Filmmakers A - C

Ziyne Abdo, UG

Being

ZIYNE ABDO is a writer, director, photographer, and journalist residing in Brooklyn, New York. She graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts on May 2022 with her Bachelor's in Film and Television with honors and Journalism with honors. Born and raised in Minnesota's Twin Cities, her work explores community and hope. Her everyday personal experiences serve as the foundation of her artistic influences. She dives into the mediums of both filmmaking and writing. Abdo works full-time as a reporter for Inside Edition digital. She has also worked for Bustle as an intern on the creative team where she produced a video for Elite Daily. In 2020 she served as a project intern to the documentary team at Firelight Media, a non-profit organization aiding filmmakers of color to develop their films. Abdo recently completed her first short film 'being.'

Lucas Archer, Grad

Where Insects Hide At Night

Lucas Sendacz Acher is a Brazilian director based in New York City. He was recently awarded the Martin Scorsese Young Filmmakers Scholarship at NYU Tisch Graduate Film program where he is a third year student. After completing his undergraduate degree in Cinema at Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado (FAAP), Lucas has directed short films such as LOST IN SMOKE (2021) and CAPSULA (2022) and is in post-production on his second-year NYU graduate film ONDE OS INSETOS SE ESCONDEM A NOITE (2023). Lucas is currently in development on his debut feature film DON’T LET ME DIE.

Melaine Akoka, Grad

As To Not Be Alone

Mélanie Akoka is a French writer, director and cinematographer of North-African descent, currently based in New Orleans. She studied philosophy at the Sorbonne before working at a post-production and film lab where she developed her passion for film. She recently graduated from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Her latest film, Yearlings, premiered at San Sebastian Film Festival. Since she joined NYU, she served as cinematographer on many short films which played at festivals such as Cannes, Sundance, TIFF and SXSW. She won the Nestor Almendros award for best female cinematography and is the recipient of the 2021 Arri Volker Bahnemann award for outstanding cinematography. Melanie recently completed photography on her first feature, Basileia, for award-winning director Isabella Torre.

Ifeyinwa Arinze

Breastmilk

Ifeyinwa Arinze is a neuroscientist-turned-filmmaker from Nigeria and is currently based in New York City. Her work evokes intimate portrayals of Black women and girls grounded in generosity and care. Ifeyinwa has received support from institutions such as BAFTA, NYFA, Video Consortium and NYWIFT. She is also an alum of the 2023 Film at Lincoln Center Artist Academy and UNIONDOCS’s 2023 Research and Development Documentary Lab. Her short films have screened at the Film at Lincoln Center with the New York African Film Festival, as well as Aspen ShortFest, Palm Springs, BlackStar, Bushwick and the TIDE Film Festival. Ifeyinwa is developing her debut feature film SCRUPLES, which is set in the volatile world of an all-girls Nigerian boarding school. It was a finalist of the 2023 SFFILM RANIN grant. Ifeyinwa is currently a thesis MFA candidate in the Graduate Film program at NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

Arslan Nepal, UG

Kabuk

Nepal Arslan is a Turkish-American filmmaker. He moved to the US at a young age and now works coast to coast as a writer & director. Growing up, Nepal developed an appreciation for the cultures of the world. Along the way, he has accumulated national and international recognition. Nepal graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts Film & Television program. He is currently the Production Director at KCOMM, one of California's leading PR firms.

Claire Barnett, Grad

Holy Water

Claire Barnett is a writer/director from Little Rock, Arkansas. Her stories focus on the complicated inner world of women and girls from the American South. Claire’s films have screened at film festivals nationwide. Recent credits include her short documentary about a visually impaired couple from Arkansas, SUSAN AND LESLIE, which is an Official Selection at the Slamdance Film Festival (2023) New Orleans Film Festival (2022), and Hot Springs Documentary Festival (2022). Claire received her BFA in Film from the University of Central Arkansas in 2021 before enrolling in her MFA in directing at the NYU TISCH Graduate Film Program where she is a recipient of the 2023 New York Women in Film and Television Scholarship, Claire is delighted to be a narrative shorts film programmer for the Slamdance Film Festival’s 2024 season.

