NYFA Alum Fredrich Frauendorf is an emerging filmmaker who graduated from the NYFA BFA Filmmaking Program. Since graduating in 2020, Fredrich has dedicated himself to creating emotionally driven films that explore themes of trauma, mental health, and identity. His thesis film re:attachment became the cornerstone of a larger cinematic universe, later joined by companion shorts Manic Man and Dona Nobis Pacem. In this Q&A Fredrich talked to us about his journey to NYFA, his career, and his future projects.
NYFA Alumni Network: Can you tell us a bit about yourself, where you're from, and what brought you to New York Film Academy?
Friedrich Frauendorf (F.F): Yeah, I'm from the east coast originally, being born in NYC but growing up in New Jersey. I had a couple years of school in Florida during that time when I wasn't in NJ, and then had moved to Minnesota in 2008, going through middle and high school. During that time I developed more of a love for watching movies and eventually wanting to make my own. This led me back to NY to attend NYFA in 2017, where I started my journey towards my BFA. I graduated with that in Fall of 2020 after completing 9 straight semesters, and shooting intermediate and thesis films I am super proud of.
NYFA Alumni Network: What projects have you worked on since graduating? Have you won any awards or been showcased in any festivals or competitions?
F.F: I was the only person in my class who filmed my thesis film. Because of covid, it wasn't mandatory, but my story was so raw and powerful in my bones that I needed to fulfill it. Unfortunately, that project was more of a learning experience than a celebratory achievement, despite high ambitions. However, it helped me understand my true thesis of what themes and stories I want to showcase in my work; The impact of childhood trauma and mental health issues had a big effect on my life and I want to make others feel less alone by creating these worlds and narratives that dissect the root causes of a lot of illnesses and difficulties that manifest from trauma, disconnection, and how poor cognitive structuring as a result of it impacts the sense of self that can become fragmented in the lifelong aftermath of these problems left unresolved. I know it's kind of a mouthful, but to fully answer this question and with respect to the subject matter, I have succeeded "re:attachment" (my thesis film) by adding two more shorts to the same universe. Since the short is based off a feature idea, these two other shorts "Manic Man" and "Dona Nobis Pacem" explore the chapters and themes of what will be included in the eventual production of the feature film, which is written and was considered for the 2nd Round of consideration for the 2025 Sundance Feature development track program. Aside from this, i have mostly only done other shoestring microshorts like Confession Before the End of the World, Rainmakers, and The Modern Interview, which just screened at New York CineFest! I also was an associate producer for a feature film and currently developing my debut feature film that's on target for production in the next 6-12 months.
Other notable awards:
Take Me Out - Film of the Night - Indie Night Film Festival (October 2019)
re:attachment - Best College Film - Poppy Jasper International Film Festival (April 2022)
he110 - Nominee for best student film - Burbank International Film Fest (September 2020)
Dona Nobis Pacem - Official Selection - NoHo Cinefest September 2024
My American Dream - Official Selection - New York Short Film Festival (November 2019)
NYFA Alumni Network: Tell us more about your latest project, The Modern Interview. How did this film come about?
F.F: The Modern Interview or (the most uncomfortable job interview ever) was initially an idea for a 48 hour film festival-esque competition called the 3x5 film festival run by Lee Strasberg. In December of 2022 we got the audience favorite award for a different short called "It's Gonna Be Alright", a Bollywood inspired action adventure about fellow alumni Twesh Swain's struggles as an Indian in LA. For the following year's competition, I pitched The Modern Interview but my idea ultimately did not move forward into filming for that competition. However, I didn't stop. I tried pitching it to NYFA's own Cooper Tomlinson and Curry Barker at "That's A Bad Idea" but upon discussion we agreed it would be something better suited to my own direction and production. It is a semi-personal story about the ideas of workplace harassment injected with personal experiences from myself, colleagues, and strangers stories I've read on reddit. I also wanted to use the piece a relevant conversation starter about the current state or mass layoffs and hiring struggles, the latter being something I personally went through a lot after graduating from NYFA as I applied and Interviewed for several industry jobs.
NYFA Alumni Network: What did you learn at NYFA that you applied directly to this project and others?
F.F: I learned, particularly from Lanre Olabasi's class during first year in the New York conservatory, that shorts can be made for very cheap and completed rather quickly with just the help of a few hands. It's not about shooting with the most expensive equipment with high concept ideas that require a big production team and tons of locations. Its about telling short, concise stories that are simple, only require a location or two, and can be made with your closest network that you want to grow together and bring up with you. The people who will then bring you on to their projects and opportunities.
NYFA Alumni Network: Your short film Manic Man recently hit over 1 million views on YouTube—what do you think resonated most with audiences, and how has that response impacted you as filmmaker?
F.F: I think the short and sweet runtime and straight to the point story were the biggest factors. The complex feelings of social anxiety and disconnection depicted in the short are things a lot of people have felt. Maybe not to the fullest extend or frequency, but at one point or another everyone has been in an uncomfortable social situation where they wanted to escape from, where they didnt recognize themself. For me, this has been the draining reality of intoversion and introspection I've been through my entire life. The strong visual storytelling that has virtually no dialogue worked immensely in the film's favor and I think is a big part of its success.
