Faculty

Faculty Member
CHRISTINE VACHON Producer, Co-Founder - Killer Films, Artistic Director Christine Vachon is an Independent Spirit Award and Gotham Award winner who co-founded powerhouse Killer Films with partner Pamela Koffler in 1995. Over three decades, they have produced more than 100 films, including some of the most celebrated and important American independent features: KIDS, I SHOT ANDY WARHOL, HAPPINESS, BOYS DON’T CRY, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, FAR FROM HEAVEN, ONE HOUR PHOTO, STILL ALICE, CAROL, BEATRIZ AT DINNER, and DARK WATERS. In television, Vachon executive-produced the Emmy and Golden Globe-awarded miniseries MILDRED PIERCE for HBO as well as the Emmy Award-winning limited series HALSTON for Netflix. Recent releases include Todd Haynes' MAY DECEMBER (Netflix), starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, and Celine Song's PAST LIVES (A24), which marks her first Oscar nomination in the Best Picture category.
ALAN KINGSBERG Director, MFA in Television Writing Alan Kingsberg received his MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts where his film Minors won an Academy Award as the top student film in the US. His work in television includes writing the ACE Award winning documentary Buy Me That for HBO, and writing and producing the BAFTA nominated animated series Cubix for FOX. Kingsberg has also written for Law and Order: Criminal Intent, and Kids classics like Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Shining Time Station and Doug. He was a showrunner on five animated series for Fox, The CW and Cartoon Network, including the hits Cubix, Pokemon Chronicles and Winx Club. He has written or produced over 250 half-hours of television for major broadcast and cable networks and has written feature films for DISNEY and UNIVERSAL PICTURES. He is currently writing on a new Netflix Original animated series. Kingsberg originated the popular Television Writing curriculum at Columbia University’s Graduate Film School where he taught for 17 years. He has launched Television Writing programs in Sao Paulo and Prague and was a visiting professor at Sarah Lawrence College. Kingsberg’s students have won numerous awards including multiple first place prizes at the Austin Film Festival, The TV Academy of Arts and Sciences, The Made In NY Fellowship, a Humanitas Award, an HBO Fellowship and a Fox Writers Intensive Prize, all with scripts written in his workshops. After graduating, his students have gone on to write and produce on shows such as 30 Rock, Mr. Robot, Narcos, The Deuce, Stranger Things, Kimmy Schmidt, Mozart in the Jungle, Orphan Black, Quantico, The Sinner, Inside Amy Schumer, Smash, New Girl, Odd Mom Out, The Originals, Vegas, Weeds and Californication.
JENNIE ALLEN Screenwriting Faculty Jennie Allen is a screenwriter whose work includes the microbudget feature Failing Better Now and the upcoming film 111, written with director Mauro Mueller. Produced by C-Films with Auguste Content and Fidelio Films, 111 is slated for distribution by SquareOne and Elevation Pictures. Her films have been recognized by the Adrienne Shelly Foundation and supported through artist grants from the Brooklyn Arts Council and the Greene County Council on the Arts. Her short films have screened and won awards at festivals worldwide and have been distributed by Shorts International. Allen earned her MFA in Film from Columbia University, where she received the Lewis Cole Award for Excellence in Screenwriting. Her work ranges from drama to dark comedy and often dives into death, dying, loss, addiction, colonialism, the resilience (and destruction) of the natural world, and other lighthearted aspects of modern life. She is currently working on the psychological horror film Naturalized.
ETHAN T. BERLIN Television Writing Faculty Ethan T. Berlin is an Emmy Award nominated comedy writer and performer who has written for many of today's top comedy voices. His credits include Da' Ali G Show (HBO), Totally Biased With W. Kamau Bell (FX), Billy on the Street (Fuse), Super Jail (Adult Swim), Lopez Tonight (TBS), Crank Yankers (Comedy Central), and Talk Show With Spike Feresten (Fox). He has sold pilots to IFC, MTV, and Cartoon Network. He co-created, executive produced, performed, and wrote on IFC's fake game show, Bunk. Ethan has performed on most of the shows he's written for and is a graduate of the Peoples' Improv Theatre. He teaches comedy writing classes at New York University and the Peoples' Improv Theatre. His debut children’s picture book, The Hugely-Wugely Spider, will be published in 2018 by FSG.
