ABOUT AFI CONSERVATORY
Located in the heart of Hollywood, the American Film Institute Conservatory is a two-year Master of Fine Arts program that seeks to crystallize the unique visions of the next generation of storytellers. With a strong emphasis on narrative filmmaking and personal expression, it is consistently ranked as one of the world’s top film schools in terms of critical and commercial alumni success.
Established in 1969, the Conservatory provides training in six filmmaking disciplines: Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and Screenwriting. Admission to the AFI Conservatory is highly selective, with 140 graduates per year, and students pre-specialize prior to matriculation.
A hands-on, production-based environment and dedicated stable of working film and TV professionals ensure that Fellows hone their craft in line with current professional norms and expectations. In the past year alone, we were taught by 2019 Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner (Chinonye Chukwu), creator of Netflix's The OA (Zal Batmanglij), and the producer of Manchester by the Sea, Good Will Hunting, and American Pie (Chris Moore) -- among others.
For a partial list of notable alumni and their films, see below:
DIRECTING
Darren Aronofsky - Black Swan, The Wrestler, Requiem for a Dream, Mother
Andrea Arnold – Big Little Lies, Wuthering Heights, Fish Tank, American Honey
Gill Dennis – Walk the Line, Riders of the Purple Sage
Amy Heckerling – Clueless, Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Jonathan Levine – 50/50, The Wackness
David Lynch – Blue Velvet, Eraserhead, Mulholland Drive, Twin Peaks
Terrence Malick – The Tree of Life, The Thin Red Line, Badlands
John McTiernan – Die Hard, The Thomas Crown Affair
Paul Schrader – Raging Bull, Taxi Driver
Ed Zwick – Blood Diamond, Glory
PRODUCING
Mikkel Bodesen - Burn Notice, The Killing (Both as Executive Producer)
Julie Dash - The Rosa Parks Story, Daughters of the Dust
Paul Hellerman - Jackie Brown, The Mexican (Both as Co-Producer)
Allison Jones - Veep, Bridesmaids
Stefan Simchowitz - Requiem for a Dream, Wild (Both as Executive Producer)
Heidi Levitt - The Artist, Natural Born Killers
Steve Golin - The Revenant, Spotlight
Pieter Jan Brugge - The Insider, Heat (Both as Executive Producer)
SCREENWRITING
David Arata – Children of Men, Spy Game
Brad Falchuk – American Horror Story, Glee, Nip/Tuck
Scott Frank – Minority Report, Out of Sight
John Shiban – Breaking Bad, The X-Files
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Caleb Deschanel – The Natural, The Right Stuff, The Black Stallion
Robert Elswit – There Will Be Blood, Good Night And Good Luck
Janusz Kamiński – Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List
Rachel Morrison – Fruitvale Station, Cake Dope, Black Panther
Wally Pfister – Inception, The Dark Knight
Robert Richardson – Inglorious Basterds, The Aviator
Matthew Libatique - Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan, Mother!, A Star is Born
EDITING
Victor DuBois – The Last Samurai, Grey's Anatomy
Affonso Gonçalves – Beasts of the Southern Wild, True Detective
Howard Smith – The Abyss, Glengarry Glenross