FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MFA Program in Film, The City College of New York (CCNY)
THE CITY COLLEGE OF NEW YORK ANNOUNCES
2023 CITYVISIONS
SNEAK PREVIEW SHOWCASE OF MFA SHORT FILMS
FREE ADMISSION / SVA THEATER NYC / TUESDAY 06/06/23
PROGRAM 1: 4PM / PROGRAM 2: 6:30PM / AWARDS: 8PM
May 16, 2023: The City College of New York will present the 25th edition of Cityvisions,
the annual international sneak preview showcase of new thesis films from its MFA
Program in Film, on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. Cityvisions will be held at the SVA Theater,
333 West 23rd Street, NYC. Program 1 will begin at 4:00 p.m., followed by Program 2 at
6:30 p.m., and an awards ceremony at 8:00 p.m. General admission is free, no
reservations needed.
“The MFA program at the City College of New York is one of the most diverse film
schools in the world, which makes Cityvisions a truly international film festival,
showcasing innovative work by promising filmmakers from around the globe,” stated
MFA Program Co-Director Andrea Weiss. This year, the 12 fiction and documentary
films represent work by directors from countries including Algeria, Bahrain, Canada,
Haiti, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Peru, and Taiwan.
Cityvisions Program 1 (4:00 pm)
Sisa Quispe, Urpi: Her Last Wish
Michael Blair, Night Moves
Rulx Noel, Forever Twins
Anis Daniel Boukadoum, Good Health
Jakari Lister, Transparensea
Harris Awan, Bodega Nights
Ayusha Sanjel Chhetri, Chhaupadi: The Untouchable Girl
Cityvisions Program 2 (6:30 pm)
Grace Wijaya, Singing in the Lifeboat
Marina Inoue, Pink Yellow
Zahraa Shams, A Basket of Love
Bridget McGuigan, Claiming Edge
Chyan Lo, Yesterday I Dreamt About…
About the films
“A Basket of Love,” a film by Zahraa Shams - When her traditional mother becomes
suspicious of her lifestyle, Noor struggles to maintain her integrity.
“Bodega Nights,” a film by Harris Awan - Spend the night shift with Moe, a Yemeni
immigrant working at a convenience store in Staten Island.
“Chhaupadi: The Impure Girl,” a film by Ayusha Sanjel Chhetri - This documentary
follows 17-year-old Tanka as, according to Nepali tradition, she is exiled from her home
during her monthly menstrual cycle.
“Claiming Edge,” a film by Bridget McGuigan - Five musicians across the U.S. find
sobriety, community, and purpose through the straight edge hardcore scene.
“Forever Twins,” a film by Rulx Noel - The filmmaker captures his confrontation with
his own family in Haiti about their hidden past.
“Good Health,” a film by Anis Daniel Boukadoum - Nassim, a college student, faces
a moral dilemma when his father’s life is on the line.
“Night Moves,” a film by Michael Blair - Two strangers meet outside a pupusa
restaurant on a winter night in Queens.
“Pink Yellow,” a film by Marina Inoue - NYC-based lacquerware artist Rio Hashimoto
shares her firsthand experience of men obsessed with Japanese culture and women.
“Singing in the Lifeboat,” a film by Grace Wijaya - Seeking solace in the woods of
Pennsylvania during the Covid pandemic, a solitary woman grows increasingly
desperate.
“Transparensea” by Jakari Lister - Jaleel and Rene plan to build a life together, but
will harsh words and miscommunication tear them apart?
“Urpi: Her Last Wish” a film by Sisa Quispe (“Urpi: Su Ultimo Deseo”, pictured) -
Quispe stars and directs the story of an indigenous woman who travels to the sacred
valley of the Incas in the Peruvian Andes to fulfill a promise to her grandmother.
“Yesterday I Dreamt About…”, a film by Chyan Lo - Yang struggles to sleep knowing
that she must soon leave New York City with an expired visa and unfulfilled dreams.
About the MFA Program in Film at The City College of New York (CCNY)
As the longest running and most established public film school in New York City, the
MFA Program in Film at the City College of New York is a small, boutique two-year
program focusing on independent filmmaking. We are a culturally diverse filmmaking
community, with ready access to the finest talent, locations, and production facilities of
New York City. Unlike other film schools, we equally emphasize documentary and fiction
filmmaking genres as vehicles for original storytelling that reflects the human
experience.
All Cityvisions work is presented in sneak preview prior to official worldwide premiere.
Previous films from CCNY’s MFA program have gone on to win, in student
categories, four Oscars, six Oscar nominations, as well as four Emmys. CCNY MFA
films have also been invited to international film festivals including Sundance, Berlin,
Edinburgh, Moscow, Munich, Venice, and South by Southwest (SXSW), and Cannes.
Pictured above: Sisa Quispe stars in and directs the film “Urpi: Her Last Wish”.
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