AFFMedia Production Lab

  Astoria Film Festival's Media Production Lab to Empower

Historically-Ignored Youth and Foster Inclusive Media Representation

(Winter 2025 Lab Applications will be available after OCT 10 2024)

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The AFF Media Production Lab aims to empower historically-ignored youth between the ages of 15 and 30 throughout NYC, providing them with essential skills, hands-on experience, and valuable connections to pursue industry careers, particularly in Production Assistance, as well as an introduction to jobs in Post-Production: Marketing, and Post-Production: Editing/VFX.

Through strategic partnerships with studios, production companies, film/tv marketing organizations, editors groups, and seasoned film/media professionals, the AFF Media Production Lab is committed to increasing opportunities for historically-ignored individuals across the entire media ecosystem.

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"We are dedicated to increasing representation of historically-ignored voices and faces in the media by providing training and mentorship to our lab fellows," said Nina Fiore, Founding Director of Astoria Film Festival. "Our goal is to create greater diversity in the media industry by empowering the next generation of production professionals."

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The AFF Media Production Lab Program seeks to provide youth in Queens with the skills needed for the participants to pursue careers in Media Production. 

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2024 LAB EVENTS:

Zoom Welcome and Overview

IN PERSON at Variety Boys and Girls Club  

Basics of Filmmaking CourseInstruction from: Astoria Film Festival Founding Director

plus Master Classes with;

Professional Director Michael Fodera

Professional DP  Nick Galante

Production Assistant Passing Dan Scarpati

Master Class on Pitching with Emmy/BAFTA/Annie-winning SONY TV KIDS VP Bryan Korn

Master Class with Professional Emmy-winning Horror Film Makeup Artist Charles Zambran
Work on Pitches
Pitch ideas for lab production project to Thomas Moore, Art Director for MTV/HBO and more, and filmmaker
Master Class on IP Law in Tech and Film with Dauna Williams, Esq (Harvard Law)

Scriptwriting

Tour of the ARRI Rental Studios in LIC NY
Workshop with Ben, Showrunner/EP of Sesame Street about his work

In Person Illumination Training Workshop by Gaffer and Grips with The MBS Group
at Kaufman Astoria Studios
Meet with Nick Katsivelos, NYU Tandon Virtual Production Lab

On Set Production of Lab Project
IN PERSON DEC 2 & 3, SAT/SUN 2-7pm In Person Filming Sessions at Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens (VBGCQ)
ARRI CAMERA WORKSHOP at ARRI Rental Studios

Editing Class in ZOOM by SVA grad and Editor Joseph Rana 

 

JUNE 1, 2024 - Film Premiere at Astoria Film Festival Youth Festival in the Zukor Theater at Kaufman Astoria studios