On Your Radar

IRENE MERCADAL ALBORNOZ

Irene tells us what she loves about her home in Chile, and how reading inspires her creativity.

JOSÉ MANUEL VÉLEZ

José discusses his cross-genre interests and shooting his second year film.

PAUL WYDERKA

Paul discusses the importance of creative perseverance and living life on two coasts.

ISABELLE MECATTAF

Isabelle discusses the use of sitting with anger as a filmmaker, and moving from Beirut, Lebanon to NYC.

LANA BOLYCHEVA

Lana ponders big questions about love, relationships and death in this week's "On Your Radar".

MATTHEW LAUD

Matthew discusses splitting time between NYC and Vermont, his love of comedy, and the adrenaline that comes with filming.

SAM MOTAMEDI

Sam discusses moving from Iran to the U.S., and his filmmaking inspiration David F. Sandberg.

RAZELLE BENALLY

Razelle discusses her work documenting other indigenous artists, and her symbolically significant process of grieving.

BLANCHE AKONCHONG

Blanche talks about her home state Georgia and gets behind Tik Tok.

EFE KABBA

Efe discusses her ties to NYC and Nigeria, and how singing, poetry and art inform her cinematic storytelling.

TARA SHEFFER

Tara discusses her unique approach to the beginning stages of the filmmaking process, and finding a sense of community at Grad Film.

RIYA AGARWAL

Riya talks moving from India to NYC, and the friendships she has made along the journey.

ISHKWAAZHE MCSAUBY

Ishkwaazhe discusses the importance of multi-generational recognition and the community he has found in NYC.

KHALEA ROSS ROBINSON

Khalea discusses the power of being globally connected, and growing up in Washington D.C. and St. Kitts.

YUMENG HAN

Yumeng talks filming as a first year, and how he connects childhood memories to present inspirations.

ALEX BENDO

Alex discusses his life in New York City, how it shaped him growing up and how it continues to inspire him and his work at Grad Film.

EVE LIU

Eve discusses her array of artistic obsessions and how New York may take away her Australian accent.

NARINE SARGSYAN

Narine discusses the impact her grandmother has had on her, and how her home seems to find its way into all of her projects.

BIANCA DI MARCO

Bianca talks about living life through travel, and how her dogs make her feel at home wherever she is.

SHARON E. LEE

Sharon discusses her strong bonds with her Zimbabwe home and using film as a way to connect with others.

Pepi Ginsberg

Pepi discusses living in the moment and the ties she feels to New York City.

Yulin Yang

Yulin talks portraying the real human condition in his films and growing up in Zhengzhou, China.

Joseph Longo

Joseph talks growing up in Brooklyn and making films that don’t just emulate “real life”.

Sofia Camargo Hoyos

Sofia discusses how moving to New York gave her a sense of self and the unique way in which photography inspires her.

Spencer Emukah

Spencer talks about telling stories from his perspective as a first generation Nigerian-American, and gives a shout out to his classmates and faculty for all their help.

Nay Tabbara

Nay talks learning to love Beirut after finding a new home in New York, and letting the filmmaking process be her therapy.

Asia Khmelova

Asia discusses Ukraine and growing to love writing about her culture.

Terrance Daye

Terrance talks growing up in a family of pastors and musicians, and shares his thoughts about light and color on film.

Kai Torres

Kai Torres talks about the relationship between life and cinema, and finding her voice on her second-year film set.

Cary J. Mason

Cary J. Mason discusses his pursuit of comedy and horror, and his transition from biology studies to film.

Maria Lavelle

Maria Lavelle talks shooting her second-year film in her homeland of Norway, and why she is drawn to the stories of historical figures.

John Miller

John Miller opens up about the many places he considers home and his journey to NYU Grad Film.

Rachel Gordon

Rachel Gordon discusses why her family has impacted her storytelling, and the experience of directing her second year film.

Jorge Sistos

Jorge Sistos discusses how meditating on his heritage has inspired his stories, and the sense of unity he feels in the Grad Film community.

Mauro Fernandez

Mauro Fernandez discusses finding inspiration through a cross-cultural worldview, and how the Grad Film faculty has transformed his educational experience.

Avi Kabir

Avi Kabir discusses making mistakes and showcasing unheard voices in films for the sake of progress.

Noelia Muino

Noelia talks about her home in Galicia, Spain and her love of animation.

Eris Qian

Eris Qian talks growing up travelling and how she has learned to reframe the way she looks back on painful moments.

Amir Mosallaie

Amir Mosallaie talks finding homes beyond just a physical location and how he has grown since coming to NYU Grad Film.

Gustavo Milan

Gustavo Milan talks about his favorite parts of Grad FIlm and the process of evolving as a filmmaker.

Mate Vincze

Third year student Mate Vincze talks how he finds unique inspiration on the NYC subways and what it was like growing up in Budapest.

Aisha Ford

Third year student Aisha Ford talks growing up in Ohio and how she portrays her world perspective in her films.

Chloe Wallace

Chloe Wallace talks about her home in Madrid and finding inspiration outside the film world.

Gianna Badiali

Gianna Badiali, a third year student of Grad Film, discusses how traveling has shaped her artistic perspective and her love of bringing magical elements to storytelling.

Alyssa Loh

Alyssa Loh, a third year student at Grad Film, talks about her love of developing characters and being ambitious.

Cameron Laventure

Cameron Laventure discusses how she is inspired by hope and how she found her identity as a queer woman.

Tifah Todd

Tifah Todd talks about her experience at NYU Grad Film, how her family motivates her everyday and the special people she has met on her journey.

Olivier Theurillat

Olivier Theurillat discusses stories of friendship, including his experience making a 2nd year film in Saudi Arabia with his friend and fellow classmate Raed Alsemari.

Ninna Pálma

Ninna Pálma tells us about being inspired by death and growing up in Iceland.

Ciarán Maginn

Ciarán Maginn talks about an ever-changing Dublin, the stories from his childhood that are inspiring him, and loving Grad Film.

Rashad Frett

Rashad Frett paints a picture of both of his homes and all the moments in his life that led him to pursue filmmaking.

Alexander Etseyatse

Alexander Etseyatse talks about wanting to tell the stories that never get told and his home close by.

Kayla Arend

Kayla Arend paints us a picture of what it's like in the land of 10,000 lakes and talks about filmmaking as the main constant in her life.

Yi Tang

Yi Tang recounts her adventurous path to becoming a filmmaker.

Ashley Deckman

Ashley Deckman talks of her hometown Annapolis and childhood performances that grew into something more.

Aditi Mody

Aditi Mody describes the vivaciousness of Mumbai and the documentary films that moved her.

Ashley Alexander

Ashley Alexander talks about her amazing collaborations at Tisch and keeping a global perspective as a screenwriter

Haley Anderson

Haley Anderson discusses shooting in the South and her favorite filmmakers: her classmates.

Anna Gunndís Guðmundsdóttir

Anna Gunndís Guðmundsdóttir describes the breathtaking stillness of a 5:00 AM magic hour in Iceland, her newborn daughter, and the deep friendships she has found on the 10th Floor of Tisch.