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| Filmmaker Manya Glassman. Photo Credit Manya Glassman |
A Bold New Voice at Tribeca: Manya Glassman’s Star Is Rising
With 'How I Learned to Die,' Spike Lee Executive Producing, and a Purple List Screenplay, the NYU Graduate Enters the Spotlight
At the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival, a bold new voice in independent cinema will make her debut. Filmmaker Manya Glassman will premiere her latest short film, How I Learned to Die, a deeply personal, visually inventive work executive-produced by Spike Lee.
But the Tribeca premiere is only the beginning. Glassman, a recent M.F.A. graduate from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, is already developing a feature adaptation of the short—one that just landed on the university’s prestigious 2025 Purple List, a Black List–inspired selection of the best production-ready screenplays from graduate film students and recent alumni.
The Purple List, now in its 14th year, has a track record of identifying major talent. Previous honorees include Chloé Zhao (Nomadland), Shaka King (Judas and the Black Messiah), Cathy Yan (Birds of Prey), Desiree Akhavan (The Miseducation of Cameron Post), and Laurel Parmet (The Starling Girl)—filmmakers who have gone on to shape contemporary cinema with acclaimed, award-winning work. This year’s selections, as reported in The Hollywood Reporter, include Glassman’s How I Learned to Die, along with Mandingo by Terrance Daye, Punter by Jason Adam Maselle, and Sweetwater by Cassidy Batiz.
Glassman’s storytelling is grounded in emotional truth and visual poetry. Her films explore questions of love, family, heritage, and mortality—intimate in scope but cinematic in execution. That combination has become her hallmark.
Raised in Rhode Island, Glassman graduated magna cum laude from Providence College in 2019 with a B.A. in Humanities, French, and Film. At NYU, she served as class representative and was awarded numerous honors, including the Spike Lee / Sandra Ifraimova Film Production Grant, the Willard T.C. Johnson Fellowship, and multiple scholarships from the Rhode Island Foundation.
She has written, directed, and edited six of her own short films and produced over a dozen more for fellow filmmakers from around the world. Her freelance work includes credits with PBS’s Native America, NYC Art Handlers, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Her professional connection with Spike Lee runs deep. Glassman served as his teaching assistant for four consecutive semesters and later worked as Assistant to the Director during the filming of Lee’s upcoming Netflix special, Katrina Revisited – 20 Years After, shot on location in New Orleans in 2023.
With her short film backed by one of cinema’s most iconic voices and a feature script gaining industry traction, Manya Glassman is a filmmaker on the rise—one whose work is as thoughtful as it is urgent. As she makes her Tribeca debut, How I Learned to Die offers an early glimpse into what promises to be a remarkable career.
Here is a Q&A with Manya Glassman about How I Learned to Die, being a year out of NYU, and working under the mentorship of Oscar-winner Spike Lee.
AMN: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned since leaving NYU and stepping into your career as a filmmaker?
MG: That I’m my own boss. If I want a project to happen, I have to make it happen. No one’s going to push me. I wake up every day with an agenda—work hard, stay focused, and surround myself with collaborators who believe in the vision. When you’re not in school or at a company, you create your own structure. You have to keep your nose to the grindstone.
AMN: Where did that sense of discipline come from?
MG: It definitely started at home. My parents were strict. I grew up with a list of chores every morning—even when friends came over, we had to finish our tasks before doing anything else. That structure stuck with me. I don’t feel right relaxing unless I’ve earned it. NYU reinforced that mindset. You can’t coast through Grad Film. If you’re not working hard, you’re not getting the most out of it.
AMN: How do you approach challenges in the film industry today?
MG: I believe every generation has its hardships. We can acknowledge that, but it’s not an excuse to stand still. If the industry is shifting, then you pivot. You ask, “What does the world need right now? Where can I fit in?” I believe there are always solutions if you're willing to adapt.
AMN: What was it like to work so closely with Spike Lee—as his teaching assistant and now with him executive producing your short?
MG: Incredible. Spike teaches that learning never stops. He learns from his students, from new voices, from the greats. If someone like him is still learning, then the rest of us should be at square one. That mindset changed me.
He also leads by example. He’s up early, working constantly—still, at this stage in his life. That work ethic is something I’ll carry with me. Watching films with him also taught me something important: he sees a movie both as a filmmaker and as a pure audience member. It’s easy to get caught up analyzing shots and technique, but Spike reminds you to ask, “How does this film make you feel?” That’s something I think about all the time.
AMN: You’ve said the short is a proof of concept for your feature. Was that advice from Spike as well?
MG: Yes. He encourages students to do exactly that. It’s a smart move—and a way to show people what the feature could be. Right now, he’s a mentor for the feature. He’s reading scripts, giving feedback, and helping me set up meetings. His support has been huge.
AMN: Where and when do you plan to shoot the feature?
MG: We’re aiming for March 2026 in Rhode Island, which is where I grew up and where we filmed the short. It has great tax incentives, and creatively, it’s a place that means a lot to me. I kind of want to keep it a secret, but yes, Rhode Island is an amazing place to shoot.
AMN: What does premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival mean to you?
MG: It means everything. This story is incredibly personal. If I could go back and tell my 16-year-old self that this was happening, she’d be proud. My parents will be in the audience. My friends. That matters. Sometimes we don’t pause to appreciate moments like this, but I’m trying to.
From a professional standpoint, Tribeca is a major platform. I hope people see the short and say, “I want to be part of this feature.” That’s the dream.
AMN: Is your crew made up of classmates from NYU? Any connections to Spike’s larger creative circle?
MG: Some of my collaborators have worked with Spike on other projects, and they’re on the pitch deck for the feature. One of the best parts of NYU is the people you meet. That community, both through school and through Spike, has really shaped my team.
AMN: Groovy, but I was talking about the behind-the-scenes crew. That, in my opinion, is real talent.
MG: Got it. And just to clarify—when I say “up-and-coming talent,” I’m absolutely talking about crew. A great grip? A great dolly grip? They can save an entire production. I really believe that.
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