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MASTER OF FINE ARTS (MFA) IN CINEMA

The Cinema Department was founded amid the political activism and artistic experimentation of the 1960s. Today, as then, the Cinema Department is committed to a curriculum which recognizes cinema as an independent, powerful and unique form of expression which operates well beyond the medium as such.

The MFA in Cinema is designed to:

  1. Offer rigorous, professional training in cinema production in conjunction with an understanding of cinema history, theory and aesthetics
  2. Acquaint students with current and emerging technologies and encourage the development of new modes of expression
  3. Prepare filmmakers who wish to teach cinema at the college or university level. The MFA program emphasizes a knowledge of cinematic tradition, the development of an original, creative vision, and proficiency in technical crafts.

The SFSU Cinema Department has educated generations of filmmakers including Academy Award winners Steven Zaillian (Best Screenplay, "Schindler's List," 1994), Christopher Boyes (Best Sound, "Titanic," 1998, "Pearl Harbor," 2001, "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," 2004) and Steve Okazaki (Best Short Documentary, "Days of Waiting," 1991 and Best Short Documentary Nominee, "The Mushroom Club", 2005). In 2000, Entertainment Weekly named the department one of the nation's top film schools.

Recent MFA projects have won many honors, including the Cary Grant Film Award presented by the Princess Grace Foundation, the Eastman Scholarship Award for Cinematography and Excellence from Kodak and a nomination at the Student Academy Awards. MFA films have also been invited to major film festivals such as Cannes, Sundance, Slamdance, Telluride, Toronto, South by Southwest, Ann Arbor, Silverdocs and the San Francisco International Film Festival.