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
Film alum Katla Sólnes '24 has been awarded a prestigious 2025-2026 Academy Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Three short films by Columbia alums are set to screen at this year’s Aspen Shortsfest.
Group: The Schopenhauer Effect, a feature film produced by Film Chair and Associate Professor of Professional Practice Jack Lechner, was recently acquired by Abramorama and made its theatrical premiere on March 13, 2026.
Highly anticipated thriller Wardriver, directed by Rebecca Thomas '13, is set to release on March 20, 2026 in select theaters and on streaming on March 27 after a world premiere at the 2026 Cinequest Film Festival.
The Last Summer, directed by Patrick Wei '25, written and produced by Leah Simone Scott '24, and co-producted by Ellis Finney '25 and Red Truss '24, is now available to stream on Tubi.
Winners of the 98th Academy Awards were announced on the evening of Sunday, March 15, 2026 with three projects with Columbia connections taking home major awards.
Four short films and one feature by Columbia students and alums are set to screen at this year’s Slamdance festival.
Film alum Alexander Molochnikov '25, an internationally acclaimed director from the Moscow Art Theatre, is the creator and director of a Seagull: True Story, a new adaptation of the classic Chekhov play which will premiere at The Public Theater on March 22, 2026.
Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire, a documentary co-produced by Professor Annette Insdorf, is now streaming nationwide on PBS as part of its acclaimed American Masters series.
It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley, which was assistant-edited by Film alum Sushant Chaudhary '21, has been nominated for the American Cinema Editors’ Eddie Award for Best Edited Documentary Feature.
Metrograph Pictures is presenting a special survey event, Politics of Time, showcasing several films from Associate Professor of Film Anocha Suwichakornpong '06 between February 21 and March 1, 2026.
The Independent Spirit Awards have celebrated the best in indie cinema, across film and television, for over forty years. The 2026 ceremony will showcase the contributions of six Columbia alums who were nominated for seven awards, including Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay.
