NSFF latest news

2020 NOVA STUDENT FILM FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL – Postponed 

Due to the measures being pursued by the community and the College to control the spread of COVID 19, the 2020 NOVA Student Film Festival International is being postponed. A new date will be announced when circumstances permit. Thank you for your support and continuing interest in encouraging the development of the art of cinema. Please continue to check our blog for updates: NOVA Student Film Festival International (https://blogs.nvcc.edu/nsff/)


Siempre Esperanza screened in Oaxaca, Mexico

Siempre Esperanza, an international co-production, was screened in Oaxaca, Mexico on Wednesday, November 27, 2019 at UNIVAS – Universidad José Vasconcelos. The story begins in Oaxaca, Mexico and ends in Alexandria, VA, USA. The film was a collaboration between NOVA Alexandria Cinema students and students from 100Volando Escuela de Cine and UNIVAS. Members of the cast & crew from the Mexico side were present for the screening and conducted a Q&A session with public at the end.

The film is one of the films that was screened from the 2019 NOVA Student Film Festival – Films Without Walls series.

Professor Lucy Gebre-Egziabher, Founder and Director of the NOVA Student Film Festival International attended the festival and held discussions on lessons learned from the making of Siempre Esperanza from both USA and Mexico side. Prof. Lucy also met with the Director and crew of the 2020 film on this year’s theme: Women in Society.

Cast & Crew of Siempre Esperanza, Mexico Unit


The 2019 NSFF International screened at Xingtai Polytechnic College, Xingtai, China

Our partners in Xingtai, China, hosted for the second year the 2019 NOVA Student Film Festival International, on October 30, 2019.  Xingtai Ploytechnic College has been a partner in the “Films Without Walls” series on the yearly themes.

The NOVA Student Film Festival International is a traveling festival. We are honored to have our festival hosted by our partner in the “Films Without Walls” series, Xingtai Polytechnic College. We look forward to our continued partnership.


Alexandria Film Festival

500 E Alexandria Avenue  |  Alexandria, VA 22301  |  703.549.5250  |  AlexFilmFest.com

For Immediate Release                                                  October 16, 2019

Contact:  Gayle Converse, Media Relations, Alexandria Film Festival  gcprod@bellsouth.net  404.989.0534

“…The AFF is proud to partner with Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) to promote Films by NOVA Students. To kick off the 2019 AFF, the works of young NOVA filmmakers will be featured during the festival’s cost-free screenings Friday November 8 at the Beatley Library in Alexandria. Student filmmakers will also be on hand for a Q&A session. The 2019 NOVA Student Film Festival can be previewed at https://blogs.nvcc.edu/nsff/

A highly praised film produced by NOVA will be highlighted at this year’s festival. “Gabriel’s Revolt” takes place in Richmond, Virginia in the summer of 1800. Gabriel Prosser, a literate enslaved blacksmith had planned a large slave rebellion.  What happened resulted in laws that changed the lives of free blacks for years to come. This film by NOVA is an inspiration to all Americans…”


NSFF-International to be screened at UNIVAS – Universidad Jose Vasconcelos, Oaxaca, Mexico

NOVA Student Film Festival International (NSFF-International) is proud to announce that its 2019 film line up will be hosted by one of its international partners in the 2019 Film Collaborative International co-production, UNIVAS – Universidad Jose Vasconcelos, in Oaxaca, Mexico, on November 29, 2019.

NOVA Cinema students partnered with students from 100Volando Escuela de Cine and UNIVAS – Universidad Jose Vasconcelos on a co-production on the 2019 theme, Immigration & Refugees. The film Siempre Esperanza was shot partly in Oaxaca, Mexico and partly in Alexandria, VA and edited together.  It was screened at the 2019 NSFF-International in April 2019.

The NOVA Student Film Festival International is a traveling festival. We are honored to have our festival hosted by our partners in the 2019 Film Collaborative International co-production, 100Volando Escuela de Cine & UNIVAS de Oaxaca. We look forward to our continued partnership.


Xingtai, China – Press release

The Opening Ceremony of 2018 NOVA Student Film Festival by Xingtai Polytechnic College (XPC).

On December 12, 2018, the Art and Media Department started the “2018 NOVA Student Film Festival” at the student activity center in Xingtai Polytechnic College. The department director, the party secretary, teachers and students majoring in digital media and communication have joined in this activity. This is the first film festival held by Xingtai Polytechnic College. 

In this festival, Ms. Yang, the director, introduced the related background of NOVA film festival to all the students. And Ms. Ma, the teacher of digital media and communication shared the experiences and gains of the students who have joined the NOVA film festival in 2018.

After having an idea of the relative information about the film festival, we retrospected some films of the 2018 film festival whose theme was “Climate Change”.  And Alphabet, short animation film from Iran, Directed by Kianoush Abedi impressed us deeply.

Alphabet a film by Kianoush Abedi

The theme of this year is “Immigration & Refugees”. The XPC students have completed 6 films including “Smooth and Steady”, “Migrants– Wild Goose”, “The Way I Took”, “Destiny”, “Rebirth”, and “Show Dream”, to submit for consideration to the 2019 NOVA Student Film Festival that will be attended this year by the President of Xingtai Polytechnic College. 

Both faculty and students were enjoyed the screening of the films from the festival.  Every work was produced through hard work. Even though these works are not perfect, students never quit attempting. All the audience experienced the reflections on the theme in the melodies of the films.

The whole activity lasted for one and half an hour. When it was over, students voted for their favorite films. And “Destiny” won the top one with 53 votes from the films for the 2019 festival consideration.


Xingtai Polytechnic College, in Xingtai, China, to host the 2018 NOVA Student Film Festival.



The winners of the 2018 Dean’s award for Cinematic Distinction are co-writers/directors Nikkia Atkinson and Long Tran with their experimental short film Dinosaurs in the Hood.  The film is based on the spoken words of Danez Smith.

Nikkia Atkinson is a NOVA Alexandria alumna, who studied Cinema under Prof. Lucy Gebre-Egziabher and transferred to University of Washington, Tacoma, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications and film

studies degree.

The “Dean’s Award for Cinematic Distinction” is awarded to a film in the NOVA Students & Alumnae category of the festival. Dr. Jimmie McClellan, the Dean of NOVA Alexandria’s Liberal Arts Division, awards one film for its message and cinematic delivery.



The winner of the 2017 Dean’s award for Cinematic Distinction Serkadis Megabiyaw with her short film Our Compound. This was the first year the Dean’s award for Cinematic Distinction was given.  In 2 minutes and 23 seconds Serkadis spoke volumes on leadership, on conformism, on peer pressure, how we treat our environment! Watch her powerful short Our Compound.

Serkadis is an Ethiopian filmmaker and TV producer, who resides in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia. She took part of the 2015 filmmaking training program that Prof. Lucy Gebre Egziabher delivered during her Fulbright Scholarship in Ethiopia.


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Save the date for the

5th annual NOVA Student Film Festival – (NSFF)

2018 NOVA STUDENT FILM FESTIVAL

Thursday, April 26 2018 from 6pm – 9pm. Opening reception at 6pm. Event free and open to the public:

NOVA Alexandria – 5000 Dawes Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22311

Bisdorf Bldg. Room 196