New York, NY April 7, 2014 – The Metropolitan College of New York (MCNY) School for Business Media Management MBA program will host its annual short film festival on April 10 and 11 in New York City. Jeff Friday, entertainment executive, entrepreneur and founding member of the American Black Film Festival, will be keynote speaker on April 10. Award winning indie filmmakers Gary Nadeau and Andrew Fitzgerald will join Friday for a panel focusing on getting started in the industry and independent filmmaking.
“We are excited to have industry vets like Mr. Friday speak to our MBA students and share first‑hand experiences in the film industry,” says Dr. Tilokie Depoo, Dean of School for Business. “The film festival offers our MBA students an opportunity to develop their project management skills while networking with filmmakers, directors and producers to gain insider knowledge of the business side of filmmaking.”
Mr. Friday entered the film industry in 1996 when he became President of UniWorld Films, a former division of advertising agency UniWorld Group Inc. His success there put him in the forefront of the independent black film movement and sparked his commitment to transform the business of black cinema. Now celebrating its 18th year, the American Black Film Festival remains committed to broadening the mainstream embrace of Black culture. While best known for producing groundbreaking events and television, Friday regularly provides strategic advisory services to a variety of multinational companies in entertainment and media.
The two-day event, themed “Celebrating the Dream,” includes a moderated movie industry and filmmakers panel on April 10, followed by the screening of selected short films on April 11th. The festival is a forum to celebrate both the business and creative aspects of the film industry, as well as a space for those involved to hone and master their craft.
“Since last semester, students have been working on aspects of planning, branding and promoting the festival through various class projects,” says Kristie Velasco, Coordinator of the Media Management MBA Program for MCNY. “The festival, which grew out a classroom project, has developed into a platform for burgeoning filmmakers, and provides real time project management experience for the school’s media management MBA students.”
MCNY’s “Celebrating the Dream” 5th Annual Short Film Festival, April 10 & 11, is free and open to the public. Events begin at 6PM. Additional information, including winning films from prior years, is available on our website at www.mcny.edu/filmfestival.
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About Jeff Friday In 2001, Friday founded Film Life, Inc. One year later he acquired the rights to the Acapulco Black Film Festival, moved it stateside and renamed it the American Black Film Festival (ABFF). With diversity and social responsibility at its core, the festival supports aspiring actors, filmmakers and industry executives in unprecedented ways. Since its inception, the ABFF has showcased more than 800 films, rewarding and redefining artistic excellence in independent filmmaking. Now in its 17th year, it is widely considered the premier international festival for African American and urban content.
About Metropolitan College of New York Audrey Cohen, educational visionary and activist, founded the Women’s Talent Corps in 1964. Through development and training for new professional positions, the Talent Corps created employment for thousands of people. It became The College for Human Services, later Audrey Cohen College, and today Metropolitan College of New York (MCNY). MCNY, now celebrating its 50th anniversary, continues the tradition of offering highly motivated learners an education that combines applied skills and professional knowledge to effect personal transformation and positive change in the workplace and community. MCNY is a not-for-profit, accredited, independent college. Full year-round offerings accelerate degree completion, and a unique approach to learning permits close integration of workplace activities and study. MCNY is conveniently located in Soho/Tribeca at 431 Canal Street, New York, NY 10013 and in the Bronx at 529 Courtlandt Ave Bronx, NY 10451. For more information on MCNY, visit www.mcny.edu or call 800.33.THINK.
