Media, Sexuality, Consent, and Sexual Assault Awareness Month at the New York Film Academy

April 9, 2018

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), and all of the New York Film Academy’s three U.S. campuses are hosting events, workshops, and contents to promote awareness and safety surrounding issues of sexual assault. Why does this matter? Because:

  • 1 in 5 women and 1 in 17 men are or will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime.
  • Every 2 minutes, someone in the United States is sexually assaulted.
  • 80% of victims are assaulted by a known acquaintance.
  • 90% of sexual assaults involve alcohol.
  • Only 5-20% of sexual assaults are actually reported.

The purpose of SAAM to start the conversation in order to prevent sexual violence, stop rape culture, and become a proactive and safe community.

As a part of the New York Film Academy’s commitment to supporting a safe and inclusive community, our intention is to educate our campus community on how to be sexually responsible future artists. The first step is simply asking: how can we shift the way the media portrays sexuality, consent, and sexual violence as actors, filmmakers, and more?

Along with encouraging this mindfulness, NYFA invites students are invited to participate in a poster and media contest, where the most creative and effective PSA stands to win a $200 visa gift card. (See last year’s PSA contest winners, here!) Along with the PSA contest, students can participate in Denim Day on April 26, where NYFA students and staff alike can stand together and sign a pledge to help end sexual violence.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month is designed to raise awareness and support survivors of sexual violence. For comments, questions, or how to make a report email:

April 2018 Sexual Assault Awareness Month events at NYFA include:

New York City Campus

April 9 – – BEHIND THE POST (STUDENTS ONLY)

Tuesday, April 11, 3:40 – 4:40 p.m.

17 Battery Pl, Room 521

A film-based experience that reveals how social media can skew our view of relationships around us and, in some cases, influence our decisions to stay in unhealthy relationships.

April 11 – – THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER SCREENING

Wednesday, April 11, 7 p.m.

April 17 – – LIGHTS! CAMERA! CONSENT! (STUDENTS ONLY)

Tuesday, April 17, 12:30 – 1:20 p.m.

17 Battery Pl, Room 521

Dive deeper into examining how the entertainment industry has shaped how our society views sex, sexuality, relationships, violence, and consent. As future members of the entertainment industry, it is important to identify the ways we can become responsible artists who help shift our society’s views of “rape culture.”

RSVP HERE: NYTITLE9@NYFA.EDU

April 18 – – YOGA AS HEALING (STUDENTS ONLY)

Wednesday, April 18, 7 – 8 p.m.

17 Battery Pl, Room 526

Learn breathing and movement exercises from the seat of your chair, designed to release stress. Open to all survivors and allies of gender, shapes and sizes.

RSVP HERE: NYTITLE9@NYFA.EDU

April 23 – 27 – – SEXUAL VIOLENCE PREVENTION RESOURCE FAIR

Monday, April 23 – Friday, April 27

17 Battery Pl, Student Lounge

Visit the student lounge for information and resources around sexual violence prevention. Learn how you can help prevent sexual violence, identify signs of unhealthy relationships, find support on and off campus, and more!

April 24 – – INDIA’S DAUGHTER SCREENING

Tuesday, April 24, 7 p.m.

17 Battery Pl, Room 521

 April 26 – – DENIM DAY

Thursday, April 26, All Day

17 Battery Pl, Room 501

Sign a pledge to end sexual violence.  

Los Angeles Campus

April 12 – – THE POWER OF STORIES

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) and StoryCenter have partnered to offer a series of four free webinars, the Storytelling Webinar Series. This series will explore trauma-informed storytelling methods, ethical practices in working with personal stories, and creative ways to position stories as tools for social change. 

Wednesday, April 12, 10 am

NYFA Theatre, Riverside Building

Open to students, staff and faculty.

April 19 – – MEN’S ONLY DISCUSSION ON CONSENT

Mark Stevens: Professor, MFT Program

Therapist and instructor Mark Stevens returns to NYFA for another men’s only discussion to cover affirmative consent, legal definitions of rape, moral rape, bystander courage, #metoo movement, how men are socialized to objectify women, and how objectification impacts women and the men themselves.

Thursday, April 19, 11:30 am

NYFA Theatre, Riverside Building

TBD – – F*CK YES WEB SERIES SCREENING

F*ck Yes web series that believes that consent is sexy. The series aims to balance sex positive attitudes with wholehearted vulnerability. Because an enthusiastic “yes” is just as important as respecting a partner’s “no.”  In an era where abstinence only education leaves many people clueless as to how to talk about safety, F*ck Yes is here to provide informative and sexy models of pre-coital conversations.

Date/Time:TBD

NYFA Theatre. Riverside Building

F*ck Yes Web Series Contest

Students will get a chance to pitch and produce a two-minute bonus episode for the F*ck Yes series to be included on their YouTube page. The winner will be selected by the series creators and will receive a production grant of $750. Details will be announced after the screening.

April 26 – – DENIM DAY

Wear jeans with a purpose, support survivors, and educate yourself and others about sexual assault.  Details about Denim Day at: denimdayinfo.org

Thursday, April 26, All Day

South Beach, FL Campus

April 11 – MYTH VS. FACT BINGO!

Wednesday, April 11, 12:30 p.m.

Screening Room

Join us for pizza and a game of bingo that will help uncover the truth behind sexual violence and reveal the steps we can take as a community to dismantle “rape culture.”

April 23 – – THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER SCREENING

Monday, April 23, 1:00 p.m.

Screening Room

Followed by a discussion on how to support a friend who has experience sexual violence and what resources are available one and off campus.

April 26 – – DENIM DAY

Thursday, April 26, All Day

Make a social statement with your fashion statement and wear jeans.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month is designed to raise awareness and support survivors of sexual violence. For comments, questions, or how to make a report email

DON’T FORGET TO ENTER THE SAAM MEDIA AND POSTER PSA CONTEST!

Get creative! We invite students to create either a 30-second video project or a visual poster that is educational, creative, and effective as a sexual assault prevention PSA piece.

Entries are due April 30, 2018 by 11:59 p.m. Winner will receive a $200 visa gift card.

For more event details and to RSVP, email:

NYC: NYTITLE9@NYFA.EDU  

LOS ANGELES:  

SOUTH BEACH: SBTITLE9@NYFA.EDU