Columbia University Film Program

Overview

Columbia University's Film MFA program, housed within the School of the Arts, is a graduate-only program offering concentrations in screenwriting/directing and creative producing. The program receives over 800 applications per year and admits an average incoming class of 72 students. Annual tuition for 2025-2026 is $77,840, with total cost of attendance (including fees, health insurance, and living expenses) reaching approximately $115,068 per year. The program is need-blind in admissions and distributes over $18 million annually in student support.

The program is located in Manhattan's Morningside Heights neighborhood, giving students direct access to New York City's independent film community, literary agencies, production companies, and media networks. Columbia draws faculty from working professionals in New York's film and television industry, and students can take courses across the university's departments including journalism, business, and literature.

Columbia's film program is smaller than those at USC or NYU, which creates a close-knit cohort environment. The program's philosophy centers on the idea that strong filmmakers must be strong storytellers first. Students write and develop their own material before moving into production, producing graduates who are deeply involved in the writing process.

Programs Offered

• MFA in Film (Screenwriting/Directing): A program that combines writing and directing into a single track. Students complete two years of full-time coursework at full tuition, then may register for Research Arts status in a third year to complete their thesis project at a significantly reduced tuition rate ($6,436 for 2025-2026, plus a thesis fee of $5,536).
• MFA in Creative Producing: A program covering development, financing, physical production, and distribution strategy. Smaller cohort than the screenwriting/directing track.
• MFA in Screenwriting: A dedicated writing track focused on feature film, television, and digital storytelling.

All MFA programs require at least two consecutive years of full-time study. Fall admission only; no students are admitted for the spring semester.

Admission Requirements

The application deadline for Fall 2026 admission was Tuesday, December 16, 2025 at 11:59 PM ET. The application fee is $110 (non-refundable). Applicants must submit:

• Completed online application
• Autobiographical essay (4-6 double-spaced pages)
• Dramatic writing sample (max 10 pages, in screenplay format)
• Feature film treatment
• Response to a short film prompt (changes annually)
• Letters of recommendation (at least one academic reference if degree completed within past 5 years)
• Undergraduate transcripts (baccalaureate degree required at time of matriculation)

Applicants may only submit one Film MFA application per year. No prior film experience or specific undergraduate degree is required, but applicants must demonstrate familiarity with major issues and artists in cinema.

Tuition and Financial Aid

2025-2026 Tuition and Fees (First and Second Year):

• Tuition: $77,840
• Career Services fee: $170
• Student Activity fee: $110
• University Services and Support fee: $1,236
• Health Services fee: $1,446
• Medical Insurance: $5,367
• Total estimated cost of attendance: ~$115,068 per year

Research Arts Year (Third Year and Beyond):

• Tuition: $6,436
• Film MFA Thesis Fee: $5,536
• Additional fees and insurance: ~$8,329
• Total estimated cost: ~$49,200

Columbia School of the Arts provides over $18 million annually in student support through tuition scholarships, paid student positions, and teaching assistantships. A limited number of two-year Teaching Assistantships pay over $24,000. Priority for scholarship support goes to first- and second-year MFA students completing coursework at the full tuition rate. Scholarship support is typically not available during the Research Arts (thesis) year.

U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents must complete the FAFSA by February 1 for federal aid consideration. All MFA applicants wishing to be considered for institutional aid must complete the School of the Arts Financial Aid Application by February 1. The admissions process is need-blind.

Standout Faculty

Columbia's film faculty is composed of working writer-directors and screenwriters who teach the core writing, directing, and producing workshops. The program's philosophy, that strong filmmakers must be strong storytellers first, is reflected in a faculty roster weighted toward screenwriters and writer-directors.

