New York Film Academy

What New York Film Academy does

New York Film Academy (NYFA) is a private, for-profit postsecondary institution founded in 1992, operating degree, conservatory, workshop, and youth programs across three core campuses — New York City (HQ, downtown Manhattan across from Battery Park), Los Angeles (with Burbank Studios access), and Florence, Italy — plus an online channel and satellite youth locations in Cambridge (MA), Paris, Beijing, and Kazakhstan. Its catalog spans 14+ areas of study including Filmmaking, Acting for Film, Screenwriting, Cinematography, Producing, Documentary Filmmaking, Digital Editing, 3D Animation & VFX, Broadcast Journalism, Photography, Musical Theatre, Game Design, Entertainment Media, and Cinematic AI, delivered through AFA, BFA, MFA, and MA degrees, 1- and 2-year conservatory certificates, 1- to 15-week workshops, and summer camps for ages 10-17.

Revenue is tuition-driven, with five identifiable streams: recurring degree-program tuition (BFA/MFA/MA/AFA, billed per semester with annual escalators), recurring conservatory and certificate program tuition, one-time short-term workshop fees, one-time youth summer-camp tuition, and recurring student-housing revenue. The core technology stack is built around industry-standard production tools — Adobe Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, Autodesk Maya, and RED/SONY cinema cameras — rather than proprietary software. Student-facing digital infrastructure consists of the NYFA Student Hub (SSO-authenticated portal) and the NYFA Mobile App on iOS and Android, with Zoom powering virtual events and Salesforce powering the events/admissions funnel.

Go-to-market is a sales-led direct enrollment model executed via nyfa.edu, virtual open houses and information sessions, campus-based admissions counseling, and a channel/partner layer in China using joint programs with Beijing Film Academy, Sichuan University of Media and Communications, and Xiamen University. Customer segments are predominantly individual consumers (aspiring filmmakers/actors as the primary segment, plus youth 10-17, international students, veterans using GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon benefits, and a smaller working-professional segment served through MA and Corporate Training programs). Pricing is publicly disclosed per program segment with teen-camp tuition ranging $1,735 to $4,525 for 3-week programs plus a $25 application fee, $500 deposit, and card convenience fees.

Name

New York Film Academy

Legal name

New York Film Academy

Website

https://nyfa.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

New York Film Academy is a private postsecondary institution founded in 1992 that offers degree, conservatory, workshop, and youth programs in film, media, and performing arts across campuses in New York, Los Angeles, and Florence, plus online delivery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film and Performing Arts Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Film, Television & Media Arts Colleges (EDAHAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Colleges (Theatre, Dance, Musical Theatre) (EDAHAJAD), Animation, Game Art & Digital Arts Colleges (EDAHAJAI), Subject-Specific Short Courses & Academies (e.g., STEM, Business, Arts) (EDAIAIAC)

Keywords

• Filmmaking education
• Performing arts training
• Degree programs
• Hands-on workshops
• Youth summer camps

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Degree Program Tuition: Revenue from Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Master of Arts (MA), and Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degree programs. Tuition varies by program and is charged per semester with annual increases expected.
2. Conservatory & Certificate Programs: Revenue from 1 and 2-year certificate programs in various filmmaking and performing arts disciplines.
3. Short-Term Workshops: Revenue from intensive workshops ranging from 1 to 15 weeks, available both on-campus and online.
4. Youth Programs: Revenue from summer camps and workshops for teens (ages 14-17) and kids (ages 10-13) in film, media, and performing arts.
5. Housing & Related Services: Revenue from student housing, separate from tuition costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

New York Film Academy provides hands-on film, media, and performing arts education through degree programs (BFA, MFA, MA, AFA), 1-year and 2-year conservatory certificates, short-term workshops (1-15 weeks), and youth summer camps. The school delivers instruction across 14+ disciplines including Filmmaking, Acting for Film, Screenwriting, Cinematography, 3D Animation & VFX, Broadcast Journalism, Musical Theatre, Game Design, and Cinematic AI, using industry-standard equipment and software at campuses in New York City, Los Angeles, Florence, and online.

Product overview

New York Film Academy is an educational institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of film, media, and performing arts programs. The institution operates on a multi-campus model with locations in New York City, Los Angeles, Florence (Italy), and online. The product portfolio includes degree programs (BFA, MFA, MA, AFA), conservatory certificate programs (1-Year and 2-Year), and short-term workshops. Key programs include Filmmaking, Acting for Film, Screenwriting, Cinematography, Producing, Documentary Filmmaking, Digital Editing, 3D Animation & Visual Effects, Broadcast Journalism, Photography, Musical Theatre, Game Design, Entertainment Media, and Cinematic AI. The institution also offers youth programs (summer camps and workshops for teens and kids), corporate training, and study abroad programs through NYFA's Film and Acting Study Exchange (FASE). Students access academic resources through the NYFA Student Hub portal and mobile app.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 10 Arts Foundation: Nonprofit foundation affiliated with NYFA; Tony Harris serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees

Products and services

• Filmmaking
• Acting for Film
• Screenwriting
• Cinematography
• Producing
• 3D Animation & Visual Effects
• Documentary Filmmaking
• Digital Editing
• Broadcast Journalism

