New York, NY, March 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The New York Film Academy (NYFA) proudly celebrates a remarkable year of achievement as alumni and faculty contribute to Academy Award®-nominated films and official international Oscar submissions, underscoring the institution’s global impact on the film industry.
NYFA’s global footprint is reflected in four feature films by alumni that were selected as their countries’ official submissions for the Academy Award® for Best International Feature Film. While the films were not shortlisted for nomination, being chosen to represent their respective nations marks a significant honor and a testament to the filmmakers’ artistry and leadership within their industries, especially since each country can nominate only one film each year to represent them.
The selected films and NYFA alumni include:
- Mohamed Diab, Executive Producer and Co-Writer – Happy Birthday, Egypt’s Official Oscar Submission
- Akinola Davies, Jr., Director and Co-Writer – My Father’s Shadow, United Kingdom’s Official Oscar Submission
- Shahad Ameen, Writer and Director – Hijra, Saudi Arabia’s Official Oscar Submission
- Bruno Mourral, Director, Co-Writer, and Editor – Kidnapping INC., Haiti’s Official Oscar Submission
These filmmakers represent a dynamic cross-section of international voices shaping contemporary cinema across Egypt, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and Haiti. Their official Oscar submissions highlight NYFA’s longstanding commitment to cultivating storytellers who bring culturally specific, globally resonant narratives to the screen.
Among this year’s Oscar nominees involving NYFA faculty is The Singers, an Academy Award®-nominated short film adapted from a story originally written in 1850. The film has been praised as “an Oscar Short Nominee for Our Times,” which features first-time actors selected from their social media singing videos that showcased their talents, bringing authenticity and raw emotion to the screen. NYFA producing and screenwriting instructor Harrison Allen joined the project as Co-Executive Producer, further demonstrating the active role NYFA faculty play in high-level, award-recognized filmmaking. In addition, Alek Berberoglu, a NYFA 2-Year Conservatory Filmmaking student also worked on the film.The Singers is currently available to watch on Netflix and the official Netflix trailer can be viewed online.
NYFA faculty member Paula Goldstein contributed as a Lighting Artist to the highly anticipated animated feature Zootopia 2, which is Oscar-nominated for Best Animated Feature Film. Goldstein’s involvement in a major studio production reflects the breadth of professional experience NYFA instructors bring into the classroom, bridging industry practice with hands-on education.
Goldstein said, “Working as a Lighting Artist on Zootopia 2 was such a rewarding experience. It really showed how much teamwork goes into making an animated film. Lighting works hand-in-hand with animation, layout, and compositing to support the story and emotion in every shot. It was a fast-paced, collaborative environment, and I loved being part of a team that cared so deeply about both craft and storytelling.”
“NYFA’s mission has always been to empower artists to tell bold, meaningful stories,” said Crickett Rumley, the Senior Director of the Film Festival Department at the New York Film Academy. “Seeing our faculty and alumni contribute to Oscar-nominated projects and represent their countries, industries, and NYFA on the international stage is a powerful reflection of that mission in action.”
With campuses and programs spanning the globe, the New York Film Academy continues to prepare emerging filmmakers, animators, producers, and writers through immersive, hands-on learning led by working industry professionals. This year’s achievements further reinforce NYFA’s position as a creative hub where education and professional excellence intersect.
For more information about the New York Film Academy and its programs, visit www.nyfa.edu.
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About NYFA
New York Film Academy (NYFA) is a world-renowned film, media, and performing arts college that offers BFA and MFA degrees, short-term workshops, 1-and-2 year programs, certificates, online classes, and Summer Camps for teens and kids. NYFA has campuses in New York, Los Angeles, Florence, Italy, and Kazakhstan and runs workshops across the globe. Known for its immersive hands-on learning approach, NYFA students gain practical, real-world experience alongside industry-professional faculty in Filmmaking, Acting for Film, Screenwriting, Cinematography, Producing, Game Design, Musical Theatre, Photography, and more.
Learn more at www.nyfa.edu