Film
Columbia University’s School of the Arts offers students the opportunity to go to film school at one of the world's great universities, with a faculty of working professionals esteemed in both Hollywood and the independent film community. Our home is New York City, creative capital of the United States, affording access to exceptional talent pools and locations, major research collections, and the constant opportunity to see films from every country and era. The film programs are populated by the top students from around the world and its halls are an intersection of cutting-edge creativity, intellectual rigor and hands-on practicality.
The Film MFA programs—in Screenwriting/Directing and in Creative Producing—are among the world's premiere training grounds for young filmmakers. Since the Film MFA at Columbia began in 1966, it has been renowned for the global success of its alumni in film and television, including top prizes at Sundance, Cannes, Venice, Berlin and the Academy Awards.
The MA Film Studies program and the undergraduate Film Studies major give students a unique opportunity to study film history and theory in the midst of an active filmmaking community.
Film Programs:
MFA Film Programs
MA Film Program
Undergraduate Film
Film Program
513 Dodge Hall
Mail Code 1805
2960 Broadway
New York, NY 10027
Phone: (212) 854-2815
film@columbia.edu
Mail Code 1805
2960 Broadway
New York, NY 10027
Phone: (212) 854-2815
film@columbia.edu
27-Nov-2012
Lisa Cholodenko ('97 SOA), writer and director of Laurel Canyon, High Art and the Academy Award-nominated The Kids Are All Right, discusses the Columbia Film Program.
27-Nov-2012
Greg Mottola ('91 SOA), director of Superbad and Adventureland, discusses his time at Columbia.
27-Nov-2012
Nicole Holofcener ('88 SOA), writer and director of Walking and Talking and Please Give, discusses the Columbia Film Program.
27-Nov-2012
Adam Davidson ('91 SOA) discusses his Academy Award-winning short The Lunch Date and his time in the Columbia Film Program.
27-Nov-2012
Ben O'Dell ('04 SOA) discusses his time in the Columbia Film Program and its influence on his career.
27-Nov-2012
Jonathan van Tulleken ('10 SOA) discusses his short Off Season and the Columbia Film Program.
News
17-May-2013
The script for Murder of A Cat, written by Robert Snow ('10 SOA) and Christian Magalhaes ('10 SOA), is currently in pre-production under producer Sam Raimi (30 Days of Night, The Grudge, Xena: Warrior Princess).
Murder of A Cat tells the story of a man who discovers the double life of his cat.
23-Apr-2013
James Ponsoldt ('05 SOA) is teaming up with the prestigious Weinstein Company (Silver Linings Playbook, The Master, The Artist) to write an adaptation of the musical Pippin and to adapt and direct Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock, the upcoming novel by Silver Linings Playbook author Matthew Quick.
Forgive me, Leonard Peacock revolves around a young man who plots his friend's homicide and his own suicide by his grandfather's pistol.
18-Apr-2013
The Cinéfondation has selected Going South, directed by Jefferson Moneo (4th year Directing), to screen at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.
Going South follows Martha Barlow, a prairie child desperate for escape, as she makes a life-altering acquaintance with the mysterious Donovan.
18-Apr-2013
New York, NY, April 18, 2013—Columbia University School of the Arts Film Program graduate Ayad Akhtar (’02) has won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize in Drama, for his play Disgraced.
16-Apr-2013
New York, NY, April 16, 2013—Six members of the Columbia University School of the Arts community were among the winners of the 2013 Guggenheim Fellowships.
16-Apr-2013
Film Faculty Ramin Bahrani appeared on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews Friday, April 12 to promote his latest film, At Any Price. Bahrani and actor Dennis Quaid sat down with Matthews to discuss the film's treatment of the politics of the agriculture industry.
02-Apr-2013
The Friars Club Comedy Film Festival continues to champion comedic films from across the globe during its 5th annual celebration April 1-6. This year's program includes comedic achievements from Jamund Washington ('10 SOA), Shane Atkinson (5th year, Directing), Stian Hafstad (3rd year, Directing), and Jed Cowley ('12 SOA).
29-Mar-2013
Nelson Walker's ('08 SOA) documentary, Summer Pasture, has been honored with a 2013 Peabody Award. The film, which Walker made with Lynn True and Tsering Perlo, presents an up-close look at the life of a Tibetan herder and the choices he and his family face.
29-Mar-2013
Gimme the Loot, opened in theatres on March 22, to rave reviews and the highest per-screen average in the country.
The film was produced by Jamund Washington ('10) and edited by Morgan Faust ('11).
28-Mar-2013
The 22nd Annual Aspen Shortsfest heralds another celebration of independent filmmaking to take place in scenic Aspen, Colorado. Columbia continues to make its impression on the festival circuit with five films on program for this year's lineup April 9-14.
15-Mar-2013
Several Columbia Film alumni were recently featured in The New York Times.
12-Mar-2013
Each year, the Tribeca Film Festival, Robert DeNiro's auspicious passion project, attracts international film communities to celebrate New York City's contribution to independent filmmaking. This year's festival includes the various creative achievements of Columbia films.
28-Mar-2013
KQED Presents Film School Shorts is a new show set to air on public television in April. FSS showcases student shorts across the country grouped by a weekly theme. The season premiere of FSS will feature four Columbia films.
