The Legacy of Milos Forman
In 1978, esteemed director Milos Forman and his Screenwriting mentor Frank Daniel were appointed co-chairs of the Film Program. Under their leadership, the program flourished and became the world-renowned institution of film education that it is today. In many ways, Forman was the "creative founder" of Columbia Film, having shaped and refined its commitment to narrative filmmaking anchored in strong screenplays. He gave it a character as distinct as his own—original, passionate, intelligent, and international.
News
Several Columbia filmmakers are preparing for their films to screen at the 2026 New York Film Festival, which will run from September 25 through October 12, 2026.
Several Columbia Alums are set to have their films screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this year.
Florin Serban '08 took home the Golden Leopard, the top prize in the international competition, at the 79th Locarno Film Festival for his film You Don’t Belong Here.
Dark Hollow, a new horror film directed by Film alum Daniel Byers '22, has been acquired and distributed by the independent film distribution company Brainstorm Media, with a limited theatrical release starting on September 4, 2026. In addition to Byers as director, the project was assistant directed by Will Pinke '22 and line produced by Fernando Gonzalez Ortiz '22.
The Venice Film Festival has announced the 2026 winners. Among the projects awarded includes Quelques Instants De Bonheur (A Few Moments Of Happiness) directed by Barnard alum Shaden Safieddine Tazi (BC '22).
Columbia alums and their affiliated shows were well-represented at both the Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards. Let's break it down.
The National Board of Review (NBR), a New York City-based nonprofit for film enthusiasts, has announced its 2026 Student Grant recipients, honoring 17 emerging student filmmakers from eight New York-area film programs and universities, including two Columbia filmmakers.
Adjunct Assistant Professor Deborah Devyn Chuang '26 is a recipient of the 2026 New Voices Filmmaker Grant for emerging directors from NewFest, New York City's largest LGBTQ+ film festival since 1988.
Film alum Annie Ning '25 is a 2026 recipient of the highly prestigious Cary Grant Film Honor from the Princess Grace Foundation, which she was nominated for by Columbia University. Among the runners-up for the award was Undergraduate Film and Media Studies alum María del Mar Rosario (GS '15), who was nominated by 2018 Princess Grace Award winner Rafael Samanez and received a Film Honoraria from the foundation.
The new sci-fi thriller, The End of Oak Street, written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, produced by Bad Robot and Jackson Pictures, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, featured work from Directing alum Sushant Chaudhary '21, who joined the team as Assistant Editor to John Axelrad, ACE.
Executive produced by Film alum Simon Kinberg '03, Apple TV's latest dark comedy Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed has received positive reviews from The Hollywood Reporter, Collider, and Vulture.
Smriti Mundhra '09—the DGA-winning, two-time Oscar-nominated, and Emmy-nominated filmmaker who created Netflix's hit Indian Matchmaking—is among the group of 12 renowned screenwriters selected for the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, set to take place June 29–July 2, 2026.
