Alumna Julia Solomonoff '00 Named Chair of the Graduate Film Program at New York University

Alumna Julia Solomonoff '00 was named Chair of the Graduate Film Program at New York University. 

Solomonoff is a filmmaker from Argentina. Her feature films as writer/director include Hermanas (Toronto 2005, Sundance Lab and Berlinale Talent project), The Last Summer of la Boyita (San Sebastian 2009, produced by Almodovar’s El Deseo, winner of over 20 international awards and MoMA’s Permanent Collection) and Nobody’s Watching, winner of Best Actor at Tribeca Film Festival 2017. When it opened theatrically at Film Forum, it was a New York Times and Village Voice Critics Pick. It was highlighted as Best of 2017 by Screen and The Guardian and the New York Times “Watching” section. 

Solomonoff is developing Off Peak, a narrative feature dealing with gentrification and eviction in the Hudson River Valley, selected for a MacDowell Residency 2018. For TV, she has directed the documentary series Parana, biography of a river, Chin Chon Fan and The Suitor (aired on PBS). She recently shadowed director Jim McKay in CBS’ The Good Fight. Her short films received awards from DGA, FIPRESCI and a regional Academy Award Nomination. Her production credits include: Lucrecia Martel’s Zama, Everybody has a Plan, The Third Bank of the River, Pendular, Found Memories and Cocalero. She was 1st Assistant Director to Walter Salles on The Motorcycle Diaries. Previously, she taught as faculty in Film Directing at NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

“Thank you for this amazing opportunity to lead NYU's Graduate Film Program,” Solomonoff said. “This is an invigorating moment, one that questions the way we tell our stories. It's a moment of openness and learning for both faculty and students and I am excited for what it means for our future as filmmakers. I embrace the demand for diversity, equity and inclusion, the need to address issues of representation not just within our narratives but also in our methods of production” she continued in a written statement.

“I am committed to foster a safe and brave space, a place to create with honesty and courage. These times demand flexibility, leadership and resilience from both educators and students. The challenges have multiplied, but so have the necessity and value of our purpose: to nurture a strong community of filmmakers, to foster collaboration, originality and diversity. I am looking forward to reuniting with NYU's committed faculty and talented students, and to advancing the strength and international prestige of its innovative and daring Graduate program. I am thrilled to return to NYU, a place where I can continue to grow and give, a place I can finally call home,” she added.

Solomonoff replaces Barbara Shock who served as Chair of Graduate Film for the past seven years.