New York Film Academy Alumni Work the Crowd at Cannes

May 30, 2008 - PRLog -- New York Film Academy film school graduates Kayvan Mashayekh, Vera Mulyani and Sean Walsh were spotted at the Cannes Film Festival this past week promoting their current and future films and projects they are producing.

Iranian born Kayvan Mashayekh immigrated to Houston, Texas at age eleven.  After three years practicing criminal law, he left his job to become a student at the New York Film Academy, chasing his life-long dream of writing, producing and directing films.  

Mashayekh traveled to Cannes hoping to sell one of his newly completed feature films.  He is the creator of Guide Company Films and recently received two prestigious Golden Lioness Awards for Excellence in directing and Costume Design from the World Academy of Arts, Literature and Media in Budapest, Hungary.  

Vera Mulyani, who recently completed an eight week intensive filmmaking program,  screening her most recent film “Forgotten Land,” a story of two women from different eras who meet in suspended time.

Sean Walsh, another successful New York Film Academy alumni, was making deals for his production company at the festival last week.  Sean currently works and lives in Brazil, writing screenplays and producing films.  

Walsh’s film, “Beauty”, was screened at Cannes in 2002.  Programmers from various festivals picked up the film from the Cannes screening.  He also produced his first music video for MTV Brazil in 2006.

Michael Young, New York Film AcademyProvost and Director of Education, traveled to Cannes to represent the Academy.  Recounting his experience at Cannes he said, “As I was getting my festival accreditation; I heard my name called out by another festival guest who turned out to be Kayvan Mashayekh, a graduate of the Academy… It struck that New York Film Academy Students now constitute an international network.  At almost any major film event, festival, market or film studio, you will meet NYFA graduates.”

About the New York Film Academy, New York City, Universal Studios – Hollywood, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Some of Hollywood’s greatest filmmakers and film stars have chosen to send their sons and daughters to the Film School & Acting School of the New York Film Academy, including Steven Spielberg, Susan Sarandon, and Kevin Kline to name a few. Yet, some of the best projects to come out of the Film School & Acting School at the New York Film Academy are from students with no connections to the film industry. An extraordinarily eclectic group of students attend our film school locations all over the world. Students develop an invaluable network of classmates at our school that often provide opportunities for future work in the film industry.

The New York Film Academy is an accredited member of National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), the only accrediting body for visual art programs recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

For more information please visit www.nyfa.com or call 1-800-611-FILM.