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AFI Conservatory Guests

Guillermo del Toro: "Making Art Requires Everything You Are"
Guillermo del Toro: "Making Art Requires Everything You Are"
Chloé Zhao on Cast and Crew Bringing Emotion to the Set of HAMNET
Chloé Zhao on Cast and Crew Bringing Emotion to the Set of HAMNET
SENTIMENTAL VALUE Joachim Trier On Working with Actors
SENTIMENTAL VALUE Joachim Trier On Working with Actors
Joachim Trier On SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Joachim Trier On SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Will Tracy on Writing BUGONIA | AFI Conservatory
Will Tracy on Writing BUGONIA | AFI Conservatory
Yorgos Lanthimos on BUGONIA and Working with Editor Yorgos “Blackfish” Mavropsaridis | AFI
Yorgos Lanthimos on BUGONIA and Working with Editor Yorgos “Blackfish” Mavropsaridis | AFI
Danny DeVito: "Be kind, Be Mindful of Everybody's Space"
Danny DeVito: "Be kind, Be Mindful of Everybody's Space"
Danny DeVito: Never Feel Like You Didn’t Give It a Try
Danny DeVito: Never Feel Like You Didn’t Give It a Try
Akinola Davies Jr. on Why He Shot MY FATHER’S SHADOW on Film
Akinola Davies Jr. on Why He Shot MY FATHER’S SHADOW on Film
Noah Baumbach on Writing and the Musicality of Words
Noah Baumbach on Writing and the Musicality of Words
Chloé Zhao on the Artist’s Journey: “Surrender to Not Knowing”
Chloé Zhao on the Artist’s Journey: “Surrender to Not Knowing”
How TRON: ARES Writer Jesse Wigutow Approaches Screenwriting
How TRON: ARES Writer Jesse Wigutow Approaches Screenwriting
Ari Aster: "After AFI, I understood what it meant to direct"
Ari Aster: "After AFI, I understood what it meant to direct"
ADOLESCENCE Co-Creators Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne on Making their Acclaimed TV Drama
ADOLESCENCE Co-Creators Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne on Making their Acclaimed TV Drama
Behind the Scenes: Erin Foster on Making NOBODY WANTS THIS
Behind the Scenes: Erin Foster on Making NOBODY WANTS THIS
Peter Berg Breaks Down American Primeval
Peter Berg Breaks Down American Primeval
BOB TREVINO LIKES IT Filmmaker Conversation at AFI
BOB TREVINO LIKES IT Filmmaker Conversation at AFI
A Conversation with Deniese Davis & Monique Dias on ONE OF THEM DAYS
A Conversation with Deniese Davis & Monique Dias on ONE OF THEM DAYS
A Conversation with MARIA Cinematographer Ed Lachman
A Conversation with MARIA Cinematographer Ed Lachman
A Conversation with THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG's Mohammad Rasoulof & Setareh Maleki
A Conversation with THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG's Mohammad Rasoulof & Setareh Maleki
EMILIA PÉREZ Director/Writer/Producer Jacques Audiard on David Lynch
EMILIA PÉREZ Director/Writer/Producer Jacques Audiard on David Lynch
Jesse Eisenberg Discusses His Film A REAL PAIN
Jesse Eisenberg Discusses His Film A REAL PAIN
A Conversation with Azazel Jacobs on HIS THREE DAUGHTERS
A Conversation with Azazel Jacobs on HIS THREE DAUGHTERS
A Conversation with JT Mollner & Giovanni Ribisi on STRANGE DARLING
A Conversation with JT Mollner & Giovanni Ribisi on STRANGE DARLING
RaMell Ross on the Friendship of the Characters in NICKEL BOYS
RaMell Ross on the Friendship of the Characters in NICKEL BOYS
Malcolm Washington on his film THE PIANO LESSON
Malcolm Washington on his film THE PIANO LESSON
Sean Wang on his film DÌDI
Sean Wang on his film DÌDI
Anna Kendrick Discusses Her Film WOMAN OF THE HOUR
Anna Kendrick Discusses Her Film WOMAN OF THE HOUR
In Conversation with THE SUBSTANCE Filmmaker Coralie Fargeat
In Conversation with THE SUBSTANCE Filmmaker Coralie Fargeat
Halfdan Ullmann Tøndell on ARMAND
Halfdan Ullmann Tøndell on ARMAND
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AFI Conservatory News

AFI Announces Quinta Brunson as Keynote Speaker at AFI DWW+ Showcase

Oscar-Nominated Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw to Receive American Film Institute’s 32nd Annual Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal

What to Watch: AFI Alumni Projects | March 2026

Film School in Los Angeles CA, Best Film School Hollywood, AFI Conservatory

A Training Ground for Filmmakers

At the AFI Conservatory we believe in filmmaking first. Filmmakers come to AFI because they are guaranteed to make movies, and to master not only the tools, but also the art of storytelling. AFI isn’t like any other graduate film school in Los Angeles or the nation. Think of us like the most prolific content creators in Hollywood. Fellows collectively create up to 175 films a year across six disciplines in the master’s degree program: Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and Screenwriting.

