Our MFA in Film program is for filmmakers interested in artistry, narrative, and experimentation. You’ll gain a professional skill set in the process, working with industry-standard tools and programs in our production spaces, while being the author of your own ideas.
Graduate Film Production Suites
Media Gallery
360° view of Film Soundstage | California College of the Arts
Film Program studios & spaces
About MFA Film
Production spaces and resources
▪️ About MFA Film
CCA’s multidisciplinary culture provides the ideal conditions for bringing the themes and topics you care about to life on screen. With mentorship from our award-winning faculty, you’ll strengthen your concepts, refine your working methods, and explore the full spectrum of contemporary filmmaking.
A West Coast network
The Bay Area is home to a storied and experimental film community, and students in Film have opportunities to make connections, screen films, apply for grants, and find internships. We work closely with organizations like SFFILM and Framelime, which hold San Francisco’s International and LGBTQ+ film festivals, respectively.
Film lecture series
Through Cinema Visionaries—our ongoing film lecture series—and CCA’s annual Film Week, we host a wide range of visiting practitioners. These events give students access to a diverse group of socially-conscious artists, interdisciplinary makers, and maverick directors who highlight the power of the moving image.
▪️ Production spaces and resources
Our facilities support everything from improvisational filmmaking to narrative, documentary, and hybrid models. Ziyang Jiang (MFA Film 2022) created a two-channel video installation inspired by waves and beyond. Graduate Film students have 24-hour access to film studios, editing suites, and a state-of-the-art sound mixing room.
Carmen M. Christensen Production Stage
This black box film production studio provides film students and others with a blank canvas for cinematic creativity. The 2,100-square-foot space includes a permanent audio-visual system, a stage floor, a green-screen cyclorama with a lighting grid, and various production tools like C-stands, lighting kits, and paper backdrops.
Film Cage
From SD cards to lighting kits, get gear for film and video productions from the Film Cage. Current inventory includes DSLR cameras, audio recorders, sound equipment, tripods, lighting kits with scrims, softboxes, and gels; LCD monitors, and grip equipment like sliders, handheld rigs, and gimbals.
