Media and Film

College of Arts & Science

Tehya Jennett (CAS ’20) is screening her directorial debut, Gen Z Mental Health: Climate Stories at Cinema Village on March 19th as part of the SR Film Festival, after a US premiere at Colorado Environmental Film Festival and achieving the Social Impact Award from A Show for A Change Film Festival. This film is the ultimate culmination of their personal story as a Gen Zer, passion for saving the environment, and love for storytelling. (Winter 2023)

Jenny W. Chan (LS ’08, CAS ’10) is a voice actress and records the voice overs for Jill, Ms. Hannah, and former Baby John in an animated preschool series, Little Angel. The show currently ranks #1 in Netflix's Top 10 Kids TV Shows in the U.S. Today. (Fall 2022)

Kelly Daniel (CAS ’08) has been named Executive Producer for NBC News Now's forthcoming morning show. (Winter 2020)

Diana Salier (CAS ’08) composed the music for Try Harder!, which premiered in the U.S. Documentary Competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. (Winter 2021)

Andrew Joseph Nusca (CAS ’07) will become executive editor at Morning Brew, the New York business media company majority-owned by Insider, where he will lead editorial operations for its consumer-focused products. (Winter 2021)

Ben Feldman (CAS ’06) is the director and co-executive producer of Bug Out, a 4-part Amazon Studios documentary series, which is a true-con whodunnit about the largest live insect heist in US history. (Winter 2022)

Joe Di Salvo (WSC ’94) created Bronx Socrates, a documentary film celebrating the transformative work and legacy of NYU Professor Bob Gurland whose teaching career spanned nearly 70 years, reaching more than 25,000 students across all levels of formal educational institutions. (Fall 2022)

Jeremy Alexis Louwerse (CAS ’93) recently won a 2020 National Sports Emmy in the Category of Outstanding Trans Media Sports Coverage for my his as a Coordinating Producer on NFL Network and NFL Films “All-Time Team” Show. (Fall 2020)

Jud Newborn (WSC ’74) won an Emmy Award the end of 2021 for his co-produced video interview and career retrospective of director Barry Sonnenfeld. (Winter 2022)

Michael Saltz (WSC ’63) published his memoir, The Winding Road: My Journey Through Life and the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. It details his life and, in particular, his time at the NewsHour from it's inception until his retirement. (Fall 2022)

Gallatin School of Individualized Study

Scott Greenberg (GAL ’21) is the creator of The Seriously Funny Music Podcast, a scripted limited podcast series about the aesthetics of comedic popular music. All episodes are currently available now on major podcast platforms. (Summer 2022)

Kia Miakka Natisse (GAL ’15) is a new co-host of Invisibilia, a podcast about challenging the forces and powers of the status-quo. It’s not just one of NPR’s most popular podcasts, but one of the most popular in the US. (Spring 2021)

Tara McCauley (GAL ’14) is an interior designer who gave a tour of her home on the real estate and design show "Open House TV" on NBC. (Spring 2021)

Jess Epstein (GAL '12) is currently producing the feature documentary Remaining Native with director Paige Bethmann. The film is a coming-of-age story that follows Ku Stevens' dreams of becoming an elite runner. Ku struggles to balance the sport’s glorified individualism and the values of interconnectedness he was raised with on the reservation. When thousands of Native children’s remains are discovered, Ku reckons with his family's dark past while running toward his future. (Spring 2023)

Jennifer Kranz (GAL ’09) EVP of Creative Development and Production at Rosalind Productions - is a co-producer on the Broadway revival of Funny Girl and an Associate Producer on the forthcoming film Lilly. (Winter 2023)

Billy Zeb Smith (GAL ’06) is the producer of the new film Two Yellow Lines, out soon through Universal Pictures. (Fall 2021)

Alexander Zoppa (GAL ’04) recently completed the first season of ARTLAWS, a podcast he created and produces that features conversations with cultural outlaws. (Summer 2021)

Alysa Nahmias (GAL ’01) directed the award-winning documentary ART & KRIMES BY KRIMES which is now streaming on Paramount+. She further produced the documentary WILDCAT which premiered at Telluride Film Festival and is available on Amazon Prime Video. (Winter 2023)

Graduate School of Arts & Science

Rongfei Guo (GSAS ’15) won the Tribeca Film Festival Best Narrative Short Award for Girl With a Thermal Gun. (Summer 2021)

Shehzad Hameed Ahmad (GSAS ’14) is an award-winning Pakistani documentary filmmaker who has swept 3 awards at the recently held New York Festival 2020. (Winter 2020)

Charlotte Wincott (GSAS ’13, ’15) is receiving the prestigious Activism Award (2021) from the Hollywood Women’s Institute for her work in the addiction space. Her documentary feature film “Fall Fight Shine” on addiction and recovery had its Los Angeles premiere on October 23rd at the Hollywood Women’s International Film Festival. (Fall 2021)

