Explaining the April Nocifora Dedication in ‘Strange New Worlds’

ViacomCBS A close-up of the 'Strange New Worlds' poster.

Fans of “Star Trek” who tuned into the series premiere of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” on May 5, 2022, probably noticed a familiar name in both the opening credits and in a dedication after the final scene. April Nocifora, according to Memory Alpha, was a supervising producer on “Strange New Worlds” and had a long association with “Star Trek” and several of its key players. Nocifora, according to a series of tweets from Chad Rubel, an editor with whom she worked on “Star Trek: Discovery,” passed away in December.

The dedication at the conclusion of the “Strange New Worlds” series opener read “for April Nocifora we love you,’ with the punctuation as noted and the “we love you” positioned beneath “for April Nocifora.’ This was not the first tribute paid to Nocifora by the “Star Trek” franchise. The fourth-season finale of “Discovery,” titled “Coming Home,” included a dedication that read, “For April, with Love.”

“I saw people ask what “For April, with Love” was about,” Rubel wrote. “April Nocifora ran the Post Production department and was my direct boss. She passed away in December. I’ll never forget the meeting April called the Friday before lockdown. A portion of us thought we were losing our jobs by shutting down. In that meeting, we started to brainstorm how we kept this train moving. We left with a game plan on how to keep working… To me, April forever changed my life. She was the person who reached out to me for a resume for an Editor position with ‘Star Trek.’ She sat in the interview I had with Alex for the job. It was great to have her in my corner rooting for me. April and I have known each other for around 13 years. We worked together on ‘Fringe,’ ‘Sleepy Hollow’ and ‘Star Trek.’ She will be missed by the many people whose lives she touched for the better.”

Rubel Remembers Nocifora

According to Memory Alpha, Nocifora entered the “Star Trek” universe when she was a production associate on “The Next Generation” and an assistant to Ronald D. Moore. Then, according to the Internet Movie Database, she served as the assistant to producer Peter Lauritson on “Star Trek: First Contact,” which was released in 1996. At the time and for many of her subsequent jobs, she was credited by her married name, April Rossi. Her other “Star Trek” credits included post-post-production coordinator and production supervisor on “Deep Space Nine,” post production coordinator on “Voyager,” and supervising producer on “Discovery,” “Short Treks,” and the first season of “Picard.”

Additionally, according to the Internet Movie Database, she worked as an associate producer on “The Dead Zone,” which was created by Michael Piller and his son, Shawn Piller, both “Star Trek” veterans; as a co-producer and associate producer on “Sleepy Hollow,” which was produced by Alex Kurtzman, the current head of the “Star Trek” television franchise, along with “Star Trek” producers Heather Kadin and Roberto Orci. As a post-production supervisor, Nocifora was involved with “Fringe,” which starred John Noble, who currently provides the voice of a villainous character named The Diviner on the animated series “Star Trek: Prodigy,” was produced by J.J. Abrams, Kurtzman, and Orci, and featured “Star Trek” legend Leonard Nimoy as a recurring character. Likewise, Nocifora worked as a post-production supervisor on “Terra Nova,” which was produced by former “Star Trek” writers-producers Brannon Braga and Rene Echevarria.

Nocifora’s LinkedIn bio read as follows: “April Nocifora brings more than twenty-five years of experience in TV Post Production, working with some of the leading Executive Producers and Directors in the entertainment industry. Overseeing all aspects of Post Production, from managing budgets, cost reporting, and creating post schedules, to supervising the creative and technical details that go into final delivery. A passion for audio coupled with heavy VFX projects, she brings a wealth of creative and technical know-how to her ever-expanding skill set, continuing to receive accolades from her peers, working closely with VFX Supervisors, Directors of Photography, Final Colorists, Sound Designers and Re-Recording Mixers. Some of April’s technical experience includes Canon 5D Mark IV, HD, 2K and 4K, VFX, Alexa and Red formats, AVID, Title Design, Da Vinci, Luster, Pro-Tools, 5.1 Mixing and International delivery.”

In addition to her efforts as a producer, Nocifora was an avid photographer. Her Instagram page is filled with photographs she’d taken over the years, several of which documented her battle with cancer. Also on Instagram, on October 14, 2021, Nocifora revealed that she’d won an Honorable Mention prize from the International Photography Awards for a self-portrait titled, “My Battle With Cancer.”

A Self-Portrait by April Nocifora