Before we start our list of the Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada 2022, let’s be upfront: You don’t need to go to film school. But it’s still the most efficient way to do all of the things you’ll want to do to become a filmmaker: learn to use all kinds of equipment, understand every aspect of moviemaking, find inspiring collaborators, make sense of the financials, and impress industry veterans eager to help you.
It can be expensive, in an industry where nothing is guaranteed. So we’ve made sure the following list includes not just institutions with a proven record of educating Oscar-winning filmmakers, but also those far outside New York City and Los Angeles where you can learn filmmaking from some of the best, at reasonable costs. We’ve even found some well-priced schools within New York and L.A.
Whether you decide to go to film school or not, we hope this list helps you think about what kind of education you need, and want. — Joshua Encinias, Caleb Hammond, Deirdre McCarrick, Tim Molloy and Margeaux Sippell.
U.S. West and Northwest
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING TRAINING
AFI Conservatory
(Los Angeles)
Counting David Lynch, Patty Jenkins, Andrea Arnold, Terrence Malick and John McTiernan among its alums, the MFA in Directing at The AFI Conservatory is one of the most impactful film programs in the country. It also offers a two-year MFA degree in cinematography, directing, editing, producing, production design or screenwriting. AFI fellows make between three and 10 films over the two-year program, and students learn about the entire life cycle of a film, from development through production and exhibition. Directing head Adam Salky helps fellows through the entire process with the help of guests such as Paul Thomas Anderson, Guillermo del Toro and Matt Reeves. Fellows’ thesis films are screened as part of the annual AFI Fest, and they are connected with influential artists and key industry players. Just this year, AFI alum Siân Heder’s feature CODA won Best Picture at The Academy Awards. Last year it won big at Sundance and was acquired by Apple for $25 million. Oh, the places you’ll go, indeed.
Learning advanced cinematography at ArtCenter College of Design, one of MovieMaker‘s Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada. Photo by Juan Posada, courtesy of ArtCenter College of Design.
OUTSTANDING VISUAL DESIGN TRAINING
ArtCenter College of Design
(Pasadena, California)
Attending a film school within an art and design college means ArtCenter students flourish in a culture of using stellar visuals to communicate their ambitious ideas — and to leave audiences in awe. Alums include action maestros Michael Bay and Zack Snyder. The school offers both an MFA and BFA in film, which will lure any artist with an eye for technical precision. It offers a hands-on production program where students learn through creation, and shapes each student to form a cohesive vision for balancing life, work, and managing a career as a filmmaker. And the knowledge students will gain comes fresh from film sets: “All our instructors are working professionals, which means their war stories are hours old, not years old,” says Ross LaManna, chair of the undergraduate and graduate film departments.
OUTSTANDING ANIMATION TRAINING
California Institute of the Arts
(Santa Clarita, California)
For students who thrive in experimental, creatively rich environments fit for the likes of Tim Burton (‘79), CalArts can’t be beat. It’s also second to none if you’re interested in animation and respect the craftsmanship of films like Frozen, WALL-E, The Lion King or Toy Story. “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,” says writer-director Tariq Tapa (’08). It offers programs in character animation, experimental animation, film and video, and film directing.
OUTSTANDING PRODUCING TRAINING
University of California, Los Angeles
UCLA’s two-year producers program is an intimate, prestigious opportunity that ensures hands-on attention from a host of seasoned Hollywood veterans who teach and guest lecture. Past mentors have included Frank Marshall and Matthew Weiner. Lisa Reeve manages the program and runs the UCLA film & television internship program, helping students score great opportunities at nearby production companies and studios. From executive producer and TV writer Danielle Sanchez-Witzel (The New Girl), to vice president of Legendary Pictures Josh Feldman, past producers program graduates can be found all over the industry. (Case in point: 2006 and ’07 producers program graduates Nick Spicer, Aram Tertzakian, and Nate Bolotin teamed up to produce 2011’s Indonesian action thriller The Raid.) Each year the producers program puts on the Transforming Hollywood conference, which encourages dialogue between creators, producers, executives and top researchers to examine how transmedia works and what it means.
OUTSTANDING TELEVISION AND FILM PRODUCTION TRAINING
California State University, Northridge
(Los Angeles)
Students at Cal State Northridge’s Cinema and Arts department can take advantage of the school’s extensive relationships with studios, networks and production companies to gain access to internships and jobs, and tap into experienced faculty members who belong to organizations such as the Directors Guild of America, Writers Guild of America, Producers Guild of America and the American Society of Cinematographers. They can also congregate with other student filmmakers and film enthusiasts at the CSUN Cinematheque, a screening program in the Elaine and Alan Armer Screening Room, a 130-seat motion picture theater on campus that is the only venue of its kind in the San Fernando Valley. Opportunities for collaboration abound.
Our list of the Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada continues on the next page…
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