Alexandra Nikolchev (GSAS ’10) is a Producer and Director of Photography on The Place That Makes Us, airing as part of PBS's America Reframed Season 9 on March 31st. (Winter 2021)

Lisa Gray (GSAS ’08) is honored to have her documentary podcast series Class Action with Katie Phang nominated for Best Multi-Part Audio Documentary Series by the International Documentary Association (IDA) 2022 Awards. (Winter 2023)

Madeleine Baran (GSAS ’04) is an investigative journalist best known as the lead reporter for the APM podcast In the Dark and is a three time recipient of the Peabody Awards. (Fall 2022)

Veronica Gonzalez Peña (GSAS ’94) is a filmmaker whose art documentary, Pat Steir: Artist, is now available on some streaming platforms. She has published two novels with semiotexte, Twin Time: or, how death befell me & The Sad Passions, as well as a book on the Mexican Drug War, So Far from God, which was part of the 2014 Whitney Biennial. (Summer 2020)

Robyn Walensky (GSAS ’89) won a GABBY Award for "Best Reporter" Large Market at WSB Radio Atlanta. (Fall 2020)

Liberal Studies

Zyanya Salazar (LS, STEINHARDT ’17) has aired her first story on CBS's Bull. (Winter 2020)

Katie Schiller (LS ’14, TSOA ’17) is a filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. She most recently produced Shiva Baby, directed by Emma Seligman, that was bound for South by Southwest 2020 in competition. (Winter 2021)

Sam Sandak Freiberger (LS ’11, TSOA ’13) had his television show “Sonic Boom” released on Steelbook Blu Ray. Sam wrote seven episodes and edited all 104. One of his episodes, “Eggman the Auteur” was screened at numerous film festivals throughout the world including Cannes. (Spring 2022)

Dena Greenbaum (LS ’07, TSOA ’10) and Melissa Rosen (STEINHARDT ’11) are celebrating one year of their podcast 2 Old 4 TikTok, available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, and everywhere else podcasts are found. (Summer 2021)

Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development

Elizabeth Phillipson-Weiner (STEINHARDT ’21) and Alejandra Parody (TSOA ’15) have recently been nominated for an NAACP Image Award for their short film, Gets Good Light. (Spring 2021)

Audrey Romjue (STEINHARDT ’20) just finished work on The Oldest Profession, a short-animated documentary about the fight to decriminalize sex work in New York as told through the lens of a human rights activist, a NY assembly member, and an anonymous sex worker. (Summer 2020)

Lillie McDonough (STEINHARDT ’17) is the composer for the new film Radium Girls, based on the historical events following the notorious case of the Radium Girls in 1928, which ultimately led to significant and lasting impact in the areas of workplace health and safety, and the study of radioactivity. (Fall 2020)

Isla Perfito (CAS, STEINHARDT ’17) is on a mission to disrupt the mainstream TV/Entertainment world by creating a blockchain-based content engagement platform called SATOR. (Winter 2022)

Rachel Griffin Accurso (STEINHARDT ’16) known online as Ms. Rachel, is a New York City preschool teacher turned YouTube and TikTok star who is making a big impact on children around the world. Alongside her band, which includes her husband, Broadway composer Aron, Accurso produces a popular YouTube channel for toddlers and preschoolers with educational videos and music classes called "Songs For Littles." (Winter 2023)

Alice Tsui (STEINHARDT ’12, ’13) is a semifinalist for the 2023 GRAMMY Music Educator Award. Alice is an Asian American/Chinese American pianist, music educator, scholar, activist and lifelong Brooklyn, New Yorker. (Fall 2022)

Melissa Rosen (STEINHARDT ’11) and Dena Greenbaum (LS ’07, TSOA ’10) are celebrating one year of their podcast 2 Old 4 TikTok, available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, and everywhere else podcasts are found. (Summer 2021)

Natasha Johnson (STEINHARDT ’00) is currently an EdD and now a contributor at USA Today. (Fall 2020)

Kannie Chung (STEINHARDT ’97) is the host of the Hong Kong TV series "Exploring the Edible Planet". She recently sang the theme song for the Global Climate Summit 2021, "I Could Save the World." (Fall 2021)

Jocelyn Brandeis (STEINHARDT ’94) recently finished judging The Gracie Awards for The Alliance for Women in Media (allwomeninmedia.org). (Winter 2023)

Anthony Romano (STEINHARDT ’92) was named as the CEO of full-service creative agency Laughlin Constable to accelerate the next phase of evolution and growth at its Chicago and Milwaukee offices. (Summer 2022)