NYFA Alumni Network: How has your creative process as a filmmaker evolved since you first started out, and what’s surprised you most about the journey so far?
F.F: Honestly, a lot of things have evolved and some have still remained the same. I've always had issues staying focused and getting things done on time. Giving myself strict deadlines and working prolificly with high volume has given me more purpose and the feeling of recognition. Although inputs will always outweigh outputs in the long run, the thing that has surprised me the most is honestly how lonely the process has felt, and at times, like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. I felt like growing up as an aspiring filmmaker, and then becoming one through and post-film school, the picture that was painted for me isn't the one I was able to pave a pathway for. I thought having good stories that are deep and meaningful, talent, and hard working people around you that are trying to create the best final product would be enough. That having not even one, but multiple finished shorts would get me into festivals that actually matter, win awards, get opportunities to really work and make this a career instead of something that just feels like a hobby.
The truth is, the algorithm isn't built for art. Film festivals don't curate over craft and the most important stories because they're saturated and the politics involved in programming and what's trending or sellable get in the way of our dreams. Building organic audiences takes years and getting an actual opportunity that can truly kickstart your career might never come. You have to be a certain personality to make the most out of networking and usually already have a foot in the door. Out of all of this adversity and true struggle with being seen and forming connections in this field, I am surprised the most by the collaborators who would die to make great art and who still show up better no matter what. It's something I'm not giving up, and I have had to learn to create opportunities for myself and subvert the standard pathways towards achieving success as a young filmmaker.
NYFA Alumni Network: Are you currently working on any future projects?
F.F: I am working on developing my first feature film that is set to be a one location horror with a DIY budget from me and my collaborators circles, but we are open to pitching to outside investors and gaining as much support as possible. Imagine Get Out meets Shutter Island meets Cabin in the Woods. I'm working in pre production right now as well for my first miniseries called Young Man, which will release on YouTube in a 6-part series with five to seven minutes episodes. On the sidelines I am working on pitching and continuing to develop both re:attachment and he110, two of my short films I made during NYFA. Because of the subject matter (and budget required) for the former and overall scope and need for VFX/world building for the latter, they wont be my debut features, but they are dream projects and I have completed scripts for both.
Q&A with NYFA Filmmaking Alum Fredrich Frauendorf
2025-05-08 20:47:00
network.nyfa.edu
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2025-05-08 21:07:00
2025-05-08 21:07:00
Alumni NYFA
NYFA Alum Fredrich Frauendorf is an emerging filmmaker who graduated from the NYFA BFA Filmmaking Program. Since graduating in 2020, Fredrich has dedicated himself to creating emotionally driven films that explore themes of trauma, mental health, and identity. His thesis film re:attachment became the cornerstone of a larger cinematic universe, later joined by companion shorts Manic Man and Dona Nobis Pacem. In this Q&A Fredrich talked to us about his journey to NYFA, his career, and his future projects.NYFA Alumni Network: Can you tell us a bit about yourself, where you're from, and what brought you to New York Film Academy?Friedrich Frauendorf (F.F): Yeah, I'm from the east coast originally, being born in NYC but growing up in New Jersey. I had a couple years of school in Florida during that time when I wasn't in NJ, and then had moved to Minnesota in 2008, going through middle and high school. During that time I developed more of a love for watching movies and eventually wanting to make my own. This led me back to NY to attend NYFA in 2017, where I started my journey towards my BFA. I graduated with that in Fall of 2020 after completing 9 straight semesters, and shooting intermediate and thesis films I am super proud of.NYFA Alumni Network: What projects have you worked on since graduating? Have you won any awards or been showcased in any festivals or competitions? F.F: I was the only person in my class who filmed my thesis film. Because of covid, it wasn't mandatory, but my story was so raw and powerful in my bones that I needed to fulfill it. Unfortunately, that project was more of a learning experience than a celebratory achievement, despite high ambitions. However, it helped me understand my true thesis of what themes and stories I want to showcase in my work; The impact of childhood trauma and mental health issues had a big effect on my life and I want to make others feel less alone by creating these worlds and narratives that dissect the root causes of a lot of illnesses and difficulties that manifest from trauma, disconnection, and how poor cognitive structuring as a result of it impacts the sense of self that can become fragmented in the lifelong aftermath of these problems left unresolved. I know it's kind of a mouthful, but to fully answer this question and with respect to the subject matter, I have succeeded "re:attachment" (my thesis film) by adding two more shorts to the same universe. Since the short is based off a feature idea, these two other shorts "Manic Man" and "Dona Nobis Pacem" explore the chapters and themes of what will be included in the eventual production of the feature film, which is written and was considered for the 2nd Round of consideration for the 2025 Sundance Feature development track program. Aside from this, i have mostly only done other shoestring microshorts like Confession Before the End of the World, Rainmakers, and The Modern Interview, which just screened at New York CineFest! I also was an associate producer for a feature film and currently developing my debut feature film that's on target for production in the next 6-12 months.Other notable awards: