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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.

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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.

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

56%are women
45%of the domestic Fellows are filmmakers of color
47%are international

Updated as of Oct. 15, 2023

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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

Melina Matsoukas is indeed magical! Excited that the AFI alum will receive the Auteur Award at next week’s @IndieWire Honors. #aficonservatory #afialumni @msmelina ...

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Watch #ItLivesInside writer/director Bishal Dutta talk about infusing culture into the horror genre in this exclusive clip from his visit to the #AFIConservatory. You can hear the entire conversation at link in the bio. #afi #filmschool #guestlecture ...

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🎥 Shot by shot, AFI alums @stevenfierberg and @amyvvincent have redefined excellence. Excited to see these brilliant cinematographers receive well-deserved honors for their outstanding work. #afialumni #ASC #cinematographers #cinematography #filmmaking #filmschool #aficonservatory ...

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Grateful for the Disney/AFI Underrepresented Storytellers Initiative and the opportunity to help launch these emerging filmmakers’ work! Congrats to this year’s grant recipients Sophia Youssef, Paige Compton, Razzaaq Boykin and Blake Pickens who screened their new films on the AFI Campus! Pictured with the AFI Conservatory’s Chris Schwartz, Senior Manager Alumni Affairs (far left) & The Walt Disney Company’s Phillip Yaw Domfeh, Senior Manager Launchpad (far right). #Disney #AFIConservatory #Underrepresentedvoices ...

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🏆 ✨AFI Conservatory Cinematography Discipline Head Stephen Lighthill, ASC was honored yet again this past weekend. This time with The Distinguished Artist Award at the Ojai Film Festival. We could have told you that. Congratulations, sir. 🎉

@lighthillasc #aficonservatory #cinematography #ojaifilmfestival #filmschool
...

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@samesmail had a lot of great insight into filmmaking after the world premiere of his film #LeaveTheWorldBehind. Watch the full conversation at link in bio. #AFIFEST #afialumni #aficonservatory #samesmail ...

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Opening Night at #AFIFEST was a night to remember ✨💫

#leavetheworldbehind #samesmail #aficonservatory #afialumni
...

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Team AFI with the gold! 🏆 Congratulations to #SKIN director/writer/cinematographer Leo Behrens for being honored with a Gold medal in the Alternative/Experimental category in the 50th #StudentAcademyAwards, and producer Ilayda Cetinkaya, production designer Mojo Wen and editor Alejandra Armijo Cruz for their incredible work on the film. #afialumni #aficonservatory ...

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A special thanks to #FairPlay writer/director @chloe_domont for stopping by AFI Campus to talk to Fellows about her new film and share insights on writing from a personal place. Check out the full video of the seminar at link in bio! #aficonservatory #filmschool #guestlecture #filmmaking #netflix #chloedomont #womendirectors ...

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