Greg Schimizzi (STEINHARDT ’76) and his brother have been named to the New York State 2020 Hall of Fame Class of Broadcasters. (Summer 2020)

Stern School of Business

Matt Huntley (STERN ’11) has been promoted to Director, Prime Video Movie Licensing, at Amazon Studios. (Spring 2022)

Randle G. Schumacher (STERN ’96) is producing the feature film “The Woods” staring JK Simmons, Allen Leech and Fernanda Urrejola. (Winter 2022)

Rob Silverstone (STERN ’89) has a new podcast, The Rob Silverstone Show, where he shares lessons learned from his career in finance and media to bring you essential advice and help you thrive in your own professional life. (Summer 2021)

Ernie Schimizzi (STERN ’74) and his brother have been named to the New York State 2020 Hall of Fame Class of Broadcasters. (Summer 2020)

Tisch School of the Arts

Polina Buchak (TSOA ’19) celebrated the World Premiere of her short animated film Sunflower Field at the Cleveland International Film Festival on March 23rd. Reflecting on the war in her home country Ukraine, her short explores the impact war and conflict have on young children, and shows that children have both the agency and ability to connect with the complexities of life. (Spring 2023)

Jacob Max Fertig (TSOA ’19) founded This Machine Media, a multidisciplinary production company dedicated to sparking civic engagement through documentary storytelling. (Summer 2020)

Christian Ghosn (TSOA ’19) created the NYU Thesis Film Violent Nights, which is now available to stream via Vimeo. (Fall 2020)

Greg Contaldi (TSOA ’17) is the creator of "Bromance", an original comedy web series and is working as an Associate Producer on "The Drew Barrymore Show." (Summer 2020)

Natalia Bougadellis (TSOA ’16) and Emory Parker (TISCH ’17) directed and produced a PSA for Governor Cuomo's #NewYorkTough PSA competition to which they came in second place. (Spring 2020)

Katelyn Rebelo (TSOA ’16) and Kira Dane (TSOA ’17) have been nominated for their documentary Mizuko in the 36th Annual IDA Documentary Awards for Best Documentary Short. (Winter 2021)

Christian Jordan Grier (TSOA ’15) has been hired as a staff writer to write on OWN’s one-hour cabled drama called "The Kings of Napa". (Fall 2020)

Alejandra Parody (TSOA ’15) and Elizabeth Phillipson-Weiner (STEINHARDT ’21) have recently been nominated for an NAACP Image Award for their short film, Gets Good Light. (Spring 2021)

Blake Andrew Pruitt (TSOA ’15) was the Apprentice Editor on the Searchlight Pictures film Fire Island, premiering on Hulu June 3 (edited by NYU alum Brian Kates '94 and starring Bowen Yang '12 and Matt Rogers '12). (Summer 2022)

Michael Fallek (TSOA ’14) has created the documentary Telephone Dieting. (Winter 2020)

Tricia Fukuhara (TSOA ’14) is starring as the first Asian American pink lady in the new series Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies streaming on Paramount+. (Winter 2023)

Hao Zhao (TSOA ’14) is the writer, co-director, and director of photography on Fang Ke, which was selected for the short film competition at the 60th International Critics' Week in Cannes. (Summer 2021)

Blerta Basholli (TSOA ’12) released her debut featulre film, Hive, which had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2021, winning the Grand Jury Prize, Directing Award and Audience Award in World Cinema. (Fall 2021)

Jean Paul Betancourt (TSOA ’12) founded Studio Betancourt. (Spring 2022)

Grant Rosenmeyer (TSOA ’12) is starring in and producing the new film Come As You Are, which premiered at SXSW. (Winter 2020)

Ginny Mohler (TSOA ’11) is co-director and co-writer on the new film Radium Girls, based on the historical events following the notorious case of the Radium Girls in 1928, which ultimately led to significant and lasting impact in the areas of workplace health and safety, and the study of radioactivity. (Fall 2020)

Daniel Belkin (TSOA ’10) co-created a long-form interview podcast called the External Medicine Podcast, featuring physicians, scientists, and other public intellectuals talking about a wide range of medicine-related topics. (Winter 2022)

Marija Krtolica (TSOA ’10) presented her video-collage “Re-Inventing Love” at the international festival Boders: Fragmented Identities and Future Landscapes (Itsliquid, Venice). (Fall 2020)

Dylan Lamb (TSOA '10) was recently promoted president and creative director of Bullseye Media, a boutique digital marketing agency in Minneapolis, MN. (Summer 2022)

Brittany Shaw (TSOA ’10) is co-writer on the new film Radium Girls, based on the historical events following the notorious case of the Radium Girls in 1928, which ultimately led to significant and lasting impact in the areas of workplace health and safety, and the study of radioactivity. (Fall 2020)