Jada Bethea, UG

Flour Girl

Jada Bethea is a Black, lesbian screenwriter, director, and producer known for her upcoming 2023 short film Flour Girl and her work as a production assistant on the award-winning short film, Pure (2021). Born and raised in New Jersey, she moved to New York and earned her BFA in Film & Television from NYU Tisch in 2023 where she was selected as one of eight NYU HEAR US grant recipients for her senior thesis. Passionate about furthering the development of Black and queer stories, Jada became a TV Development Intern at Aroberson Production post-graduation, transitioning into a position at GLAAD as an Entertainment Research and Analysis Intern after that. She is also a member of the 2021 inaugural class of The Paley Center for Media’s Peter Roth Internship. As an artist, Jada challenges hyper-sexual depictions of sapphic relationships through narratives that prioritize emotional intimacy. She advocates for depicting authentic images of Black queerness in media that center around the individuals rather than their trauma.

Stachel Bootchk, UG

when all is said & done

Satchel Aubrey is a writer, director, and actor born in Los Angeles. Growing up in Burbank, film and television has always been a part of his life. His parents met studying theatre and introduced storytelling to him and his siblings at a young age. He attended Syracuse University’s film program before transferring to NYU and finishing with a BFA in Film & TV. He now resides in London, England.

Amantja Buzo, UG

Coins

Ama Buzo is an Albanian-born writer-director who specializes in dark fantasy and striking visuals that create escape worlds. With a background in architecture from Pratt Institute, her films aim to push boundaries through surreal production design and mysterious narratives. Throughout her journey at Tisch, she has interned at companies like Gunpowder & Sky and Assemble Media, while also being a part-time cinematographer at AMDA Conservatory of Performing Arts. She's excited to position herself as a director in the commercial/fashion world, while also working towards her first feature. Previous films have screened at NFFTY, Fantastic Film Fest, UK Fashion Film Festival, Venice Shorts, Topanga Film Festival, Oniros Film Awards, Phoenix Shorts, The Toronto Independent Festival of CIFT, Fusion Film Fest etc.

Andrea Calao Buitrago, UG

Magdalena, Te Amo

Sofia Camargo, Grad

Nostos

Sofia Camargo is a New York-based filmmaker, born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia. She holds a BA in Anthropology and Art History from Universidad de los Andes and an MFA in Film from New York University. Her work as a filmmaker explores women and domestic life through deeply textured, and disquieting storytelling. Her latest short film Al lado del río (By the River), 2019, was awarded the Official Selection Jury Award by The National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), was part of the Official Selection of the Cartagena International Film Festival 2020 and selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick. Sofia’s work as a director of Photography has screened at festivals such as Berlinale, Aspen Short Fest, and New York African Film Festival. In 2023 Sofia received the Vienna Shorts Jury Prize for Best Cinematography. During her MFA Camargo was a Purin Foundation Scholar and a recipient of the Nikon Storytellers Scholarship 2018, the Jeff Lima Production Award 2020, and the Black Family Price 2022. From 2020 to 2022 Camargo worked as head of Creative Development at the NYU Production Lab. Currently, Sofia is working on postproduction for We're Not Done Yet, a short film she co-directed with Joseph Longo starring Barbara Sukowa.

Tiana Cantu, UG

Texas, Baby

Tiana Cantu is a Texas native award winning Director, Producer and Writer based in New York City. After graduating from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Tiana co-founded Ladytrap Productions, a production company fervently impassioned to highlight stories, issues and filmmakers that we do not often get to see on screen. Tiana's films delve into the intricacies of identity and the complex ways characters cope with such challenges.

