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
Don’t Be Late, Myra, a short film by Afia Nathaniel '03, is enjoying a stellar turn on the festival circuit, having won more than twelve awards, including the Oscar-qualifying Best Short Film at the Asian World Film Festival.
Four films helmed by Columbia alums selected to participate in Film Independent Fast Track program.
Trapped, a short film produced by Film alum Silvia Chen '21, has been awarded the HollyShorts Grand Prix Award at the HollyShorts Film Festival. With this win, the film is now qualified to be nominated for an Oscar in the Shorts category.
The golden age of adaptation is now. In a lecture hall at Columbia School of the Arts, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Film Galt Niederhoffer is priming her students to launch headfirst into this creative intersection.
DGA, Primetime Emmy, and Peabody Award–winning director, actor and producer Ben Stiller (Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost) and his Oscar-winning producing partner John Lesher (Birdman) have boarded the Columbia thesis short film Extremist as executive producers.
Melanie Rish-Ho '24 was selected to participate in the Black List 2025 Writers Lab.
This Is Who We Are is a series featuring Columbia University School of the Arts’ professors, covering careers, pedagogy, and art-making. Here, we talk with Assistant Professor of Film Minhal Baig about the persistent miraculousness of filmmaking, finding process through practice, and blowing it all up.
Palestine 36, the feature film by Annemarie Jacir '02 currently making waves on the festival circuit, recently secured another victory when it was awarded the top prize at the Tokyo International Film Festival.
Four films by Columbia alums have been selected as their countries' official submissions to the 98th Academy Award for Best International Film.
Boots, a new series co-run by Film alum Andy Parker '11 and based on Greg Cope Wire’s memoir The Pink Marine, has just come out on Netflix and has held a spot in the top 10 most watched television shows since its premiere on October 9, 2025.
Two films by Columbia filmmakers took home major awards at the 2025 New Hampshire Film Festival.
Grow, a new feature film produced by Joe Capotorto '18 and co-produced by Fernando Morrett Garza '25, was released in theaters across the United States on October 3, 2025.
