Film

Film MFA Program

Columbia University's School of the Arts houses one of the top-ranked film schools in the world. Under the leadership of the late Milos Forman—the Oscar-winning director of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Amadeus—Columbia’s Graduate Film Program became renowned for its devotion to story, its uniquely integrated curriculum, and its faculty of working professionals esteemed in both Hollywood and the independent film community. Our curriculum fosters cutting-edge creativity, intellectual rigor, and hands-on practicality.  Decade after decade, our diverse and international alumni have been celebrated at the highest levels of industry achievement in television, film, and new media.

The Film MFA programs—in Screenwriting & Directing and in Creative Producing, recently joined by Writing for Film and Television—are among the world's premiere training grounds for emerging filmmakers. Since the Film MFA at Columbia began in 1966, it has been renowned for the global success of its alumni, including top prizes at the Oscar and Emmy Awards as well as yearly accolades at Sundance, Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Telluride, and more.

Above: Directed and produced by Film alum An Chu '22,The Stag wins best International Short Film at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Read more.

Frozen poster

Writer and co-director: Jennifer Lee '05

Superbad poster

Writer-director: Greg Mottola '91

Zero Dark Thirty poster

Writer, director, producer: Kathryn Bigelow '79

Logan poster

Co-writer and director: James Mangold '99

Yellowjackets poster

Co-creator, executive producer, writer: Ashley Lyle '07

Shirkers poster

Writer-director: Sandi Tan '00

Fall 2024 Admissions Deadline

Information & Q&A Sessions