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• China Education Press Agency (CEPA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2025A delegation from CEPA visited NYFA and met with President Michael Young to discuss educational collaboration opportunities.
• Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts (SIVA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 September 2025President Michael Young attended SIVA's 20th Anniversary Celebration and 15th International Experts Advisory Conference in Shanghai.
• Education Office of the Consulate General of China in LAminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 August 2025The delegation was hosted by Dan Mackler (Dean of NYFA LA), Sonny Calderon (VP Academic Affairs), and Dr. Joy Zhu (Executive VP Greater China Region).
• Xiamen UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2025NYFA's joint degree program with Xiamen University was approved by China's Ministry of Education, making it an official government-sanctioned collaborative education program.
• NetflixcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 March 2024NYFA partnered with Netflix and the European Audiovisual Observatory to help develop skills of Ukrainian film and television creators through a specialized initiative.
• SonyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 October 2023NYFA students, faculty, and alumni partnered with Sony and Cooke Optics to produce a professional music video for The Thing's 'Country Song II'. Students gained hands-on experience with Sony cinema cameras.
• LUISS UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 August 2023NYFA Florence campus partnered with LUISS University in Rome to deliver a 1-Week Teen Screenwriting Camp. LUISS hosted the program for students enrolled in their summer school.
• Beijing Film Academy (BFA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2023NYFA and Beijing Film Academy jointly launched a study abroad program for students in China. The announcement took place virtually with attendance from both institutions' leadership including Sun Lijun (Vice President of BFA) and Sonny Calderon (VP Academic Affairs at NYFA). Students from BFA began studying at NYFA in Fall 2023 semester.
• 10 ARTS FoundationminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 June 2023Tony Harris, Chair of the Board of Trustees to 10 ARTS Foundation (nonprofit), visited NYFA's Broadcast Journalism students. Harris is an Emmy award-winning journalist who serves as recurring guest speaker at NYFA.
• Chinese Vice Minister of EducationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2023NYFA hosted China's Vice Minister of Education Mr. Chen Jie and a distinguished delegation at the New York campus.
• Shanghai Theatre AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 January 2023Twenty students from Shanghai Theatre Academy completed a 1-Week Photography workshop at NYFA's New York campus with graduation ceremony held.
• Wuhan Institute of Design and SciencesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2023Representatives from the Wuhan Institute of Design and Sciences and its Jackie Chan Film and Media School visited NYFA's New York campus in January 2026.
• MultiChoice Talent Factory AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2022NYFA partnered with MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy, a multi-disciplinary training program developing next generation storytellers in Africa. NYFA students Adedamola Akapo and Victor Lushinjilo Kasanga were awarded 'top of the class' in the program.
• Sichuan University of Media and Communications (SUMC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 December 2021NYFA and SUMC celebrated the launch of a collaborative bachelor's degree program in filmmaking through a virtual ceremony. This partnership provides students in China with access to NYFA's film education curriculum.
• Hangzhou Culture Radio Television GroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 October 2018Established the NYFA-Hangzhou Culture Radio Television Group Cooperative Training Base for students in China.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vancouver Film School: For-profit Canadian institution offering intensive one-year programs in film, animation, game design, and acting. Comparable accelerated, hands-on model targeting similar students.
• Met Film School: UK-based film school offering practical degrees and short courses across multiple campuses including Berlin. Comparable hands-on, industry-focused model serving an international student body.
• Los Angeles Film School: For-profit film and entertainment school in Hollywood offering degree programs in filmmaking, animation, and music production with industry equipment. Direct competitor for the same aspiring filmmaker/actor demographic.
• SAE Institute: Global for-profit creative media school with campuses worldwide offering diplomas in film, audio, animation, and game development. Comparable international scale and vocational orientation.
• Full Sail University: For-profit Florida-based school offering degrees in film, animation, game design, and entertainment business with hands-on curriculum. Closely comparable as a competing for-profit creative arts institution.
• Loyola Marymount University – School of Film and Television: West Coast university film school offering undergraduate and graduate programs in film production, animation, and screenwriting with a Los Angeles base. Comparable private-university film program.
• AFI Conservatory: Highly selective conservatory for advanced filmmaking training with MFA-only programs. Comparable in targeting serious film professionals and recognized by industry awards.
• Chapman University – Dodge College of Film and Media Arts: Top-ranked film school within a private university offering BFA/MFA in film production, animation, and screenwriting. Directly competes for the same prestige-seeking filmmaking students.

Broad incumbents

• USC School of Cinematic Arts: Premier film school embedded in a major research university with broad undergraduate through PhD programs. The dominant incumbent in film education; NYFA is frequently benchmarked against USC's prestige.
• NYU Tisch School of the Arts: Major university film school in NYC offering undergraduate and graduate degrees across film, television, and performing arts. Located in NYFA's home market and a frequent comparison point.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NYFA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@newyorkfilmacademy
• Facebookfacebook.com/NewYorkFilmAcademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-york-film-academy
• Instagraminstagram.com/newyorkfilmacademy
• TikToktiktok.com/@newyorkfilmacademy?lang=en
• Pinterestpinterest.com/nyfilmacademy

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about New York Film Academy