SCOTT BURKHARDT Television Writing Faculty Scott Burkhardt is a graduate of Columbia University’s School of the Arts where he received an MFA in Film. He was a Dean's Scholar at Columbia and received support for his work from New Line Cinema, the Milos Forman Foundation, The Caucus Foundation, and the Carole and Robert Daly Foundation. His thesis film, The Assastant, won multiple awards at the Columbia University Film Festival and went on to be nominated for a Student Academy Award. The film aired on PBS and Hulu for five years. His latest short film, Girls Are Strong Here, won multiple screenplay awards and production funding from the Sun Valley Film Festival. It went on to play film festivals around the world and won the 2021 Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short @ IFF Boston and won the 2022 Humanitas Prize for Best Short Film. His next short film, We Buy Houses, is currently in post production and scheduled to hit the festival circuit in 2023. He has written for television (NBC’s Smash) and developed projects for NBC Universal, CBS Studios and Flower Films. He is currently working on various writing/directing projects in addition to teaching screenwriting and television writing.
NIAV CONTY Faculty - Directing, Cinematography Niav Conty is a director, cinematographer, editor and screenwriter. She is the co-founder of Broken Yolk Productions, which produces ultra-indie films, music, and multimedia projects. Small Time, her 2020 feature shot over 5 years in rural Pennsylvania, won awards for Best Feature and Best Director many times over. The film is executive produced by Oren Moverman and is available to watch on Amazon. It stars a young child and a kitten; clearly she likes a challenge. She is currently releasing her newest feature, Person Woman Man Camera TV, about an interracial couple’s relationship disintegrating during the 2020 pandemic. Niav has worked closely with Joseph Strick and Chantal Ackerman, and is a Princess Grace Award winner. She enjoys playing in the murky depths of human nature.
STEPHEN GATES TV Writing Visiting Faculty Stephen Gates, NYU TSOA’92 MFA, began his film career as 2 ^nd asst. & 1 ^st asst. cameraman and member of IATSE Local 600 in New York. Upon moving to Los Angeles, Stephen worked in the Story Dept. at Arnold Kopelson Prods writing script coverage. He started his representation career as an assistant to a motion picture literary agent at ICM. As part of a 5 year career as a Motion Picture Lit. agent, Stephen worked at the Susan Smith Agency and Writers & Artists Agency. As a Literary Manager, Stephen ran Evolution Entertainment’s Lit Dept. for 16 years and then co-founded his own management company Ellipsis Entertainment Group.
BRYAN GOLUBOFF TV Writing Visiting Faculty Bryan is a native New Yorker and graduate of N.Y.U.’s Tisch School of the Arts. His credits include the screenplay for THE BASKETBALL DIARIES starring Leonardo DiCaprio, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, the “ALEX” arc on the first season of HBO’s IN TREATMENT, for which he won a WGA Award for Best Writing on a New Series, and writer/producer duties on FX’s critically acclaimed boxing drama LIGHTS OUT. Other TV credits include LAW AND ORDER: SVU (NAACP IMAGE AWARD for his episode "PERSONAL FOULS"), SMASH, BLUE BLOODS and THE AFFAIR (Golden Globe Award for Best Drama). He was also a writer on HBO’s SOMETHING THE LORD MADE (Emmy and Peabody Awards), K-PAX and ABOVE THE RIM, among other films. Bryan wrote and directed the feature BEWARE THE GONZO, which starred Ezra Miller, Zoe Kravitz, Campbell Scott and Amy Sedaris. Most recently, Bryan was a writer/producer with David E. Kelley and Dennis Lehane on the past two seasons of the Audience Network drama series MR. MERCEDES, based on the Stephen King book trilogy, starring Brendan Gleeson, Harry Treadaway and Mary Louise Parker. Bryan is currently creating a new drama series, MANHATTAN EXPRESS, for Hulu.
PAMELA KOFFLER Co-Founder - Killer Films, Visiting Faculty, Producer Pamela Koffler is an award-winning producer who in 1995 co-founded New York-based indie powerhouse Killer Films with partner Christine Vachon. Since founding Killer Films, she has gone on to produce some of the most celebrated American indie films including, Academy Award® winning films Far From Heaven, Boys Don't Cry, One Hour Photo, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Happiness, I Shot Andy Warhol, Dirty Girl, Then She Found Me, and Savage Grace. In television, Koffler executive produced the Emmy® nominated TV movie Mrs. Harris in 2005 and the Golden Globe winning miniseries, Mildred Pierce for HBO. Most recently, Koffler produced two films with the award-winning directing team Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer: "The Last of Robin Hood" starring Kevin Kline, Susan Sarandon and Dakota Fanning, which premiered at the Toronto Festival in 2013 and was seen in theaters in September 2014. "Still Alice," starring Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin and Kristen Stewart, premiered at TIFF in 2014. Koffler also produced 2015's "Carol," directed by Todd Haynes, starring Cate Blanchette and Rooney Mara.
