![Fareid El Gafy](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/IMG_7850-900x900.jpg)
Fareid El Gafy, Film Editor
All content by Fareid El Gafy
![NYU announced it would still be holding Grad Alley — just over VR. (Image by Bella Gil)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/gGA-900x506.png)
The Highs and Lows of Virtual Reality Grad Alley
WSN’s top gamers went to Virtual Reality Grad Alley. Here’s what happened.
Fareid El Gafy, Bella Gil, Abby Hofstetter and Ethan Zack
• May 21, 2020
![Fareid El Gafy](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Fareid-El-Gafy-900x601.jpg)
Fareid El Gafy
Fareid El Gafy
• May 8, 2020
![Dua Lipa released her second studio album Future Nostalgia in the last few days of March. With its dance music power, each song takes you out of your mind, out of whatever bleak interiority exists in that moment, and into a higher plane of existence, especially amid this grim reality we are living in. (Staff Photo by Fareid El Gafy)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/img_0415-900x675.jpg)
Photo: Dua Lipa’s Pop Escapism Arrived Just in Time
April 8, 2020
![Online gift cards, donations, live streams and more are still viable options during this time. The WSN Arts desk lists some ways you can still support independent artists from a safe social distance. (Staff Illustration by Charlie Dodge)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/arts-support-900x617.png)
How to Support New York’s Vibrant Independent Arts Scene
Even though New York is on pause, that doesn’t mean you still can’t support your favorite local bookstore or movie theater from home.
Kaylee DeFreitas, Ethan Zack, Fareid El Gafy, Sasha Cohen, Ashley Wu and Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer
• March 23, 2020
![Sonics design is significantly improved from what weve seen at the films reveal. The visual success, nonetheless, couldnt save the film from its flimsy plot. (Photo by Hassan Elgamal)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/img_4154-646x900.png)
‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ and a 40-Year-Old All-American Boy
“Sonic the Hedgehog” is a bog standard first outing for the blue blur.
Fareid El Gafy, Film Editor
• February 19, 2020
![In the mood for love? WSN recommends some Valentine singles you may have missed this week.(Illustration by Rachel Buigas-Lopez)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/arts-singles-900x748.jpg)
Staff Recs: Valentine’s Day Edition
The Arts Desk recommends the best films, music and galleries for you to enjoy this Valentine’s Day.
Kaylee DeFreitas, Ethan Zack, Sasha Cohen, Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer, Ashley Wu and Fareid El Gafy
• February 14, 2020
![Half of the critically acclaimed French Film I Lost My Body follows the misadventures of a disembodied hand, as told through animation. The film is one of several Netflix films nominated for Academy Awards this year. (Staff Photo by Fareid El Gafy)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Hand-1-of-1-900x678.jpg)
Photo: ‘I Lost My Body’: A Hand’s Odyssey
February 14, 2020
![After a tumultuous release, graphic designers were charged with adjusting the films effects based on audience reactions. (Image via pixabay)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/work-731198_1920-900x600.jpg)
The Patched Film Adopts the Worst From Video Games
Films such as “Cats” and “Sonic the Hedgehog” show that the movie industry is taking a spooky page from the video game industry in releasing unfinished products and rushing fixes at the artists’ expense.
Fareid El Gafy, Film & TV Editor
• January 27, 2020
![(From back then clockwise) Matthew O’Connor, Vanneeda Keowmang, Jacob Linen, Vivian Gisle and Heather Vaxer.](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/IMG_5909-900x600.jpg)
Advanced TV Pilot ‘Mary and the Mob’ Blazes Trail for Sustainable Set
Showrunner and Tisch alumna Vivian Gisle and sustainability officer Bradley Sachs talk set sustainability and hopes for future Tisch and industry standards.
Fareid El Gafy, Film & TV Editor
• December 5, 2019
![The Final Staff Rants (of the Semester)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/staffrantshorizontal-900x471.jpg)
The Final Staff Rants (of the Semester)
In honor of the semester’s final Staff Rants, we have no theme — only pent-up rage.
Ishaan Parmar, Abby Hofstetter, Sakshi Venkatraman, Melanie Pineda, Ethan Zack, Alexandria Johnson, Fareid El Gafy, Mandie Montes, Sam Klein and Anna-Dmitry Muratova
• December 4, 2019
![Professor Sameh Zoabi digs deep into his roots as the director of Tel Aviv on Fire. (Photo by Hassan Elgamal)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/zoabi_online-900x600.jpg)
Sameh Zoabi: The Palestinian Director With an Israeli Passport
NYU professor and director Sameh Zoabi discusses his latest film, Luxembourgish Oscar contender “Tel Aviv on Fire,” and what it means to be a Palestinian filmmaker and an Israeli citizen.
