Ranked the number one film school in the world in 2011 by 'The Hollywood Reporter', the American Film Institute (AFI) is committed to the idea that motion pictures are a major influence on both our culture and society. While teaching the craft of making motion pictures to its distinguished FELLOWS, the AFI Conservatory is dedicated to the art that its various disciplines service - the ART OF STORYTELLING. 

Located in Hollywood, California, the AFI Conservatory has served the moving image arts since its inception in 1969. Following an intensive two-year program focused on production experience and COLLABORATION, the Conservatory awards its Fellows with the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Degree in Directing, Producing, Screenwriting, Cinematography, Production Design, and Editing. Professional faculty members work closely with the Fellows through the time-honored relationship of master and apprentice.

Since the school’s founding, AFI thesis films have garnered numerous awards from prestigious organizations and film festivals around the world. These have included several Oscar nominations for Best Narrative Short (including one win); three Student Academy Awards (Bronze, Silver, and Gold); the Director's Guild of America (DGA) Award; several American Society of Cinematography (ASC) awards; and top honors from the American Cinema Editors (ACE). Traditionally, AFI thesis films are instrumental in launching its Fellows' careers in film. Many alumni have gone on to become world-renowned filmmakers in their own right.

Please visit www.afi.com for more information.

TERRENCE MALICK (DIRECTING 1969) The Tree of Life, Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line, Badlands, The New World

DAVID LYNCH (DIRECTING 1970) Mulholland Drive, Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks (TV), The Elephant Man, Lost Highway

ED ZWICK (DIRECTING 1975) Love and Other Drugs, Glory, The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond, Defiance

DARREN ARONOFSKY (DIRECTING 1992) Black Swan, The Wrestler, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, π

PATTY JENKINS (DIRECTING 2000) Monster, The Killing (TV), Entourage (TV)

PIETER JAN BRUGGE (PRODUCING 1979) The Insider, Heat, Love and Other Drugs, Miami Vice, Fatal Instinct, The Insider

STEVE GOLIN (PRODUCING 1981) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Babel, Being John Malkovich, Nurse Betty

MIKKEL BONDESEN (PRODUCING 1998) The Killing (TV), Burn Notice (TV)

SCOTT FRANK (SCREENWRITING 1984) Minority Report, Out of Sight, The Interpreter, Get Shorty, The Lookout

JOHN SHIBAN (SCREENWRITING 1989) Breaking Bad (TV), The X-Files (TV), Supernatural (TV), Torchwood (TV) 

TOM RICKMAN (SCREENWRITING 1969) Coal Miner's Daughter, Tuesday's with Morie (TV)

ROBERT ELSWIT (CINEMATOGRAPHY 1977) There Will Be Blood; Good Night, and Good Luck.; Magnolia; The Town

ROBERT RICHARDSON (CINEMATOGRAPHY 1979) Hugo, Inglourious Basterds, Kill Bill, Django Unchained, Wall Street

JANUSZ KAMINSKI (CINEMATOGRAPHY 1987) The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List, Munich

WALLY PFISTER (CINEMATOGRAPHY 1988) Inception, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Moneyball, The Prestige

MATTHEW LIBATIQUE (CINEMATOGRAPHY 1992) Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream, Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Fountain

DOUGLAS MOWAT (PRODUCTION DESIGN 1984) Inception, Bridesmaids, The Sixth Sense, Sex and the City (TV), Blow

KITTY DORIS-BATES (PRODUCTION DESIGN 1988) Big Love (TV), The Shield (TV), Up All night (TV), The Comeback (TV)

TODD CHERNIAWSKY (PRODUCTION DESIGN 1993) Avatar, Alice in Wonderland, War of the Worlds, Superman Returns

VICTOR DUBOIS (EDITOR 1976) The Last Samurai, Grey's Anatomy (TV), Justified (TV)

GLORIA VELA (EDITOR 1997) Half-Life; Manic; Robbing Peter; Wednesday Again; Thank You, Good Night

CHRISTOPHER GAY (EDITOR 2006) Mad Men (TV), CSI: NY (TV), Sherman’s Way

For a more comprehensive list, please visit
www.afi.com/conservatory/alumni/alumni.aspx