Made in NY Media Center By IFP Announces Nekisa Cooper as Producer of Educational Programs
by Website Update on October 3, 2013
Education Partner General Assembly to Start Classes This October
August 28, 2013 (New York, NY) – The Made in NY Media Center by IFP, announced today that Nekisa Cooper has joined the Media Center team as its Producer of Educational Programs. Cooper joins Made in NY Media Center by IFP’s previously announced staff hires: Director of Programming, Brent Hoff and Managing Director of Operations & Administration, Andrea Baker.
Nekisa is an accomplished independent producer, who most recently produced the narrative feature, PARIAH, released by Focus Features. Her other notable credits include the documentary, EVENTUAL SALVATION, which premiered on the Sundance Channel, the award-winning short film PARIAH and the short film COLONIAL GODS, which aired on the BBC UK. Nekisa is currently in post-production on the feature documentary, LA MUÑECA FEA (THE UGLY DOLL) and in development on Dee Rees’s third feature, BOLO. Cooper was a Fellow for the 2011 IFP/Transatlantic Partners Producing Program; the 2009 IFP/Cinemart/Rotterdam Producing Lab, the 2009 Film Independent Project Involve Program and the inaugural Sundance Institute Creative Producing Lab in 2008. Most recently, she was awarded the 2013 Fox/HBCU Alliance Media Grant in partnership with Film Independent. Prior to film, Cooper worked in brand management for companies such as Colgate-Palmolive, L¹Oreal, and General Electric and was an assistant women’s basketball coach on the high school and college levels. Nekisa earned a BA from The College of William & Mary and an MBA from Clark Atlanta University.
“Nekisa is an incredible talent in the creative community and we are thrilled to have her on staff to lead our educational efforts,” shared Joana Vicente, Executive Director of IFP and the Made in NY Media Center. “Her vision, talent and energy rounds out the Center’s core senior staff and we could not me more excited about the programs, classes, workshops, screenings and tools the team and our collaborators will be unveiling in the coming weeks.”
Cooper will spearhead educational programming across a variety of disciplines as it relates to digital. Additionally, Cooper will collaborate with General Assembly, the Media Center’s educational partner, to tailor course offerings to the needs of the Media Center community. On October 21, General Assembly, the Media Center’s educational partner, will begin offering classes and workshops at the Media Center. General Assembly is an educational institution that transforms thinkers into creators through education in technology, business and design at nine campuses across four continents.
Early classes will teach basic essentials, practical insights and tactical approaches to crowdfunding for artists, inventors and entrepreneurs; public speaking; WordPress; and storytelling skills. Later this year, classes and workshops on topics such as programming, growth hacking, email strategy, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator will be offered at the Media Center. For updates on General Assembly’s class offerings at the Media Center and to sign up for upcoming classes, please visit: http://ga.co/mediacenter.
The Made in NY Media Center by IFP, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, combines co-working spaces, cutting-edge classes and events, and connection to resources for creators working in a variety of disciplines. The Made in NY Media Center by IFP is set to open early October.
About the Made in NY Media Center By IFP
The Made in NY Media Center by IFP is where storytellers from multiple disciplines, industries and platforms create, collaborate, connect and incubate across a spectrum of programs, events and experiences. The Center brings together innovators in film, video, gaming, technology and more through education, mentorship, entrepreneurship and content creation. The 20,000-square-foot facility is located on the ground floor of 30 John Street in DUMBO at the intersection of John and Jay Streets features co-working spaces, talent incubator, 72-seat screening room, art gallery and café in addition to dedicated spaces for classes, conferences, meetings and tenancy. Through a combination of membership-driven and public-access programming our Center champions the future of storytelling in the digital age through a unique focus on cross-platform and cross-discipline media innovation. www.nymediacenter.com
About IFP
After debuting with a program in 1979 New York Film Festival, the nonprofit IFP has evolved into the nation’s oldest and largest organization of independent filmmakers, and also the premiere advocate for them. Since its start IFP has supported the production of 7,000 films and provided resources to more than 20,000 filmmakers – voices that might not otherwise have been heard. IFP fosters the development of 350 new feature and documentary films each year through its Project Forum of Independent Film Week, Independent Filmmaker Labs and projects in its fiscal sponsorship program.
About the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment
The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment consists of the Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, facilitating and supporting film and TV production throughout the five boroughs; NYC Digital, which works to realize New York City’s potential as the world’s leading digital city; and NYC Media, the official TV, radio and online network of the City of New York. The agency’s mission is to streamline government communications by making information accessible, leveraging technology to aid in the transparency of government and by supporting relevant media and entertainment industries in New York City.
About General Assembly
General Assembly is an educational institution that transforms thinkers into creators through education in technology, business and design at nine campuses across three continents. We are creating a global community of individuals empowered to pursue work they love, by offering full-time immersive programs, long-form courses, and classes and workshops on the most relevant skills of the 21st century. For more information, visit http://generalassemb.ly and follow us at @GA.
For more information, please contact
Marian Koltai-Levine – [email protected] – 212-373-6130
Lindsay Firestone – [email protected] – 212-373-6131