Fareid El Gafy, Film & TV Editor
• December 2, 2019
![From pop to lofi, WSNs Arts Desk recommends their favorite music to study to. (via YouTube @ChilledCow)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/maxresdefault-900x506.jpg)
Staff Recs: Good Music for Studying
The Arts Desk collects the perfect chill tunes for a serious study session.
Ethan Zack, Julie Goldberg and Fareid El Gafy
• November 22, 2019
![From Mamma Mia! to Joker, the Arts Desk recommends several last-minute, movie-inspired costumes for Halloween. (via Warner Bros)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/todd-phillips-joker-movie-900x507.jpg)
Staff Recs: Halloween Costumes
Scrambling to put together a last-minute Halloween costume? The Arts Desk has you covered with these costumes based on characters from some of our favorite movies.
Kaylee DeFreitas, Ethan Zack, Fareid El Gafy and Julie Goldberg
• October 25, 2019
![An Artist’s Sensibility, With an Engineer’s Mind](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/MM1_Color.jpg)
An Artist’s Sensibility, With an Engineer’s Mind
Morgan Mueller, a graduate student at Tisch’s Interactive Telecommunications Program, approaches the arts world with the calculating demeanor of an engineer.
Fareid El Gafy, Film & TV Editor
• October 14, 2019
![Tisch professor Chris Chan Roberson has worked extensively in the film industry before teaching at NYU. (Via NYU Tisch)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/chrischan.jpg.preset.square.jpeg)
Chris Chan Roberson: The Fastest Professor Alive
Tisch professor Chris Chan Roberson discusses his experience in and outside of the industry from “Surf Nazis Must Die” to hawking vintage clothes.
Fareid El Gafy, Film & TV Editor
• September 30, 2019
![(via YouTube)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/unnamed.png)
Staff Recs: Pretentious Films to Impress Your Fake Friends
Need to sound like you know about movies? Here are a few of our go-tos.
Claire Fishman, Fareid El Gafy, Ethan Zack and Julie Goldberg
• September 12, 2019
![Larry David at a film festival in 2009. (Via Wikimedia)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/hotgirlsummer-1-643x900.jpg)
Unpopular Opinions: Unconventionally Hot Girl Summer
The Arts Desk weighs in on some underrated hotties in the entertainment industry.
Kaylee DeFreitas, Ethan Zack, Fareid El Gafy, Claire Fishman and Julie Goldberg
• September 10, 2019
![“Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure” kicks off a fifth season, “Golden Wind,” exciting longtime viewers and garnering new fans alike. (via YouTube)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/jojo_Youtube-900x489.png)
‘JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind’ Lives up to its Radical Name
Fareid El Gafy, Film & TV Editor
• September 3, 2019
![Still from Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus. (Photo via Netflix)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/AAAABcUg5kX63ivF07QwHdCXwhrOisBygmv2uJOIgg-SWnvX2s9lnZAjOlg4Lxl4cg0VU5yRLuBRCsnZO_n6vgI5xofi2cXaI9rshg-900x506.jpg)
‘Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus’ Delights Inferior Humans Young and Old
Fareid El Gafy, Film & TV Editor
• August 24, 2019
![The second season of One Punch Man is out now and on episode three. (via Facebook)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/punch.jpg)
‘One Punch Man’ Season 2 Pulls Its Punches for Now
The follow-up to the successful anime is off to a disappointing start.
Fareid El Gafy, Staff Writer
• May 5, 2019
![The main subject of the documentary, Gemma, a troublemaking teenager who comes of age in a declining Scottish steel town. (via Falco Ink)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/1.-Scheme-Birds_Hallin-900x605.jpeg)
‘Scheme Birds’ Is a Scottish Story Long Overdue
Ellen Fiske and Ellinor Hallin frame Scotland in a new light in “Scheme Birds,” a coming-of-age documentary.
Fareid El Gafy, Staff Writer
• April 29, 2019
![Tisch senior Alexandra Muhawi-Ho identifies filmmaker Richard Linklater as one of her primary influences. Linklater is best known for his portrayal of bluntly quotidian experiences. (Photo by Katie Peurrung, Collage by Sophia Di Iorio, Additional Images via the New York Public Library)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ArtsIssue_AlexandraMuhawi-Ho_Edit-600x900.jpg)
Richard Linklater | Everyday Realities in a Cinematic Dream
Fareid El Gafy, Staff Writer
• April 4, 2019
![Promotional poster of Don Quixote. (Courtesy of Falco Ink)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Poster-of-Don-Quixote-courtesy-of-Falco-Ink-608x900.jpg)
‘The Man Who Killed Don Quixote’ Is a Lackluster Comedy Adaptation
The story of how Terry Gilliam’s adventure comedy made it to the big screen is more interesting than the film itself.