KRIS LEFCOE Television Writing Faculty Kris Lefcoe (DGA) is a Canadian-American director and writer based in New York City. Her work has screened at TIFF, SXSW, Tribeca, British Film Institute, Art Basel Miami, IFC and on the Sundance Channel.    Kris is co-creator, writer and EP of “Making Plans For Nigel,” a comedy series in network development with Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Mary Rohlich (“Atypical”). Lefcoe's half-hour comedy “Giving Up,” about a New York couple facing their own deadline to either ‘make it’ or give up their dreams, won top prizes at Seriesfest and New York Television Festival, and just had a theatrical premiere at the Roxy Cinema in NYC. The series was executive produced by David Wain and developed with Imagine Television. In 2020, Kris made her network directing debut on the NBC comedy “Superstore.”
DAN PERLMAN Television Writing Faculty Dan Perlman is a comedian, writer, and director from New York City. He co-created, wrote, and starred in Showtime’s critically-acclaimed comedy series, Flatbush Misdemeanors. The series’ lauded two-season run holds a 100% Rating on Rotten Tomatoes, earning unanimous praise from outlets including The New York Times, Variety, Roger Ebert, TIME, and The Guardian. Dan made his directorial debut in the Flatbush episode, “boomerang,” which Vulture praised for its “masterful direction.” He wrote and directed the award-winning short films, Cramming and Practice Space. Most recently, Dan directed and starred in the documentary short Being Bublé. Dan first co-created Flatbush as a zero-budget digital series, which became Oscar-qualified after winning Grand Jury Awards in its film festival run—laying the groundwork for the Showtime adaptation. Previously, Dan co-created and wrote the animated pilot That’s My Bus!, then ordered by FOX. As a stand-up, Dan has been featured on Comedy Central, named one of the New Faces at the prestigious Montreal Just For Laughs Festival, worked as a regular at The Comedy Cellar in NYC, and headlined venues nationwide, including The Kennedy Center in DC. Dan’s debut album, Emergency Contact, is a staple on SiriusXM, where he’s also been a longtime regular guest on Bennington. His writing has also appeared in The New Yorker.
SIMONE PERO Producer, Visiting Faculty Emmy-nominated film producer, Simone Pero is the Founder and President of For Impact Productions, a social impact consultancy for artists and filmmakers, embracing projects that positively impact society, culture and humanity. Pero’s film producing portfolio includes the 2025 feature LILLY starring Patricia Clarkson and THE TALE starring Laura Dern, nominated for 25 awards, including two Emmys and a Golden Globe and distributed worldwide by HBO Films. Pero has also executive produced acclaimed documentaries VIVA VERDI! directed by Yvonne Russo and THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING featuring Geena Davis, Meryl Streep and Shonda Rhimes. VOW OF SILENCE: THE ASSASSINATION OF ANNIE MAE, the Disney Onyx award-winning documentary-series nominated for a ’25 Humanitas Prize, was associate produced by Pero. Among Pero’s upcoming projects includes the limited television series RUTH’S GHOSTS created by Jennifer Fox. Named by Cynopsis Media as a Top Woman in Media in Community Building, Pero is an active leader in the media and entertainment industry. She currently serves on the President’s Council of New York Women in Film & Television, and is a member of BAFTA the British Academy of Film and Television Arts North America, the Producers Guild of America, the Television Academy, and the Global Impact Producers Alliance. Pero is an undergraduate alumna of Stony Brook University and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Affairs and Policy from the University at Albany.
MICHAEL RAUCH TV Writing Visiting Faculty Michael Rauch has written, produced and directed numerous projects in both film and television, most recently finishing eight seasons of the hit USA Network original series Royal Pains. Rauch also created and executive produced the CBS series Love Monkey with Tom Cavanagh and Judy Greer, as well as the ABC Family series Beautiful People and the CW series Life is Wild. Rauch wrote and directed the independent feature In The Weeds for Miramax starring Ellen Pompeo, Bridget Moynahan, Molly Ringwald and Eric Bogosian. He directed and produced the filmed version of Bogosian’s off-Broadway show for IFC, Wake Up and Smell the Coffee. Rauch is currently writing two new shows for CBS, The Fighting Thomases produced with Jennifer Lopez, and Dr. Death starring Alan Cumming. Rauch resides in New York City.
JACQUELYN REINGOLD Television Writing Faculty Jacquelyn Reingold is a TV writer, playwright, teacher, and advocate. In television, Jackie was a writer/Executive Producer for the critically acclaimed The Good Fight starring Christine Baranski and Audra McDonald; Executive Producers, Robert and Michelle King. Other TV writing includes Best of Both Worlds, a pilot for John Wells Productions; CBS’ East New York; Netflix’s Grace and Frankie, NBC’s Smash, CBS’ Brain Dead; NBC’s Law & Order CI; MTV’s Daria. Jackie wrote all the Mia episodes for Emmy nominated Gabriel Byrne and Hope Davis for HBO’s Peabody Award winning In Treatment.
