MFA in Film at Vermont College of Fine Arts Announces Megawatt Line-Up During Upcoming Residency April
-- VCFA's Film School Once Again Bringing Leading Filmmakers and Screenwriters
to Vermont --
Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA), a national center for graduate education in the arts, announced today that top filmmakers, screenwriters, and cinematographers would join the MFA in Film's prominent film faculty for its upcoming residency that will take place on the Montpelier campus from April 27th-May3rd.
"We're very excited to welcome these ground-breaking filmmakers to VCFA," said Stephen Pite, Director of theMFA in Film. "Our film school continues to attract top talent from around the world to work with our students on exciting new trajectories for their work."
SPECIAL GUESTS
CHERIEN DABIS is an award winning film and television writer, director and producer who received her MFA in Film from Columbia University. She began her career in television when she joined the writing staff of Showtime's groundbreaking, original hit series THE L WORD before going on to make her feature writing and directorial debut. AMREEKA (2009) world-premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, opened New York's New Director's/New Films and won the prestigious FIPRESCI award in the Director's Fortnight at Cannes. It was nominated for a Best Picture Gotham Award, 3 Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Picture, and was named one of the Top Ten Independent Films of the Year by the National Board of Review. Last year, Dabis returned to Sundance with her second feature film "May in Summer" (2013), which opened at the U.S. Dramatic Competition and went on to premiere internationally at the Venice Film Festival. The film will be released this July.
DEBRA GRANIK has won a series of awards at the Sundance Film Festival, including Best Short in 1998 forSNAKE FEED, the Dramatic Directing Award in 2004 for her first feature-length film, DOWN TO THE BONE, and the Grand Jury Prize for Drama in 2010 and Prix du Jury at Deauville American Film Festival 2010 for her second feature, WINTER'S BONE. In 2011, she received the Director's Award for Vision and Talent at the Athena Film Festival.
DENIS MALONEY, ASC has worked on more than twenty feature films, most notably the twice Oscar-nominated drama, "The Contender", starring Jeff Bridges, Joan Allen and Gary Oldman, plus David Mamet's, "Edmond", starring William H. Macy and Julia Stiles. He recently completed the thriller "Repentance" with Forest Whitaker. Maloney's television work includes Showtime's acclaimed documentary "20th Century: The Pursuit of Happiness," directed by Robert Zemeckis, plus network movies for NBC, ABC, Fox and Disney. Mr. Maloney is a member of the prestigious American Society of Cinematographers.
ELAINE MACMILLION SHELDON is an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose short and feature works focus on unique individuals with striking and inspiring stories. She uses techniques gained through journalism, in addition to experience in research, audio/video production and photography, to express a story visually through multiple mediums. Raised in Southern West Virginia, Elaine has traveled all over the world for work, school, and pleasure. Elaine has won several journalism awards and received the "Director's Choice" and "Audience Choice" awards at the West Virginia Filmmakers Festival for her documentary feature, Lincoln County Massacre. The Lower 9, the second feature she co-directed and co-produced recently won the Golden Circle Award in Los Angeles and was picked up for distribution by Third World Newsreel.
A complete listing of events and screenings that are open to the public may be found here.
Additional information on the MFA in Film faculty may be found here.
The MFA in Film at VCFA is designed for independent filmmakers and screenwriters. Unlike traditional residential models, VCFA's low-residency format allows students to return home after intensive on-campus residencies twice a year in Montpelier, Vermont. Throughout the two years and four semesters of study, students take an active role in shaping their own curriculum while participating in a sustained dialogue with experienced independent filmmakers and screenwriters of national reputation. Each residency features workshops in writing and production, screening/discussions, collaborative exercises, and a chance to share work and ideas.
Students may focus on live action narrative or documentary projects, animation, screenwriting, or a combination of these forms. The diverse and highly accomplished faculty of working artists offer guidance toward the development of students' individual artistic visions, craftsmanship, creative practices, and audiences.
Information on Admissions criteria and requirements may be found here.
The MFA in Film at Vermont College of Fine Arts joins a distinguished portfolio of fine arts graduate degree programs. Degrees are offered in Music Composition, Graphic Design, Visual Art, Writing, and Writing for Children & Young Adults. With its highly regarded faculty and focused, engaged students, VCFA seeks to balance its historic strengths while establishing new standards for graduate education in the twenty-first century.
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