By Paige Hapeman
Let’s all give a warm welcome to our new NYWIFT Member, Stacey Messina!
Stacey began her career in tourism and hotel marketing, eventually moving into the academic fundraising arena. She most recently finished a freelance gig in nonprofit theatre production and fundraising, and is now fully investing herself in her creative screenwriting projects. She recently completed a semester at NY Film Academy and will begin pursuit of her MFA in Film and Television Production at the New York campus in January.
After 25 years of only dreaming of the movies, Stacey is finally engaged in the pursuit of writing and producing the stories that take shape in her head as scenes from a film.
Check out the rest of the article to learn more about Stacey and her big leap towards her dreams!
NYWIFT Member Stacey Messina (Photo Courtesy of Stacey Messina)
Tell us about yourself! How did you begin your career in marketing and fundraising?
Purely by accident! When I was younger, I didn’t think I had the resources to pursue film school and my dream of becoming a filmmaker. So, I interviewed where the fates took me and landed in international tourism marketing, which eventually morphed into marketing roles in the hotel industry and finally academia.
You are finally pursuing your dream of becoming a screenwriter and producer. Tell us about your transition from your career in marketing and fundraising. What made you decide to make the leap?
Quite frankly, I was tired of promoting and being uninspired by corporate goals. At mid-life, I decided to no longer settle for not pursuing what fuels my heart and mind. I am, and have always been, a cinematic artist at my core, and the time is now to honor my truth as a screenwriter and filmmaker.
What has been the biggest reward of pursuing screenwriting and producing so far?
Wow, so much! I’d say being able to hold a completed script in my hand and know that I created it — that I finally took the time to start telling the stories that take shape in my brain and need to be expressed on the screen. I can now say with conviction and certainty that I’m a producing artist, and that I’m creating on a daily basis. I can say I’m doing what I was born to do, and that feels fantastic!
Stacey on location (Photo Courtesy of Stacey Messina)
How was your experience with New York Film Academy (NYFA) and what are some of the most beneficial takeaways from studying there?
NYFA has been so welcoming, and it has been an amazing experience. The 15-week filmmaking semester I completed was so comprehensive in introducing me to the various arenas in filmmaking. The faculty and staff are knowledgeable, patient, and giving, and their love for the industry emanates and inspires. NYFA is truly an environment of artistic collaboration, and I’m thrilled to be a part.
What are you most looking forward to with starting your MFA this upcoming year?
Collaborating with and being inspired by other filmmaking artists. I completed a short film during my semester at NYFA, and filmmaking truly takes a village. You can’t do it alone from a production standpoint, and you also need a community of filmmakers that feed off one another’s creativity.
I have learned that if I’m not honoring my storytelling passion, I am not being truthful to myself or others. I am not complete unless I am creating art and developing stories that I believe need to be shared with others. Pursuing my MFA is my gateway to complete artistic evolution.
What inspired you to join NYWIFT?
The desire to collaborate with, be inspired by, and support other women in film. Very importantly, I would also like to inspire other women. If I can do this at middle age, I want all women who share my dream and passion to know they can as well. If I can inspire one young woman who thinks she can’t pursue film — like I was told I couldn’t — then that is truly a success of its own.
What would be one piece of advice you would tell yourself when you were first starting out your career?
Acknowledge, motivate, and promote the storyteller in you. Express your art, and do not settle for anything less.
Connect with Stacy on Instagram at @StacMessi.
Paige Hapeman
Paige Hapeman moved to NYC after graduating from Lehigh University in 2019 and began her corporate career as a consultant. Ready to get back to her roots, she traded in her powerpoints and presentations for scripts and screenplays and began pursuing acting full time in 2022. She recently had her NYC theatre debut with the new play Someone ExtraordinariX. Paige’s recent film credits include Before We Begin, and First Fall. Paige completed the summer intensive with The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 2023 and studies with The Barrow Group and Second City.
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