At the world-renowned American Film Institute Conservatory, a dedicated group of working professionals from the film and television communities serve as mentors in a hands-on, production-based environment nurturing the talents of tomorrow's storytellers. The Conservatory is consistently recognized as one of the world’s top film schools.
With an emphasis on narrative visual storytelling and personal expression, each class breaks into teams that mirror a real production environment. Those teams collaborate on and produce more films than any other graduate level film program. Established in 1969, the two-year Master of Fine Arts program provides training in six filmmaking disciplines: Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and Screenwriting.
Admission to AFI Conservatory is highly selective, with a maximum of only 140 graduates per year. AFI alumni continually celebrate critical recognition, including wins at the Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, and Grand Prizes at the Cannes Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival making one of the most rewarded film school in the world.
Three AFI Thesis Films won a 2019 Student Academy Award in the Narrative category for Domestic Film Schools.
NOTABLE ALUMNI
DIRECTING
Terrence Malick l directing
BADLANDS, THE TREE OF LIFE, THE THIN RED LINE
Paul Schrader l directing
RAGING BULL, TAXI DRIVER (both as writer)
David Lynch l directing
BLUE VELVET, MULHOLLAND DRIVE, THE ELEPHANT MAN
Andrea Arnold l directing
FISH TANK, RED ROAD, AMERICAN HONEY, TRANSPARENT
Darren Aronofsky l directing
BLACK SWAN, REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, THE WRESTLER, NOAH, PI
Patty Jenkins l directing
WONDER WOMAN, MONSTER
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Robert Richardson l cinematography
DJANGO UNCHAINED, INGLOURIOUS BASTARDS, SHUTTER ISLAND, THE HATEFUL EIGHT
Rachel Morrison | cinematography
MUDBOUND, BLACK PANTHER, FRUITVIALE STATION
Robert Elswit | cinematography
THERE WILL BE BLOOD, BOOGIE NIGHTS, GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK
Janus Kaminski | cinematography
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, SCHINDLER'S LIST, LINCOLN, READY PLAYER ONE
Matthew Libatique | cinematography
IRON MAN, PI, A STAR IS BORN
Wally Pfister| cinematography
INCEPTION, THE DARK KNIGHT
PRODUCING
Steve Golin | producing
BABEL, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, SPOTLIGHT, THE REVENANT
David Gross | producing
ROOM, GOON: THE LAST OF THE ENFORCERS, WHAT IF, GOON, KIN
Eric Watson | producing
REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, THE FOUNTAIN, PI, AFTERMATH, VIRGINIA
SCREENWRITING
John Shiban l screenwriting
BREAKING BAD, THE X-FILES
David Arata | screenwriting
CHILDREN OF MEN, SPY GAME
Scott Frank | screenwriting
MINORITY REPORT, OUT OF SIGHT, THE LOOKOUT, LOGAN
EDITING
Victor Du Bois | editing
THE LAST SAMURAI, GREY'S ANATOMY, I'M DYING UP HERE, FEAR THE WALKING DEAD
Affonso Gonçalves | editing
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD, TRUE DETECTIVE, WINTER'S BONE, CAROL
Andrew Max Cahn | production design
UP IN THE AIR, THE HANGOVER, THIS IS 40, THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS (all as Art Director)
Sharon Seymour | production design
THE TOWN, THE IDEAS OF MARCH, ARGO, GONE BABY GONE, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, BAD SANTA