Take Me Out - Film of the Night - Indie Night Film Festival (October 2019)re:attachment - Best College Film - Poppy Jasper International Film Festival (April 2022)he110 - Nominee for best student film - Burbank International Film Fest (September 2020)Dona Nobis Pacem - Official Selection - NoHo Cinefest September 2024My American Dream - Official Selection - New York Short Film Festival (November 2019)NYFA Alumni Network: Tell us more about your latest project, The Modern Interview. How did this film come about?F.F: The Modern Interview or (the most uncomfortable job interview ever) was initially an idea for a 48 hour film festival-esque competition called the 3x5 film festival run by Lee Strasberg. In December of 2022 we got the audience favorite award for a different short called "It's Gonna Be Alright", a Bollywood inspired action adventure about fellow alumni Twesh Swain's struggles as an Indian in LA. For the following year's competition, I pitched The Modern Interview but my idea ultimately did not move forward into filming for that competition. However, I didn't stop. I tried pitching it to NYFA's own Cooper Tomlinson and Curry Barker at "That's A Bad Idea" but upon discussion we agreed it would be something better suited to my own direction and production. It is a semi-personal story about the ideas of workplace harassment injected with personal experiences from myself, colleagues, and strangers stories I've read on reddit. I also wanted to use the piece a relevant conversation starter about the current state or mass layoffs and hiring struggles, the latter being something I personally went through a lot after graduating from NYFA as I applied and Interviewed for several industry jobs.NYFA Alumni Network: What did you learn at NYFA that you applied directly to this project and others?F.F: I learned, particularly from Lanre Olabasi's class during first year in the New York conservatory, that shorts can be made for very cheap and completed rather quickly with just the help of a few hands. It's not about shooting with the most expensive equipment with high concept ideas that require a big production team and tons of locations. Its about telling short, concise stories that are simple, only require a location or two, and can be made with your closest network that you want to grow together and bring up with you. The people who will then bring you on to their projects and opportunities. NYFA Alumni Network: Your short film Manic Man recently hit over 1 million views on YouTube—what do you think resonated most with audiences, and how has that response impacted you as filmmaker?F.F: I think the short and sweet runtime and straight to the point story were the biggest factors. The complex feelings of social anxiety and disconnection depicted in the short are things a lot of people have felt. Maybe not to the fullest extend or frequency, but at one point or another everyone has been in an uncomfortable social situation where they wanted to escape from, where they didnt recognize themself. For me, this has been the draining reality of intoversion and introspection I've been through my entire life. The strong visual storytelling that has virtually no dialogue worked immensely in the film's favor and I think is a big part of its success.NYFA Alumni Network: How has your creative process as a filmmaker evolved since you first started out, and what’s surprised you most about the journey so far? F.F: Honestly, a lot of things have evolved and some have still remained the same. I've always had issues staying focused and getting things done on time. Giving myself strict deadlines and working prolificly with high volume has given me more purpose and the feeling of recognition. Although inputs will always outweigh outputs in the long run, the thing that has surprised me the most is honestly how lonely the process has felt, and at times, like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. I felt like growing up as an aspiring filmmaker, and then becoming one through and post-film school, the picture that was painted for me isn't the one I was able to pave a pathway for. I thought having good stories that are deep and meaningful, talent, and hard working people around you that are trying to create the best final product would be enough. That having not even one, but multiple finished shorts would get me into festivals that actually matter, win awards, get opportunities to really work and make this a career instead of something that just feels like a hobby. The truth is, the algorithm isn't built for art. Film festivals don't curate over craft and the most important stories because they're saturated and the politics involved in programming and what's trending or sellable get in the way of our dreams. Building organic audiences takes years and getting an actual opportunity that can truly kickstart your career might never come. You have to be a certain personality to make the most out of networking and usually already have a foot in the door. Out of all of this adversity and true struggle with being seen and forming connections in this field, I am surprised the most by the collaborators who would die to make great art and who still show up better no matter what. It's something I'm not giving up, and I have had to learn to create opportunities for myself and subvert the standard pathways towards achieving success as a young filmmaker.NYFA Alumni Network: Are you currently working on any future projects?F.F: I am working on developing my first feature film that is set to be a one location horror with a DIY budget from me and my collaborators circles, but we are open to pitching to outside investors and gaining as much support as possible. Imagine Get Out meets Shutter Island meets Cabin in the Woods. I'm working in pre production right now as well for my first miniseries called Young Man, which will release on YouTube in a 6-part series with five to seven minutes episodes. On the sidelines I am working on pitching and continuing to develop both re:attachment and he110, two of my short films I made during NYFA. Because of the subject matter (and budget required) for the former and overall scope and need for VFX/world building for the latter, they wont be my debut features, but they are dream projects and I have completed scripts for both.
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