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California Institute of the Arts

MFA: Film Directing

School of Film/Video

Two women, one with her back turned and one looking distraught, stand in front of a painting of figures. Text across the bottom of the image reads, “I was comparing the women in the paintings and me, and ‘Why not?”’

Eunhye Hong Kim, Se Shin Sa.

Vision and voice in filmmaking

CalArts’ three-year MFA in Film Directing program has produced some of the most captivating voices in contemporary cinema, disrupting the boundaries of narrative filmmaking with groundbreaking stories and style. With the guidance of renowned faculty mentors, you’ll develop a body of work true to your vision and voice, and explore a variety of methodologies from independent dramatic filmmaking to hybrid and experimental narrative practices.

A blurry, abstracted, black-and-white image of a man running up a hillside toward a building

Melly Turner, Lumiere.

The future of narrative filmmaking

MFA Film Directing

Grounded in the history of narrative cinema, the Film Directing MFA program at CalArts embraces narrative filmmaking as a tool to describe and depict the world and harness its potential to envision new realities, new systems, and new relations.

Let’s connect

The curriculum provides a rich understanding of the fundamental aesthetic and technical components of narrative filmmaking, including staging and visual design, scriptwriting, acting and working with actors, narrative theory, cinematography, sound and editing, and a broad variety of graduate-level seminars in contemporary and historical cinemas and practices. Our students are intensely diverse in identity and perspective; more than 70% of our community comes from outside the United States, from such countries as Iran, Iceland, China, Taiwan, Colombia, South Korea, South Africa, Mexico, and Brazil, among many others. This multiplicity of perspectives deepens our conversations and awareness of the multitude of experiences, realities, and voices that surround us. It is an essential part of the experience of the program, and central to our understanding of the practice of creating images, constructing stories, and questioning representation.

The Film Directing program’s three-year course of study is structured into seven métier categories that the faculty consider intrinsic to the exploration of narrative cinema: performance, structure and form, image and sound, theory and context, critique, professional development, and interdisciplinary practice.

MFA candidates are required to create a deep portfolio of work. Within the first year, you’ll make three to four short films in a series of structured blocks designed to immerse you in a diverse range of filmmaking techniques and strategies.

In subsequent semesters, the program provides a rich slate of classes and workshops, independent studies, and rigorous mentorship to support and challenge you as you continue developing and making films that hone an original approach to narrative filmmaking.

Each student’s residency culminates in an MFA thesis film that demonstrates a distinctive point of view, as well as the practical ability to lead a team of performance and production artists toward the shared goal of a finished work and the knowledge of the historical and political context the work exists within. The program’s position within an institute that gathers a multitude of visual and performing arts métiers under one roof provides unique opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaborations with peers in music, theater, dance, and more.

Before proceeding to the thesis project, you must have a preliminary thesis review and obtain project approval in the third semester of residency. You’ll then work with your faculty mentor and committee to develop your project. Once the thesis film is completed, each filmmaker must pass a graduation review in order to graduate. In addition, you must have fulfilled all program course requirements.

Admission requirements

To be considered for the MFA Film Directing program, you must complete an application and all program-specific requirements, including a portfolio, an artist statement, two letters of recommendation, and an interview. Before applying, please familiarize yourself with the detailed application requirements and resources available to assist you in this important process. 

Application Requirements

Degree requirements

MFA Film Directing students make three to four short films in the first year, continuing to develop and make films throughout their residency, which culminates with an MFA thesis film. Once the thesis film is completed, each filmmaker must pass a graduation review and fulfill all course requirements in order to graduate.

MFA Film Directing academic requirements

Interdisciplinary opportunities

In addition to CalArts’ naturally collaborative atmosphere, the Institute provides several programs of study that can be pursued concurrently with a student’s chosen metier, such as a concentration in Arts Education or Integrated Media.

MFA concentrations

Courses you might take

What courses would you take as a student in the Film Directing program? Browse the courses offered in the School of Film/Video, one of the world’s foremost places for the study and practice of the art of the moving image as a personal, evolving and innovative artform.

School of Film/Video Courses

Meet the faculty

At CalArts, faculty and students are collaborators, teaching, learning, and working together as members of our community of artists. 

What will you make?

Film Directing Showcase 2024

Each spring, the School of Film/Video presents a selection of films by MFA Film Directing students—a diverse collection of innovative cinematic works and a culmination of hard work and dedication throughout the year.

2024 Film Video Showcase graphic

Some of our alumni

More School of Film/Video alumni

Most other schools teach skills, which are important, and are, of course, taught at CalArts, but these are only a means to an end. You can learn technical skills almost anywhere, but I think only CalArts seeks out students with something to say and helps them find ways to say it. You’re not just encouraged to take risks here—you’re expected to. And the program helps you find the courage.

man in glasses looking at old film reels
Tariq Tapa Film Directing MFA 08

Related news

News from the CalArts Film/Video community 

More Film/Video news

Mason Richards’ “The Seawall” makes a splash

Alumni Story

Shot entirely on location with a cast of first-time actors, Mason Richards’ (MFA 10) thesis film “The Seawall” tells the story of the relationship of Marjorie and her 10-year-old grandson Malachi, who is about to emigrate to the United States to join his mother. The film made its world premiere at the Cannes Court Métrage as part of the 64th Cannes Film Festival’s prestigious Short Film Corner. 

Filmmaker Mason Richards being interviewed in front of a bright green wall that reads “Film Independent Artist Development”

Gallery

Want to learn more?

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