay, production, direction, recording, lighting, sound, edition, which was completed with an extra English education, since the courses are carried out in this language. The people attending the interpretation course learnt how to perform in different registers, to do castings and to know the actor’s work in the audiovisual sector.

There was also another element which characterized their education was Interculturality: heterogeneous groups, with different backgrounds and different places, young people from different parts of the world who met in Bilbao with the aim of making movies. Many of them are already working in movie producing companies or developing their own projects.

New York Film Academy course responsible Michael Unger, studied Arts in Brown University and got master’s degree in Fine Arts in Columbia University in New York. He wrote and directed numerous Shorts and Music Videos. He was awarded for the "Best of the Festival" in 2001. He also directed and produced Kidz Show and directed Off-Broadway. He was the editor of documentaries and music videos appearing on PBS, MTV, MOMA, and THE BOX. He has just finished his latest film, "Gravity". Finally, he is the Program Director for NYFA workshops in Paris, London, Tokyo, Porto, and Bilbao.

Michel Unger understands cinema as a combination of all arts and one of the most competitives industries.

"Learning by doing"

Every film course or acting class at the film school stems from the philosophy of "learning by doing". Thier programs are based on practice, "learning by doing", with flexible and dynamic subjects and acquiring knowledge in all aspects.

The personalized attendance –each classroom has a limited number of students- and the highly creative and open atmosphere allow to exploit students' talent and creativity in the four weeks that the course lasts.