Fareid El Gafy, Staff Writer
• March 31, 2019
![Dev Patel (left) as Arjun and Anupam Kher (right) as Oberoi in director Anthony Maras Hotel Mumbai, a Bleecker Street release. (Courtesy of Kerry Monteen / Bleecker Street)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Dev-Patel-left-as-’Arjun’-and-Anupam-Kher-right-as-’Oberoi’-in-director-Anthony-Maras’-HOTEL-MUMBAI-a-Bleecker-Street-release-Credit-Kerry-Monteen-Bleecker-Street-1-900x600.jpg)
‘Hotel Mumbai’ Thrilling, but Not Too Profound
The new international thriller is intense, though it does not have as much depth as it thinks it does.
Fareid El Gafy, Staff Writer
• March 24, 2019
![How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is the third and final film in the DreamWorks franchise. (via Flickr)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/how-to-train-3-900x507.jpg)
‘How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World’ Has Great Visuals, but the Same Old Story
The final film in the franchise does not live up to its acclaimed predecessors.
Fareid El Gafy, Staff Writer
• February 26, 2019
![Sussane Wolff in Styx.(Courtesy of Amour Fou)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Screen-Shot-2019-02-25-at-11.46.31-PM-900x505.png)
‘Styx’ Is a Modern Tragedy
Wolfgang Fischer’s drama is a deliberately paced, yet beautiful masterpiece.
Fareid El Gafy, Staff Writer
• February 25, 2019
![Promotional poster for the film Mirai. (Courtesy of GKIDS Films)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Mirai_teaser_finish_web-550x804.jpg)
‘Mirai’ Wants You to Love Your Family
Fareid El Gafy
• December 4, 2018
![A poster for Ralph Breaks the Internet, the sequel to Wreck It Ralph. Ralph Breaks the Internet explores themes of self-improvement in the digital age. (Courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/film-ralph-1-900x420.jpg)
‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’ Wrecks the Mold Again
The sequel to the 2012 hit finds the titular character entering the internet for another colorful adventure that parodies online trends and culture.
Fareid El Gafy, Contributing Writer
• November 26, 2018
![Chris Pine in Outlaw King. (via netflix.com)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Chris-Pine-Netflix-Outlaw-King-900x600.jpg)
Netflix Historical Drama ‘Outlaw King’ Falls Short of Epic
Fareid El Gafy, Contributing Writer
• November 14, 2018
![Goblin Slayer, a character from the namesake Japanese series. (via facebook.com)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Goblin-slayer-courtesy-of-facebook-637x900.jpg)
Five Anime to Watch and One to Sit In on
With a slew of new anime releases on the horizon, WSN has the picks of what to watch and what to avoid this fall.
Fareid El Gafy, Contributing Writer
• November 14, 2018
![(Courtesy of John Hollands)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IMG_1284-900x600.jpg)
NYU Sketch Comedy Group Joins New York Comedy Festival
Please Don't Destroy kills cows and you with laughter.
Fareid El Gafy, Contributing Writer
• November 7, 2018
![Nadia Murad, Yazidi refugee and activist, subject of documentary On Her Shoulders. (Courtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/film-shoulders-900x506.jpeg)
ISIS Survivor Bears the Struggle of the Yazidi People ‘On Her Shoulders’
Fareid El Gafy, Contributing Writer
• October 26, 2018
![A still from season 3 of My Hero Academia. (via facebook.com)](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/tv-hero-900x506.jpg)
‘My Hero Academia’ Exceeds Fan Expectations
Fareid El Gafy, Contributing Writer
• October 18, 2018
![A purple N.Y.U. flag hangs on a building.](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/news-childaistudy-1200x800.jpg)
Yezen Saadah, Editor-in-Chief • July 9, 2024
![Students stream past the clay-colored main entrance of Bobst Library on a bright fall afternoon. The green scenery of Washington Square Park is reflected off the library’s windows.](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/news-sustainability-900x600.jpg)
Julia Smerling, Photo Editor • June 18, 2024
![A woman with brown hair and a blue shirt.](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/dopico.jpeg)
Yezen Saadah, Editor-in-Chief • June 18, 2024
![A woman dressed in red and holding a purple sign that reads NYU is Complicit in Genocide.](https://nyunews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/RallyForHesen-3-1200x800.jpg)
Mikaylah Du, Under the Arch Editor • June 15, 2024