Introducing The Spotlight Academy 2019

Photo of the Spotlight Award

Here’s to 20 Years in Hollywood!

To commemorate our 20th anniversary, we created our first-ever Spotlight Academy. The Spotlight Academy recognizes the sustained and significant accomplishments of our alumni who have made exceptional contributions to the entertainment arts, including film, television, music, audio, gaming and media industries. Our legacy lives on through the distinguished alumni who have excelled in their fields and thrive in creative environments. From Oscar® nominations to GRAMMY® and Emmy® wins, our alumni continue to shape the world around us through the art of storytelling. Now it’s our turn to share their stories.

What is the Spotlight Academy?

The Spotlight Academy’s mission is to celebrate graduates who have not only acquired notable achievements within the entertainment industries but have also served as an inspiration to the school’s community of students, alumni, faculty and staff. By recognizing our graduates who have applied their education to their profession, maintained a devotion to their craft, all while giving back to the next generation of students, the school’s legacy will prevail.

Below are the five distinguished alumni who will be inducted into the Spotlight Academy on Friday, September 20 during the Spotlight Awards. These alumni have been unanimously selected for their outstanding achievements in entertainment by a school committee of faculty, administrators and alumni directors. The ceremony will be live-streamed at designated viewing spots around campus for anyone to watch, celebrate and toast to #LAFSTURNS20!

Andrés Borda Zabala: International Alumnus from the Recording Arts Program and five-time Grammy-winning audio engineer, working with Latin superstars like Carlos Vives and Natalia Lafourcade. Get to know Andrés.

Hannah Lux Davis: Graduate of the Film program, and award-winning music, commercial and documentary director who is currently nominated for eight MTV VMA awards, including Best Direction for Ariana Grande’s thank u, next and Best Editing for 7 Rings. Get to know Hannah.

Kyle Newacheck: Graduate of the Film Program and has more than 80 combined directing, writing and producing credits; he most recently directed Netflix’s Murder Mystery. Get to know Kyle.

Brandon Trost: Graduate of the Film Program and the cinematographer on 93 projects, such as Can You Ever Forgive Me?, The Disaster Artist, Neighbors and This is the End. Get to know Brandon.

Jordan Wilby: Graduate of the Recording Arts program and award-winning sound effects designer with credits including Seasons 1 and 2 of Stranger Things, Marvel’s Jessica Jones and HBO’s upcoming series, Watchmen. Jordan was recently nominated for an Emmy for his sound editing work on Netflix’s Love, Death & Robots. Get to know Jordan.

FAME WEEK

Future and current students, alumni, staff and faculty are invited to participate in the on-campus events happening during FAME Week. Attendees get access to an interactive experience filled with mentor sessions, guest panels and program workshops all week long. The celebration culminates with the Spotlight Awards ceremony at Ivar Theatre, which inaugurates the first class of inductees to The Los Angeles Film School Spotlight Academy.

Be on the lookout for event updates on our official social accounts to stay in-the-know about our exciting FAME Week happenings! Visit our official FAME Week Page if you’re interested in learning more about our events.