JORDAN ROBERTS Editor Jordan Roberts has been editing professionally for almost a decade and has cut a wide range of projects, many of which have garnered critical acclaim. He was mentored by Todd Sandler, an editor for JJ Abram's "Bad Robot Productions." One of his most recent projects was a web series entitled “Kelsey, “ which was named one of the top 25 series of 2013 by Indie Wire, and has amassed over 150,000 views since its premiere in late 2013. In addition to this he served as assistant and trailer editor for the feature film “Maybe Tomorrow,” which has played the festival circuit for several years and racked up multiple accolades. In addition to his feature and short work, Jordan has edited tribute reels and clip shows for names such as: Edward Burns, Todd Haynes, Jessica Lange, Akira Kurosawa, Paul Simon and Joe Berlinger. He has taught production and editing to students of all ages and strives to instill the value and importance of the process to his students.
KATHLEEN RUSSO Producer, Consultant Kathleen Russo is a producer of film, theater and radio. Currently she is Executive Director of HERE'S THE THING with Alec Baldwin for WNYC, a ntionally syndicated radio show and podcast. She is the Special projects Coordinator for SUNY Stony Brook, Southampton campus. Film credits include Executive producer for AND EVERYTHING IS GOING FINE and GRAY'S ANATOMY, both directed by academy award winning director Steven Soderbergh. Russo's theater credits include co-directing SPALDING GRAY: STORIES LEFT TO TELL (a play based on her husband's work) which ran for six months off broadway and toured across the country and the U.K. She is a key note speaker for suicide prevention conferences around the country. From 1990-2004, Kathleen was an artist manager at various agencies from Columbia Artists to Washington Square Films. She graduated from RIT with a BFA in Photo Illustration in 1986. She resides in Sag Harbor and is the mother of three children.
SUMMER SHELTON Producer, Visiting Faculty SUMMER SHELTON is a filmmaker from North Carolina whose produced works include MAINE (Tribeca Film Festival) and KEEP THE CHANGE (Tribeca Film Festival Best Narrative Feature; FIPRESCI Critics’ Prize at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival). She was Executive Producer of PEOPLE PLACES THINGS (Sundance Film Festival), and Producer of ICARUS (short, New Directors/New Films) and LITTLE ACCIDENTS (Sundance Film Festival). She worked on the producing teams for acclaimed director Ramin Bahrani on his films GOODBYE SOLO (Venice Film Festival); PLASTIC BAG (short, Venice Film Festival), AT ANY PRICE (Venice Film Festival) and IF DREAMS WERE LIGHTING, RURAL HEALTH CRISIS (short, Telluride Film Festival). She has been the recipient of a Sundance Institute Creative Producing Fellowship, a Rotterdam Producing Fellowship, Film Independent Sloan Producing Fellowship and Cannes Producing Fellowship along with receiving the 2018 INDEPENDENT SPIRIT PRODUCERS AWARD. In 2023, her directorial debut YOU & I screened as an Official Selection of the Nashville Film Festival, New Orleans Film Festival, River Run International Film Festival and debuted internationally at the American Film Festival. The film was released by Slated Distribution and is available on streaming platforms.
SYDNEY SIDNER Writer, Visiting Faculty Syd co-wrote a pilot (reboot) of CHARMED for CBS. Her other works include the features TOUGH LOVE, GETTING BUDDHA BACK and the TV Pilots: BLISS CITY, TIOGA LAKE, ROUGE and MERIDIAN HILLS, which she sold to the CW, and INDISPOSED a short, produced by Warner Bros. for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). After receiving a BFA in acting from Carnegie-Mellon, she began directing plays at venues including Manhattan Class Company, Circle Rep, Lincoln Center, The National Theater of London, and Williamstown Theater Festival, where she was awarded the Boris Sagal Directing Fellowship. She was also awarded grants from The Drama League of New York, Circle Rep Lab and New York Foundation for the Arts. She went on to earn an MFA in screenwriting from Columbia Film School, where her first short film THE RITE was awarded ‘Best Film’ at the Columbia Film Festival and was selected as a finalist for best student film by The National Board of Review.
ADAM YAFFE Television Writing Faculty Adam Yaffe is a writer, director and editor in feature film, television and documentary. His work as a writer includes creating the Canal + animated drama series HARD APPLE and the mini-series VIA AMERICA for RAI television. His work as a director includes the feature BOOK OF DANNY and his narrative shorts have screened at Rotterdam and Edinburgh. His editing includes the upcoming feature documentary, CRACKED UP: THE DARRELL HAMMOND STORY, directed by Michelle Esrick. He received his MFA in filmmaking from Columbia University where he received the New Line Cinema Award for young filmmakers.