• Dan Kleinman - Taught screenwriting at Columbia since 1996. Former chair of Film for five years and acting dean of the School of the Arts for three years. Co-wrote Tel Aviv on Fire (2018), which won the Ophir (Israeli Oscar) and the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Screenplay. Mentor at the Sundance screenwriting lab in Utah and at labs in Belgium and Uganda.
• Andy Bienen - MFA from Columbia. Co-wrote Boys Don't Cry (1999) with director Kimberly Peirce, which won the Academy Award for Best Actress and was added to the National Film Registry in 2019. Teaches screenwriting.
• Rania Attieh - Teaches Directing since 2018. Guggenheim and Rockefeller Fellow. Her film Initials SG won the Nora Ephron Award at Tribeca and was acquired by HBO. Television directing credits include Peacock's The Resort and Netflix's Two Sentence Horror Stories.
• Minhal Baig - Assistant Professor of Film. Director of We Grown Now (2023, TIFF Changemaker Award, Sony Pictures Classics release) and Hala (2019 Sundance, Apple release). Co-executive producer on Bojack Horseman and staff writer on Ramy.
• Christina Choe - Adjunct Assistant Professor. Her debut feature Nancy won the Waldo Salt Best Screenplay Award at Sundance 2018. Directed episodes of The Handmaid's Tale, Jordan Peele's The Twilight Zone, and The Act.
• Tony Bui - Artist in Residence. His feature debut Three Seasons won the Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award, and Best Cinematography Award at Sundance, plus two Independent Spirit Award nominations. Humanitas Prize recipient.
• Blair Singer - Associate Professor of Television Studies and Concentration Head of the Screenwriting Program. Writer on Weeds and Monk. Spearheaded the three-year TV writing concentration that breaks down silos between playwrights, screenwriters, and nonfiction writers.

What Students Should Know

The integrated screenwriting/directing curriculum means students spend their first year taking the same core classes: Screenwriting & Directing, Creative Producing, and Writing for Film & Television. After the first year, students take specialized coursework in their chosen concentration. The thesis workshop is where students develop the projects that become their calling cards after graduation.

Columbia thesis films regularly screen at Sundance, Cannes, SXSW, and other major festivals. The program has a dedicated Industry and Festival Outreach staff member, and an Alumni Mentorship program run by the Columbia Film Advisory Committee that connects recent graduates with established alumni.

The financial investment is significant. Two years of full tuition plus New York City living costs total over $200,000 before thesis year. Students who need a third year to complete their thesis pay a reduced rate but still face substantial costs. Columbia's Ivy League reputation and alumni network can accelerate career trajectories, but applicants should carefully evaluate the financial calculus before committing.

Notable Alumni

Columbia film alumni include:

• Kathryn Bigelow (MFA '79): First woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director, for The Hurt Locker (2008). Also directed Zero Dark Thirty, Point Break, and Strange Days.

• Jennifer Lee (MFA '05): Academy Award-winning writer and co-director of Frozen (2013) and Frozen 2 (2019). Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios from 2018 to 2024.

• James Mangold (MFA '99): Director of Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma, Logan, Ford v Ferrari, and A Complete Unknown. Received the Sundance Trailblazer Award at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival Gala.
• Simon Kinberg: Writer/producer of the X-Men franchise, Deadpool, and The Martian.
• Lisa Cholodenko: Director of The Kids Are All Right (2010), Academy Award nominee for Best Original Screenplay.
• Nicole Holofcener: Director of Enough Said, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, and You Hurt My Feelings.

Student Film Examples

Columbia thesis films screen at the Columbia University Film Festival, the program's annual showcase, and regularly advance to major festivals. The program has a dedicated Industry and Festival Outreach staff member and an Alumni Mentorship program that connects recent graduates with established alumni.

Notable thesis outcomes include Saim Sadiq (MFA 2018), whose Columbia thesis work and Kodak Student Scholarship Gold Award directly preceded his feature debut Joyland (2022), which won the Jury Prize and Queer Palm in Un Certain Regard at Cannes and was Pakistan's official submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Kanari, the thesis film of Erlendur Sveinsson, won the Vimeo Staff Pick Award at the 2019 Aspen Shortsfest. Motherland by Christina Yoon became an Oscar-qualifying short after winning Best Director at the 2023 HollyShorts Film Festival. How Far She Went, the thesis of Chloe Lenihan, won the DGA Award for Best Female Student Filmmaker in 2016. Confirmation by Nana Duffuor was the first Columbia student film produced in Ghana and premiered at BAM in 2023.

Columbia thesis films are typically hosted on Vimeo rather than YouTube during their festival run, so embedded examples are limited. The program's Columbia University Film Festival site lists the current year's selections.

Watch: Student Work & Program Info

See Also

For strategies on navigating the festival circuit with student films, see Film Festival Strategy. To estimate post-production costs for your thesis project, use the Post-Production Timeline Calculator. For evaluating the financial return on a film school investment, use the Ad Spend Break Even Calculator.