Jeff Bemiss, 2019 MFA in Film
Class of 2019 Film alumnx Jeff Bemiss was recognized with a 2022 Peabody Award for his 2020 documentary MISSING IN BROOKS COUNTY (co-directed by Lisa...
MFA in Film
We launched the MFA in Film in 2013, in response to a changing film industry and the need for artists to revolutionize the ways motion pictures are created and experienced.
About the Program
Key Information
Residency Dates
- Summer: July 13-21, 2024
Colorado Springs, CO (Colorado College campus) - Winter 2025
Valencia, CA (CalArts campus)
Admissions Info »
Contact FJ Talley
[email protected]
301-247-0435
Schedule a Call!
Who is it for?
This program is ideal for filmmakers, screenwriters, and media artists who want to earn an affordable MFA while expanding their bodies of work and maintaining continuity in their professional and personal lives. Our highly self-motivated students have creative vision that defies a cookie-cutter approach.
How will your practice develop?
Throughout your two years at VCFA, you’ll actively and dynamically expand your body of work and creative resources, with self-designed projects in screenwriting, documentary film, narrative film, animation, and/or new media. You’ll emerge from the program with powerful new work and a more distinctive artistic voice.
Virtual Information Session
Join us to learn more about the low residency MFA in Film program and the application process. In these sessions we will discuss:
- MFA in Film Overview
- What is Low Residency?
- Curriculum & Faculty Mentorship
- Preparing Your Application
- Q&A
To RSVP for a future session, visit the event page.
Questions? Please email [email protected]
The mentors will meet you at whatever part of your filmmaking journey you're at.
Maryam Fatima "Ara" Chawdhury
| 2023
Residency
Experience VCFA’s low-residency model.
VCFA’s academic calendar is divided into two semesters per year: a summer and winter semester respectively. Each semester begins with a 9-day residency packed with lectures, workshops, screenings, discussions, critiques, and social events. Students, faculty, and visiting filmmakers share the campus and learn from each other’s work, experiences, and critical conversations. Once connected through VCFA, our students exchange ideas and frequently collaborate to work on each other’s projects.
During residencies, students are paired with faculty advisors for the upcoming semester. The heart of VCFA’s MFA in Film program is expert mentorship, innovative production, and critical assessment. Students work closely with advisors to develop a customized semester study plan to direct and inspire their upcoming work. They set goals and milestones that are both ambitious and achievable, addressing relevant research, development, and production requirements.
In addition to their film community, students are on campus with our five other MFA programs during residency: Graphic Design, Music Composition, Writing, Writing for Children & Young Adults, and Visual Art. Filmmakers will have the opportunity during residency for interdisciplinary conversation, work, and networking.
Upon completion of the two-year program, students will have attended five unique and invigorating residencies that guide their creative work while offering minimal disruption to their professional life and personal schedule.
Semester Work
Mentorship & Individualized Study
Following residency, students return home and devote at least 25 hours per week to their projects, sending work to their faculty advisors monthly and then meeting (via video conference, phone, or in person) to discuss in depth. Our program emphasizes concrete deliverables for each monthly deadline, in the form of works-in-progress and/or finished pieces. A student’s work will also involve readings, film viewings, assignments, and other forms of research and preparation.
I grew enormously as a filmmaker at VCFA. The residencies are intense in the best way. Between the faculty and guest artists, the amount of expertise assembled during those weeks is incredible.
Jeff Bemiss
| 2019
By the Numbers
87
graduates since the program's inception in 2013
60
visiting filmmakers (from Darren Aronofsky to Lucrecia Martel to Yance Ford)
75%
students awarded scholarships
Frequently Asked Questions
How many classes per semester am I taking?
There are no “classes” in the traditional sense. The curriculum is project-based individualized learning, with all of your academic studies informed by the specific project(s) you choose to undertake. Each semester is 15 credits, and you are expected to devote at least 25 hours per week to your work.
Learn more about our low-residency model.
What is the semester study plan?
Your study plan will serve as your roadmap for the semester’s work. At the start of each semester (towards the end of your residency week, with guidance from your advisor) you will write and submit a semester study plan outlining what work you will be completing for each of the five monthly deliverables and your ultimate semester plans/goals. Based on your individualized project scope, your advisor will suggest areas to concentrate on and books, films, and other resources to help supplement your studies.
Learn more about our low-residency model.
How do students and faculty get paired?
At residency you will be asked to pick your top three faculty choices. Assignments are made based on seniority (fourth-semester students getting first priority), but most students will get one of their top choices. In the rare instances that this is not the case, students should know that all of our faculty are tremendously talented and well versed in all aspects of filmmaking; no matter who you are paired with, we are confident you will have a fruitful and positive experience. At residency there is ample opportunity for informal conversation with faculty and scheduled pitch sessions where you sit down with various faculty members, pitch your project idea, and hear how they can help guide and inform your work.
Meet the Film faculty!
Do I need my own equipment?
Yes. Since we are only on campus for two weeks per year (the residencies are not “making” weeks) and our students are scattered across the globe, you will need the necessary equipment and/or software in order to carry out your semester’s work. The equipment required will vary from student to student depending on their specific projects.