LEARN MORE

Learn from Acclaimed Filmmakers

Led by Hollywood icon James L. Brooks as Artistic Director, AFI Conservatory Faculty and seminar guests are working filmmakers who bring decades of award-winning experience as real-world, professionals and transformative leaders in their field.

WATCH SEMINARS

Jesse Eisenberg Speaks To AFI Fellows About His Film A REAL PAIN

A Bridge to the Film and TV Industry

As a top-ranked film school located in Los Angeles, the AFI Conservatory MFA program is more than an academic experience in the art of moviemaking — it’s about connecting you with influential artists in the field, and with key players in the industry, to get your career off the ground right after graduation. Through a carefully curated series of programs and opportunities that happen year-round right in the middle of Hollywood, you will have the best possible launchpad for success.

Scholarship Opportunities

The AFI Conservatory offers scholarships to help incoming and current AFI Fellows pay for their MFA film school education. Scholarships are based on merit and financial need. Several scholarships are available for Fellows from underrepresented communities, specific nationalities and Conservatory disciplines.

LEARN MORE

Alumni Recognition

Last Five Years

After their MFA film school training, AFI Conservatory filmmakers go on to make enormous cultural impact that resonates and endures far beyond the halls of AFI.

Academy Awards®

15
Nominations

4
Wins

Emmy Awards®

87
Nominations
19
Wins

Major Festivals

350
Alumni on
481
Films
AFI DOCS, AFI FEST, Berlin, Cannes, London, New York, Sundance, SXSW, Telluride, Toronto, Tribeca and Venice

Festivals updated as of Jan. 1, 2024

Awards updated as of Mar. 11, 2024

Diversity at a Glance

The AFI Conservatory is committed to nurturing fresh perspectives from diverse voices.

“The AFI experience is transformational. This is a place where ideas of all sorts and all perspectives come to blossom. The relationships and the skills you foster here are the ones that will carry you throughout your entire career.”

–Joyce Liu-Countryman, AFI Producing Class of 2018

Of 277 Year 1 and Year 2 Fellows currently enrolled at the AFI Conservatory in Los Angeles:

51%are women
40%of the domestic Fellows are filmmakers of color
49%are international

Updated as of Sep. 18, 2024

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The American Film Institute believes in the power of diverse voices to drive culture forward.

We strive to cultivate and sustain an inclusive environment at AFI that actively affirms and is respectful of the identities of all people across genders, abilities, ethnicities, sexual orientations, socioeconomic backgrounds and ideological perspectives – and one where self-reflection, honesty and accountability are practiced.

At AFI, we are responsible for the community we build and the stories we tell.

#AFICONSERVATORY

At AFI, filmmakers learn by doing. Editing Discipline Head Robert Ivison, ACE, shares how Fellows learn directly from working Hollywood editors. Applications to the Editing Discipline close May 1. Apply today at AFI.edu.

#AFIConservatory #Apply #FilmSchool #GraduateSchool #Editing

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At AFI, filmmakers learn by doing. Editing Discipline Head Robert Ivison, ACE, shares how Fellows learn directly from working Hollywood editors. Applications to the Editing Discipline close May 1. Apply today at AFI.edu. #AFIConservatory #Apply #FilmSchool #GraduateSchool #Editing

🎬 At AFI, you learn from the masters. Chloé Zhao joined AFI Fellows for a special screening of HAMNET, offering insight into how collaboration and trust translated into authentic emotion on screen.

