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.
The 2024 Lab created this short narrative film together as their final project
Director: Piper Buckley
Cinematographer: Amy Zhang
Editor: Jeremy Cascamisi
Camera/Gaffer: Andres Bornacelli
Actors/PAs:
Younis Alzubeiri
Bix Bigler
Jade Binder
Magali Galindo-Rosas
Sophia Nikishova
Lanre Oridota
Nicole Rodriguez
William Schellhaas
Vanessa Troya-Lara
Original score by William McCarthy
The 2023-24 Media Production Lab was made possibly through funding from Flushing Town Hall, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, and New York Foundation for the Arts, with the donation of time and instruction from various industry professionals, and with donation of space for classes and filming from Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens.
Astoria Film Festival in Astoria NY is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that features short films and web series from around the world in an annual Film Festival and Youth Film Festival. We also run neighborhood youth film education, internships, and a Film Fellows programs around NYC, and hold Media Career Fairs to introduce youth to various industry professionals and career paths. In our Workshops, we guide participants as they create short films as a class. Our KZread programming includes our workshop films, our events, interviews with our filmmakers, productions created by our interns and fellows, and interviews with media professionals.