Tiffany Oshinsky (née Orbin) (TSOA ’08) won a 2022 Ambie Award for Best Sports Podcast and a Gracie Award for “The Lead” podcast, produced by Wondery and The Athletic. (Winter 2022)

Christiamilda Correa (TSOA ’07) is an award-winning event producer, voice-over artist, and is the recipient of the prestigious Prospanica New York Top Latinx Leaders of 2020 award for her monumental contributions to the community. She is the inaugural Co-President of the NYU Latinx Alumni Network. (Fall 2020)

Joshua Edelman (TSOA ’06) has sold his award-winning feature film Mentally Al to Comedy Dynamics, which may be viewed on Amazon Prime, Comcast, Peacock, Apple TV, Vimeo, Spectrum, Google Play, Dish and YouTube. (Fall 2021)

Jonathan Hsu (CAS, TSOA ’06) is celebrating his first feature documentary hybrid film Starring Jerry As Himself  at Slamdance 2023 for the documentary competition and also screening at Santa Barbara iFF. His horror film streaming on Shudder A Wounded Fawn was also voted Top horror of 2022 by Rotten Tomatoes. (Winter 2023)

Hillary Miller (TSOA ’05) wrote Playwrights on Television: Conversations with Dramatists, which features interviews with dramatic writers reflecting on writing in the post-network television era. (Winter 2020)

Sarah Wilson (TSOA ’00) and Melissa Robyn Glassman (GAL ’00) have teamed up for the documentary Dear Mr. Brody, a psychedelic journey into the heart (and bank account) of Michael Brody Jr, the hippie-millionaire who offered the world peace for the price of a postage stamp. (Winter 2022)

Lamar Goering (TSOA ’97) won a New York Emmy® Award for "Tunnel to Towers - 20 Years of Helping Others" as Executive Producer at WNYW-TV. (Fall 2022)

Tim Cummings (TSOA ’95) has sold his debut novel, Alice the Cat, about a 12-year-old whose attempts to save her suicidal cat to Regal House, for publication in summer 2023. He also stars in the short film Bind, written and directed by Inka Rusi. (Summer 2021)

Leslie Fields-Cruz (TSOA ’95) is the executive director of Black Public Media (BPM) and has been named to Crain’s New York Business’ Notable Black Leaders and Executives list for 2021. (Spring 2021)

Neal Huff (TSOA ’92) acts in the new film Radium Girls, based on the historical events following the notorious case of the Radium Girls in 1928, which ultimately led to significant and lasting impact in the areas of workplace health and safety, and the study of radioactivity. (Fall 2020)

James Bluma (TSOA ’91) was nominated for a Daytime Emmy this year for Outstanding Editing for a Preschool Animated Program, "Elena of Avalor". (Fall 2021)

Jason Rosette (TSOA ’91) has two Asian-themed films featured in the December 2022 NewYork NewFilmmakers Screening Showcase, which include GI Says (GI underground press, documentary) and Freedom Deal (Vietnam War-themed Scripted historical drama). (Fall 2022)

John Inwood (TSOA ’89) is the cinematographer on the new Netflix interactive special, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend. He was recently interviewed by the Television Academy Foundation and credits his experience in the Tisch Film program with giving him the confidence that still impacts him today. (Summer 2021)

Jeff Nimoy (TSOA ’88) produced, wrote, directed, and starred in the feature film Fame-ish, a comedy about a washed-up voice director succumbs to the pitfalls of small-time celebrity at an anime convention. (Summer 2021)

Alberto Moreira (TSOA ’87) is celebrating the official selection of his first feature documentary film Heavy Vibes - The Vince Montana Retrospect to screen at The 37th Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival November 10, 2022. (Fall 2022)

Rosemary Rotondi (TSOA ’86) is an archival film and photo and network news researcher for documentarians and filmmakers worldwide. Stanley Nelson's two-hour feature documentary film Attica, on which Rosemary served as Archival Producer, will be released on Showtime in September. (Summer 2021)

Lydia Dean Pilcher (TSOA ’83) is co-director and producer on the new film Radium Girls, based on the historical events following the notorious case of the Radium Girls in 1928, which ultimately led to significant and lasting impact in the areas of workplace health and safety, and the study of radioactivity. (Fall 2020)

Fred Elmes (TSOA ’71) will receive The Lifetime Achievement Award in Cinematography from the American Society of Cinematographers, located in Hollywood, CA. (Spring 2020)

Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service

Coleen Stevens Porcher (WAGNER ’04) and her family are in a documentary, For They Know Not What They Do. It has been on the film festival circuit and is now being released widely, virtually, to coincide with pride month. (Summer 2020)

Daniel Canogar (WAG ’89, STEINHARDT ’90) was recently featured on The Artian podcast and talked about how we can experience big data. (Summer 2021)