Film news during the Coronavirus
Amazing conversations with heavy hitters about independent film directing in the new world.
When you become a part of our MFA Program in Film and Television Writing, you join
a community of world-class filmmakers: directors,
television writers, screenwriters, and producers who gather together in a cutting edge/urban
arts incubator. Led by legendary producer Christine Vachon of Killer Films and our
stellar faculty, our mission is platform agnostic. We train students in all forms
of visual storytelling.
Our MFA in Television Writing is among the most comprehensive in the world. Students will graduate with a portfolio of three original pilot scripts; they will also write, direct and produce a micro pilot for an original web series. Additionally, students will learn how to work in collaborative writers rooms with working showrunners to break stories and build season arcs on both open-ended and limited series. Upon graduation, MFA students will be ready to break in and thrive in professional writers rooms as well as succeed as content creators .
SBU ANNOUNCES THE MFA IN TV WRITING, the first in the SUNY system
STUDENTS LISA THOMAS AND PARKER COWDEN are working on the new Netflix show, Headspace Guide to Meditation
KILLER FILMS' LATEST PROJECT will be Billy Porter's directorial debut, 'What If?'
CONOR DEMMETT AND ZHOUGA RENQING took first prize for their Dogme project in the SUNY PACC competition
VIDEO DIRECTED BY LISA THOMAS for The Dust Bowl Faeries is out and turning heads
JARED SZAFMAN WON THE GOLD PRIZE at the 2020 Page International Screenwriting Awards for his drama pilot, RX
VARIETY SPOKE WITH CHRISTINE VACHON about Killer Films' 25 years of 'exemplary indie cinema'
IN THE LOOP is the new monthly newsletter for the Film and TV Writing program.
Read the latest edition!
JAMES EVANS AND AMY GAIPA are co-producing the Mastic Beach Mini Indie Virtual Film Festival
JOHN KIM'S SHORT FILM has been selected to the
Asian American International Film Festival
CHRIS ARNOLD'S SCRIPT, Cornerstone, won the Best Student Script Award
ADA LEE HALOFSKY won a screenwriting award at the Women's Comedy Film Festival
CHRISTINE VACHON discussed the future of gender-nuetral acting awards at the Venice Film Festival
In a time when we feel further away than ever, Film student Ashley Bello and TV Writer/Music composer Tamar Haviv Music have found a way to make us feel a whole lot closer. Humans from every continent joined together to help this powerful song come to life. Tamar describes "Come Together" as “A call to action for coming together with love, kindness, and compassion for one another. Mental Health impacts everyone and I hope this song brings you a bit of light in the darkness.“
Tamar is honored to have partnered with Melissa Etheridge's #EtheridgeFoundation, an organization supporting research and treatment for underlying mental health issues in conjunction with drug addiction. The single is available on all streaming/download platforms! #nationalsuicidepreventionmonth #musicvideo #cometogether #filmprojects