Stephanie Cen

Ai (Love)

Stephanie Cen is a talented writer-director and 2020 graduate from NYU Tisch’s Film and TV Production program, who is passionate about creating films that give a voice to marginalized communities. Her films are aimed at sparking conversations, challenging stereotypes, and raising awareness on issues that are often overlooked. At NYU, Stephanie produced several short films that explore intimate relationships between characters. With each project, Stephanie continues to refine her craft, further develop her unique style, and strive to engage audiences on a deeper level. Stephanie is currently based in Los Angeles and New York as she looks for the next project to work on. She has recently finished her thesis film, Ai (Love), which is anticipated to be screened for wide audiences in the near future. Although Stephanie lives and breathes film, she is also an avid amateur chef and patissiere. Her love for food is immense, and she hopes to one day make a film that features a LOT of food. She is also commonly mistaken as any Chinese girl, but she is actually from Puerto Rico and grew up in a multicultural household. She speaks Spanish, English, Cantonese, and hopes to soon learn Mandarin. She is also the eldest daughter of four, with a brother with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In 2016, Stephanie made her first film, A Voice of Autism, which is a documentary about her brother and seeks to dispel misconceptions about autism. Through her work, Stephanie is committed to using film as a medium and platform to educate, empower, and inspire change.

Leah Chen Baker, Graduate

Belated

Leah Chen Baker is a recent writing and directing graduate from the NYU Graduate Film Program and an Independent Spirit Award-nominated producer. Leah's thesis film, Belated, won the 2023 Grand Prize in the Women's Category at the DGA Student Film Awards. She is also the recipient of the Sundance Institute Mark Silverman Honor, Media Services Producing Award and completed fellowships with the Sundance Institute and The Gotham.

Max Clark, Grad

Shadow

Max Clark is a writer, director, and editor studying at NYU Grad Film. His first short, Lodestar, won the Audience Choice Award for Best Narrative Short at the 2020 Nashville Film Festival. Before starting at NYU, Max worked as an Art Director at Live Nation.

Alex Cohen-Schisler, UG

Petunia

Alec Cohen-Schisler (he/him) was born and raised in Palo Alto California. He got a Flip Video Camera for Hanukkah when he was 9 years old and hasn't put a camera down since. He attended NYU for film and has worked for companies like the NFL, Aputure Lighting, and EA.

Michael Colombos, UG

Breaking in Brooklyn

MICHAEL COLOMBOS is a New York City based director from Long Island, NY. Michael has worked as a Production Assistant for The Crowded Room and Madame Web and currently works at Madison Square Garden for the Knicks and Rangers Event Presentation Team. Michael is passionate about his work and looks to tell his stories through short form content.

Jorge Corona, Grad

The People In Costume

Jorge Corona is a formerly undocumented, formerly DACAmented Mexican-American filmmaker and actor. He was born in Mexico, grew up in Texas, and is now based in New York. He studied filmmaking at the University of Texas at Austin where he wrote and directed various short films and acted and operated camera for the independent feature Arlo & Julie (SXSW 2014). Once in New York City, he worked as a producer, editor, cinematographer and director for award-winning publications like New York Magazine, VICE, FUSION, and Deadspin. Jorge graduated from the Upright Citizen’s Brigade theater and performs improv comedy shows throughout NYC. In 2021 he started his Film MFA studies at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. His Spring Narrative project "Love Me Tenderizer", which he also starred in, was selected for, among others, the "Oddballs and Obscurities" short film program at the Austin Film Festival in 2022. He is currently developing short and feature-length films.

Kemal Burak Cuhadar, Grad

Her Derde Deva/Cure-all

Kemal Burak Çuhadar is a Turkish filmmaker based in Istanbul and New York. He studied Political Science and International Relations at Istanbul University and is currently pursuing an MFA in Filmmaking at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.

Erin Cummins, UG

Until Forever Falls Apart

Erin Cummins is a producer by profession but a director by passion and Until Forever Falls Apart is her official directorial debut! After graduating from NYU in 2022, Erin embarked on her journey in the industry, initially working as a resource coordinator for Hogarth Worldwide. Currently, she collaborates with her esteemed classmates—Dara Bruselovsky, Cailey Gottwald, Dylan Louie, and Ben Szemerenyi—as a producer for their newly established production company, "Soup Troupe.