American Film Institute Conservatory

Los Angeles, CA
2021 N Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027-1625
323-856-7600

The American Film Institute Conservatory (AFI Conservatory) is a private not-for-profit educational institution located in Los Angeles, California. It is dedicated to training filmmakers at the highest level of craft and artistic achievement. The AFI Conservatory offers a two-year Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in six filmmaking disciplines: Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and Screenwriting.

The Conservatory's filmmaking facilities are located on the historic 20th Century Fox backlot in Century City. The Conservatory also operates the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Maryland, which presents art house films and is home to the AFI Silverdocs documentary film festival.

The AFI Conservatory is a program of the American Film Institute (AFI), a non-profit organization that was established in 1967 "to preserve the heritage of the motion picture, to recognize and support the artists who create it, and to educate the next generation of storytellers." The AFI Conservatory was established in 1969 as the first formal training program for filmmakers in the United States.

The Conservatory's founding director, George Stevens, Jr., said that the goal of the MFA program is "to make better filmmakers, not just more filmmakers." The Conservatory has an emphasis on instruction in the technical and artistic aspects of filmmaking, rather than on business or pre-production skills.

The Conservatory accepts up to 140 students per year, divided into six disciplines. Each discipline has its own curriculum and faculty, and students are required to complete a core curriculum in addition to their discipline-specific coursework.

The Conservatory's curriculum is based on the principle of "learning by doing," with an emphasis on hands-on experience. Students are expected to complete up to 70% of their coursework in the form of practical projects, such as films, screenplays, and production designs.

In addition to their coursework, students at the AFI Conservatory are required to participate in a number of extracurricular activities, including the AFI Fellows program, which pairs each student with a mentor in their chosen discipline; the AFI Conservatory Showcase, a student-run film festival; and the AFI Conservatory Works-in-Progress screenings, which give students the opportunity to show their work-in-progress to an audience and receive feedback.

The AFI Conservatory has produced a number of notable alumni, including directors Darren Aronofsky, Terrence Malick, and Robert Rodriguez; producer Scott Rudin; and screenwriters Paul Schrader and Diablo Cody.



Quick Facts

Enrollment: 337

Type: Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

Main Website: https://www.afi.com/

Financial Aid: https://conservatory.afi.com/applying-for-aid/