10-Mar-2013
Phil Johnston ('04 SOA), co-writer of Disney's Wreck-It Ralph, is teaming up with producer Scott Rudin (The Social Network, No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood) and Sony Pictures to revive the hit 1970s show Good Times with a film adaptation.
07-Mar-2013
The Film Program of Columbia University's School of the Arts is proud to announce the establishment of the Andrew Sarris Memorial Award for Film Criticism, an annual cash prize in honor of the celebrated film professor and critic who died in 2012. The recipient is Columbia College senior film major Anneliese Cooper for her essay, "Positively Anti-Realist: Art, Artifice, and the Power of Fiction in the Films of Pedro Almodovar." She will receive $750.
26-Feb-2013
The Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art have selected Southwest, written and directed by Jordi Wijnalda (3rd year Directing), to screen at the 42nd New Directors/New Films Series. The program celebrates the work of budding filmmakers across the globe.
12-Feb-2013
Columbia continues to triumph during this year's film festival circuit. With three films screening at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival, Columbia's legacy carries on in the artistic achievements of students, alumni and faculty.
07-Feb-2013
South by Southwest has long held the reputation for being the seminal, post-Sundance indie film celebration. Eight Columbia shorts have been selected to screen this year at the festival's 20th film anniversary.
25-Jan-2013
The Directors Guild Award nominations applaud the work of two Columbia alumni this year: Kathryn Bigelow ('81 SOA) and Greg Mottola ('91 SOA).
24-Jan-2013
With still a few days remaining before the end of this year’s Sundance program, the creative efforts of Columbia alumni have garnered recognition in a series of business deals that will help see these films make it to the big screen.
10-Jan-2013
Columbia Film alumni are well-represented in the 2013 Academy Award nominations. Steven Spielberg's Lincoln tops the list with 12 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Antonia Grilikhes-Lasky ('11 SOA) received a credit as writing assistant to screenwriter Tony Kushner ('78 CC) on the film.
18-Dec-2012
Nominations are out for the 70th annual Golden Globe Awards, and the line-up is teeming with Columbia Film alumni being celebrated for their work in film and television. Kathryn Bigelow's ('81 SOA) Zero Dark Thirty received four nominations—Best Picture, Drama, Best Director (Kathryn Bigelow), Best Screenplay (Mark Boal) and Best Actress, Drama (Jessica Chastain).
17-Dec-2012
The screenplays of four Columbia Film alumni or students have been selected for the 2012 Black List. The Black List began in 2005 as a survey of film executives about their favorite scripts which hadn't been turned into features. Since then, over 200 Black List screenplays have been made as feature films.
13-Dec-2012
Each year, Slamdance Film Festival celebrates the progress and efforts of independent filmmaking. This year, the festival will include numerous cinematic successes of Columbia filmmakers on its roster.
06-Dec-2012
Once again, Columbia filmmakers dominate the Sundance lineup. This year's festival, which will take place January 17 - 27, 2013 in Park City, Utah, features work by an astounding number of School of the Arts students, alumni and faculty.
04-Dec-2012
The Directors Guild of America will award professor emeritus Milos Forman with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Motion Picture Direction at the 65th Annual DGA Awards on February 2, 2013.
29-Nov-2012
The announcement of the 2013 Film Independent Spirit Award nominations have once again highlighted the many achievements of Columbia Film students, alumni and faculty.
04-Dec-2012
Jennifer Lee ('05 SOA), co-writer of box-office smash hit Wreck-It Ralph, has been tapped to co-direct Disney's next animated flick, Frozen, with Chris Buck.
Frozen will follow the journey of Anna (Kristen Bell) who must trek through an ice-ridden landscape with the help of mountain man Kristoff when she is cursed by her evil sister, Snow Queen Elsa (Idina Menzel).
27-Nov-2012
Director Kathryn Bigelow ('81 SOA) has completed her newest feature, Zero Dark Thirty, written by Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker).
The film follows the ten year chase for Osama Bin Laden and his subsequent capture and death by a Navy SEAL team in May 2011.
27-Nov-2012
Disney and Lucasfilm have tapped Simon Kinberg ('03 SOA) (X-Men: First Class, Sherlock Holmes, Jumper, Mrs. and Mrs. Smith) to pen future installments of the Star Wars franchise.
Michael Arndt will draft the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII, leaving further episodes open to Kinberg and Lawrence Kasdan (The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark), also approached by Disney and Lucasfilm.
© 2013 Columbia University School of the Arts | 305 Dodge Hall, Mail Code 1808 | 2960 Broadway | New York, NY 10027 | (212) 854-2875 | EMAIL
Columbia University School of the Arts offers MFA degrees in Film, Theatre Arts, Visual Arts, and Writing, an MA degree in Film Studies, a joint JD/MFA degree in Theatre Management & Producing, and a PhD degree in Theatre History, Literature, and Theory.
Columbia University School of the Arts offers MFA degrees in Film, Theatre Arts, Visual Arts, and Writing, an MA degree in Film Studies, a joint JD/MFA degree in Theatre Management & Producing, and a PhD degree in Theatre History, Literature, and Theory.