FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT: FINE CUTS SP 2023
Billie Melissa Rogan
Billie Melissa Rogan is a director, screenwriter, and anti-death penalty activist. At The New School, she is an MA Media Studies student and Impact Entrepreneurship Fellow where she has been working with lawyers and families who have loved ones on death row to tell their stories through media. As a storyteller, Billie is drawn to narratives that lead us toward compassion and help us better understand ourselves and those around us. I Love You, Guys is her directorial debut and she is grateful to her cast and crew for being the best collaborators and friends throughout the process. Additionally, she has worked as a film critic and received the Media Inclusion Initiative at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival and Press Inclusion Initiative at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.
Film Synopsis:
Faced with looming superstardom, a troubled young pop-star wrestles with what realizing all of her hopes and dreams will really mean for her, including what she’ll be leaving behind.
Tiffany Jiang
Tiffany Jiang is a Chinese-American filmmaker who gravitates towards projects about identity struggles, cultural taboos, and personal traumas. Tiffany is graduating this year with an MA in Media Studies after completing the Advanced Certificate program in Documentary Filmmaking.
Film Synopsis:
Galvanized by devastating events early on in their lives, two New Yorkers find ways to channel their grief into acts of kindness that serve others. The film invites viewers to reflect on what it means to live with and find comfort in grief, in all its different forms.
Benjamin Vazquez
Hailing from New Rochelle, New York. Benjamin Vazquez is a creative who truly enjoys the exploration of film and audio when expressing his ideas, thoughts, and imagination. Although a creative is never at rest, Ben is watching New York Knicks games or finding a basketball court to shoot hoops in his free time.
Film Synopsis:
“Present thoughts relive the past, that reveals reality.” HIM is now put in a position where he has to answer questions about his thoughts and perspective on life.
Chidera Ihejirika
Chidera Ihejirika is a Nigerian Canadian interdisciplinary artist based in New York. With freedom of self-expression as essential within her practice(s), the artist embraces a plurality of art forms, including but not limited to writing, filmmaking, fashion, graphic design, photography, and music. Guided by her varied mediums of choice and ancestral heritage of storytelling, the artist explores themes of rest, joy, leisure, nature, and multi-dimensionality. The artist’s processing, thoughts, and questions in transit to this moment have culminated in her first film, Waiting For Me, which will begin releasing this summer.
Film Synopsis:
Waiting For Me follows various black individuals in Canada as they navigate different spaces throughout their lives.
Greta Villani
Greta is an artist hailing from the creative hub of Los Angeles. With a deep-rooted love for storytelling through visual media, she has established herself as a budding force in the world of filmmaking. Greta is currently pursuing her Masters at the School of Media Studies at The New School. Greta is currently finishing a short film that was fully funded by her undergraduate program, showcasing her unique artistic vision and dedication to filmmaking. She thrives in collaborative environments and has a passion for bringing creative ideas to fruition. When she is not immersed in her creative pursuits, Greta enjoys collaborating with other artists, exchanging ideas, and contributing to the vibrant artistic community. She believes in the power of collaboration and the ability of art to bring people together. She joined the team shortly after the first Ruff Cuts in person this semester.
Film Synopsis:
After finding out about the death of an ex-partner, a young woman becomes obsessed with a strange corner of the world, while she processes her grief.
Prajwal Godse
Prajwal Godse is a documentary filmmaker, photographer, and traveler at heart. He started his journey in the media space pretty early in his life, helping his father with a wide variety of photo and video projects at their creative studio. After working on film sets with large crews and big budgets, Prajwal realized he was more drawn towards working as an independent landscape photographer and documenting different cultures around the world with his camera. When Prajwal is not behind the camera, he enjoys early morning runs at the pier, a margarita slice at Champion’s pizza, and sipping on a warm cup of chai.
Film Synopsis:
While Hindus around the world celebrate the festival of Diwali with diyas and fireworks, indigenous groups of Dadra and Nagar Haveli celebrate by worshipping mother nature and being close to their gods in the jungle. This dying tradition of ‘Barash’ is a unique spiritual experience in itself and a vivid illustration of the rich cultural heritage that these tribes represent. The film ‘Mauli’ is an extension of a bigger photo documentary project ‘Roots’ that pays homage to the indigenous communities of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, India. The photographs featured in this collection showcase the lives of three main tribal groups, Warlis, Konkanas, and Dhodias. With these project, I aim to preserve their unique cultural heritage so that it can be celebrated by future generations.
Sam
Sam is a comedy director/writer who loves finding the funny in everything. Originally from Sacramento, California, he came to New York City to study theatre at Marymount Manhattan College in theatre. He has been transitioning from theatre to film with the creation of 13th Fleur Productions where he wrote, directed, and produced short experimental comedy sketches. Troma Entertainment’s streaming service, Troma Now, has distributed some of the sketches. His latest film “JK Bullworth” has played at film festivals nationwide including Portland, NYC, and New Jersey.
Film Synopsis:
When a jaded production assistant goes on a hellish errand run, he must come to terms with whether or not to achieve his destiny to become a TV producer or defy his orders and get thrown on to his boss’ “crap list.”
Faryar Hosseini
Faryar Hosseini is a native of Iran currently based in NYC. While living in Tehran, she wrote and directed two award-winning stage plays, as well as her short film Lego, which was screened at cinemas around Iran in 2021. After moving to the US in 2018, she pursued an MFA in filmmaking at Ohio University where she completed three short films. Since 2021, she has attended a program at The New School, where her thesis focuses on the representation of Iran in US media. In addition to her research, she completed two short films in her time at The New School, one of which—Detached—was selected for participation in the 50th Athens International Film and Video Festival in April of 2023. Faryar is currently working on a feature film about the accessibility of mental health care, immigration, and a looming mental health crisis facing young adults.
Film Synopsis 1:
Accompany a young woman on an invisible journey with a loved one while she is trapped in the real world.
Film Synopsis 2:
A father and son come into conflict in the absence of the wife and mother. As the divide between the two increases, both begin a journey of self-discovery as they attempt to heal their damaged relationship.
Register for Fine Cuts here.