AFI CONSERVATORY

At the world-renowned AFI 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 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 (Wally Pfister, INCEPTION, cinematography class of 1988), Emmy Awards (Dante Di Loreto, TEMPLE GRANDIN, producing class of 1991), Tony Awards (Anne Garefino, The Book of Mormon, producing class of 1988) and the Grand Prizes at the Cannes Film Festival (Terrence Malick, TREE OF LIFE, directing class of 1969) and Sundance Film Festival (Drake Doremus, LIKE CRAZY, directing class of 2005). Most recently, multiple AFI alumni received 2011 Emmy Award nominations, including Patty Jenkins (THE KILLING, directing class of 2000), Anne Garefino (SOUTH PARK, producing class of 1988), Brad Falchuk (GLEE, screenwriting class of 1996), Dante Di Loreto (GLEE, producing class of 1991), Bradley Buecker (GLEE, directing class of 2003), Jeremy Podeswa (BOARDWALK EMPIRE, directing class of 1984), Manny Cotto (DEXTER, directing class of 1984) and Paul Starkman (TOP CHEF, cinematography class of 1998).