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Cinematography

Directing

Editing

Producing

Production Design

Screenwriting

AFI Conservatory Guests

Chad Stahelski on Directing JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert on EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
Todd Field on Making his film TÁR
Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin on Making ELVIS
Director Joseph Kosinski on Making TOP GUN: MAVERICK
Gina Prince-Bythewood on THE WOMAN KING
Ruben Östlund on Making the Vomiting Scene in TRIANGLE OF SADNESS
Lena Dunham on CATHERINE CALLED BIRDY
Guillermo del Toro on NIGHTMARE ALLEY
Ron Howard on THIRTEEN LIVES
S. S. Rajamouli on RRR
John Patton Ford on Making EMILY THE CRIMINAL
Matt Reeves on THE BATMAN
Denis Villeneuve on DUNE
Siân Heder on CODA
Chloe Okuno and Michael Block on WATCHER
Kogonada on AFTER YANG
Gus Van Sant on MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO
Writer/director Nicholas Stoller on BROS.
Phyllis Nagy on CALL JANE
In Conversation: JD Dillard on DEVOTION
In Conversation: Lukas Dhont on Making CLOSE
Elegance Bratton on Making THE INSPECTION
Colm Bairéad on Making THE QUIET GIRL
Martin McDonagh on Making THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
In Conversation: Elvis Mitchell on IS THAT BLACK ENOUGH FOR YOU?!?
A.V. Rockwell on her film A THOUSAND AND ONE
Bill Lawrence on SHRINKING and TED LASSO
In Conversation: James L. Brooks and Julie Ansell on ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT'S ME, MARGARET
Santiago Limón on LA USURPADORA: THE MUSICAL
MORE VIDEOS
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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

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.

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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®

13
Nominations

4
Wins

Emmy Awards®

96
Nominations
15
Wins

Major Festivals

670
Alumni on
414
Films
AFI DOCS, AFI FEST, Berlin, Cannes, London, New York, Sundance, SXSW, Telluride, Toronto, Tribeca and Venice

Festivals updated as of Mar. 28, 2022

Awards updated as of Mar. 17, 2023

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

60%are women
51%of the domestic Fellows are filmmakers of color
44%are international

Updated as of Feb. 9, 2023

Slide
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

Grateful for the amazing turnout at our #AFIConservatory Alumni BBQ! It was a blast reconnecting with old friends and making new memories. Here’s to the power of our #AFIAlumni community! ...

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🎥 🏆 AFI alum, Sarah Anne Pierpont is lighting up the film world as an Emerging Cinematographer Awards honoree! We’re counting down the days until we celebrate the talented filmmaker next month at the only award show in the industry that specifically celebrates the work of up-and-coming cinematographers. #juliet #AFIThesisfFim #ECAawards #aficonservatory

#afialumni #cinematography #cinematographer #thesisfilm #emerging #filmmakers
...

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AFI alum @mimi.leder is featured the @nytimes this week and talks about AFI, her incredible career and the latest season of her acclaimed TV series @themorningshow. Read the interview at link in bio. #AFIAlumni #AFIConservatory

#mimileder #afi #themorningshow #nytimes #womendirect #femalefilmmakers
...

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Congratulations to a man who has been a guiding light to filmmakers all over the world. We’re excited that #AFIConservatory Cinematography Head Stephen Lighthill, ASC will be awarded the ASC Mentor Award at the International Cinematographers Guild’s annual Emerging Cinematographer Awards. #ECAwards ...

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🎬 🍿 Not only did audiences love the amazing AFI alumni films at this year’s Telluride Film Festival, but critics definitely did, too! #telluridefilmfestival #afialumni

#aficonservatory #telluride #filmfestival #movies #films
...

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Applications to the AFI Conservatory open on Thursday, and we have answers to all of your questions about the what the process entails. Join us for a free virtual info session with the AFI Admissions team this Friday at 9:30am PT. RSVP at link in bio. #aficonservatory #afi #filmschool #apply #graduateschool #learnfilmmaking ...

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The AFI Conservatory Telluride FilmLAB is back! This year’s cohort of AFI Fellows took a break from learning from world-class filmmakers at THE SHOW for this great group shot. #telluridefilmfestival #aficonservatory #afi #telluride #filmlab #filmschool ...

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In just one week! Applications to the #AFIConservatory open on Thursday, September 7. Learn more at AFI.edu. ...

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We definitely think filmmaker @adeleblim is making all the right decisions these days. 🎬 Watch the rest of this insightful AFI Conservatory seminar with the #JoyRide director right now at link in bio. #aficonservatory #directing #guestlecture #filmschool #adelelim ...

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@weweremeantto is unstoppable! 🪽 Congrats to these AFI filmmakers on yet another big win for this AFI thesis film. @hollyshorts

⭐️ @tari.wariebi (AFI Class of 2020), Writer/Director
⭐️ @chrislicud (AFI Class of 2019), Writer
⭐️ @jordanvtyner (AFI Class of 2020), Producer
⭐️ @veronica.bouza (AFI Class of 2020), Cinematographer
⭐️ @luodaweixiao (AFI Class of 2020), Editor
⭐️ @rhea_solanki (AFI Class of 2020), Production Designer

#weweremeantto #afi #thesis #film #studentfilm #aficonservatory #afialumni #hollyshorts #hollywood #shortfilm
...

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The AFI film #Skin is one step closer to being a #StudentAcademyAwards winner. Congratulations to these AFI alums on their film being named as a Finalist. 🎉 🎉 🎉 #aficonservatory #filmschool #studentfilm #afi @theacademy

Director/Writer/Cinematographer: @dp_leobehrens
Producer: @ilayda.cetink
Production Designer: @mojo4magic
Editor: @alearmiijo
...

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#1 two years in a row! 🎥🌟 Thanks to all of the AFI Conservatory Faculty, Fellows & Alumni, for their passion of educating the next generation of filmmakers. We’re very proud of each and every one of you. Read more at link in bio. #aficonservatory #filmschool #afi #afifamily #afialumni #afifaculty #afifellows ...

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