#AFIConservatory #GuestLecture #FilmSchool #Hamnet #ChloéZhao

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🎬 At AFI, you learn from the masters. Chloé Zhao joined AFI Fellows for a special screening of HAMNET, offering insight into how collaboration and trust translated into authentic emotion on screen. #AFIConservatory #GuestLecture #FilmSchool #Hamnet #ChloéZhao

🎬 We’re honored to announce Quinta Brunson will be the Keynote Speaker for the #AFIDWW+ Showcase on March 4. The Emmy® Award-winning triple threat will join us in celebrating the AFI DWW+ Class of 2026 as they premiere their bold new films. Learn more at the link in bio. ✨

#AFIConservatory #Filmmaking #QuintaBrunson

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🎬 We’re honored to announce Quinta Brunson will be the Keynote Speaker for the #AFIDWW+ Showcase on March 4. The Emmy® Award-winning triple threat will join us in celebrating the AFI DWW+ Class of 2026 as they premiere their bold new films. Learn more at the link in bio. ✨ #AFIConservatory #Filmmaking #QuintaBrunson

🎬 At AFI, you learn from the masters. Editor Stephen Mirrione joined #AFIConservatory Fellows for an exclusive masterclass, sharing his approach to shaping F1: THE MOVIE. #GuestLecture #FilmSchool #Editing

Ready to turn your filmmaking dreams into reality? Applications remain open for AFI’s Editing and Production Design disciplines through May 1. Apply today at AFI.edu.

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🎬 At AFI, you learn from the masters. Editor Stephen Mirrione joined #AFIConservatory Fellows for an exclusive masterclass, sharing his approach to shaping F1: THE MOVIE. #GuestLecture #FilmSchool #Editing Ready to turn your filmmaking dreams into reality? Applications remain open for AFI’s Editing and Production Design disciplines through May 1. Apply today at AFI.edu.

🎬 At AFI, you learn from the masters. Guillermo del Toro joined AFI Fellows for an exclusive conversation about FRANKENSTEIN, including sharing that "making art requires everything you are."

#AFIConservatory #GuestLecture #FilmSchool #GuillermodelToro #Frankenstein

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🎬 At AFI, you learn from the masters. Guillermo del Toro joined AFI Fellows for an exclusive conversation about FRANKENSTEIN, including sharing that "making art requires everything you are." #AFIConservatory #GuestLecture #FilmSchool #GuillermodelToro #Frankenstein

🎬 At AFI, you learn from the masters. Academy Award nominee director/co-writer #JoachimTrier spoke with #AFIConservatory Fellows about SENTIMENTAL VALUE and his process of collaborating with actors to shape authentic performances.

#GuestLecture #FilmSchool #SentimentalValue

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🎬 At AFI, you learn from the masters. Academy Award nominee director/co-writer #JoachimTrier spoke with #AFIConservatory Fellows about SENTIMENTAL VALUE and his process of collaborating with actors to shape authentic performances. #GuestLecture #FilmSchool #SentimentalValue

🎬 At AFI, you learn from the masters. Director, screenwriter, producer and co-editor Kahlil Joseph, producer Onye Anyanwu (AFI Class of 2011) and editor Luke Lynch (AFI Class of 2009) joined Fellows of the #AFIConservatory for an inspiring conversation about their creative journeys and their latest project, BLKNWS: TERMS & CONDITIONS.

Ready to turn your filmmaking dreams into reality? 🎥 Applications remain open for AFI’s #Editing and #ProductionDesign disciplines through May 1. Apply today at AFI.edu.

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🎬 At AFI, you learn from the masters. Director, screenwriter, producer and co-editor Kahlil Joseph, producer Onye Anyanwu (AFI Class of 2011) and editor Luke Lynch (AFI Class of 2009) joined Fellows of the #AFIConservatory for an inspiring conversation about their creative journeys and their latest project, BLKNWS: TERMS & CONDITIONS. Ready to turn your filmmaking dreams into reality? 🎥 Applications remain open for AFI’s #Editing and #ProductionDesign disciplines through May 1. Apply today at AFI.edu.

🎬 At AFI, you learn from the masters. The #AFIConservatory welcomed director and producer @paulfeig for an exclusive screening of THE HOUSEMAID, followed by an inspiring conversation with Fellows on the art of filmmaking. #GuestLecture #FilmSchool

Ready to turn your filmmaking dreams into reality? 🎥 Applications remain open for AFI’s #Editing and #ProductionDesign disciplines through May 1. Apply today at AFI.edu.

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🎬 At AFI, you learn from the masters. The #AFIConservatory welcomed director and producer @paulfeig for an exclusive screening of THE HOUSEMAID, followed by an inspiring conversation with Fellows on the art of filmmaking. #GuestLecture #FilmSchool Ready to turn your filmmaking dreams into reality? 🎥 Applications remain open for AFI’s #Editing and #ProductionDesign disciplines through May 1. Apply today at AFI.edu.

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