NYU-SCPS Filmmaking Intensive Alum Scores Success at Film Festivals
Flavio Alves with Richard David Reade
Flavio Alves is the director of the short film Even in My Dreams—a dramatic work about an elderly widower experiencing the stirrings of a surprising sexual awakening, spurred by his discovery of a doll in a sex shop window display. Made on a shoe-string budget with the help of NYU-SCPS faculty and fellow students, the movie was produced by Alves during the 12-week Filmmaking Intensive. Alves’ film has received positive reviews and entry into at least 10 film festivals across the country and internationally, including the NYC Downtown Shorts Film Festival, the Asheville (NC) Film Festival, the Santa Barbara (CA) Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, and Brazil’s Festival Internacional de Cinema de Itu (where it won the Audience Award)
He received the spring 2008 Technisphere Award from NYU-SCPS for best student film. "The Technisphere Award was the best thing to happen to me," says Alves. "Sometimes you need someone to tell you what you're doing is worth it." The film was also the winner of the Golden Palm Award at the 2009 Mexico International Film Festival, and the Golden Ace Award at the 2009 Las Vegas International Film Festival.
Recently, Alves completed principal photography and is in post production on his next film The Secret Friend, which was shot on 35mm. He hopes to submit this new project to Sundance in August.
Richard David Reade as Michael
Since its conception about forty years ago, the School’s popular filmmaking intensive programs present up-and-coming directors, most of whom are making a career change, with the opportunity over twelve, eight, or four weeks to learn all aspects of the craft and create their own film. Intensive daily classes are taught by working practitioners and cover the basics of 16mm filmmaking—lighting, audio recording, non-linear editing, cinematography, sync-sound production, and much more.
Originally from Brazil, Alves is a writer and former member of the Brazilian Navy. He is known there for his book Toque de Silêncio (Call to Silence), an autobiographical history of gays in the Brazilian Navy. He has written for several Brazilian publications including O Globo and Jornal do Brasil.
After coming to the U.S. in the late 1990s, Alves attended Columbia University—from which he received a B.A. in Political Science—and worked for such public officials as Congressman Anthony Weiner and Senator Hillary Clinton.
Recently, Alves sat for an interview to discuss the NYU-SCPS filmmaking intensive program, changing careers to follow his passion for movie-making, and the importance of film festivals to a new director.
Click below to hear the full interview:
- Download MP3 file of full interview
- Visit the Department of Film, Video and Broadcasting
- Even in My Dreams website
- The Secret Friend website
For more information call (212) 998-7171.
