Film Program News

View press coverage of the MFA in Film and TV Writing program HERE

2024

Killer Films’ “A Different Man” Wins Best Feature at 2024 Gotham Awards

December 5, 2024 - With awards season in full swing, Killer Films’ “A Different Man” was named Best Feature at the Gotham Independent Film Awards on December 2. The win makes it two consecutive years that a Killer Films production has taken home the honor, with “Past  Lives” having done so in 2023. Additionally, actor Adam Pearson received a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Performance. 

 

“A Different Man’s” fall release was the focus of this semester’s Master Class in Independent Production,  led by Christine Vachon, Killer Films co-founder and Stony Brook’s Film & TV Writing MFA’s Artistic Director. Vachon facilitated a screening of the film to start the semester, followed by a series of conversations with individuals behind the production. This included Aaron Schimberg, the film’s director, followed by A24, the film’s distributor, and then Schimberg’s manager. 

Each guest chatted with Christine about the making of the film or its distribution or prepping a director for its release, and then the students were able to ask them questions directly. “The timing couldn’t have been better. I was proud to have a movie like A Different Man and an accessible and brilliant director like Aaron Schimberg be our filmmaker’s introduction to master’s study with us,”said Magdalene Brandeis, Executive Director of the Graduate Programs in Film & TV Writing. 

“It was such an exciting and precious opportunity,” said Dalton Snider-Smith, a  first-year MFA film student. “Not only were we able to ask him questions personally,  but he was able to provide us with a lot of foresight and kind of help us shape our own  ideas about where we want to go in the industry and what steps we can take to get  there.”

New admissions for Fall 2025 have begun. The Scholarship Deadline is January  15, 2025.

Alumna Peggy Tserwen Tseng Profiled on Bold Journey

Peggy Tseng shared her personal journey into filmmaking, shooting her first feature in 2023. 

To read her profile, check out Bold Journey.

Producing Faculty Simone Pero Sends Two Major Projects To Premieres This Fall

The Pero-produced LILLY film, is having its world premiere at the Hamptons International Film Festival. LILLY tells the story about fair-pay icon Lilly Ledbetter. It stars Patricia Clarkson as the titular character, along with Thomas Sadoski and John Benjamin Hickey. 

Additionally, at this year's 25th anniversary Woodstock Film Festival, documentary VIVA VERDI! premieres, directed by Yvonne Russo. Stony Brook's Simone Pero served as the film's Executive Producer.

For more information on LILLY, read about the premiere on the Hamptons Film Fest Guide.

For more on VIVA VERDI!, check out the Woodstock Film Festivals page. 

Faculty Member Jennie Allen Begins Filming on "111"

Jennie Allen co-wrote '111', a film which traces the stories of characters affected by the Swissair flight 111 crash, which happened off the coast of Nova Scotia, near the entrance of Margaret’s Bay, on September 2, 1998.

Principal photography started on September 18 in Halifax and will shoot in Nova Scotia, Zurich, and nearby regions until the end of October.

To learn more about the project, read more on Variety. 

MFA Thesis Students Makes Program History by Filming in Puerto Rico

Director Yarilis Ramos and producer Nnamdi Nwosa filmed their project, "Mulata," on the island of Puerto Rico. This project also breaks ground as the first full-Spanish period piece for our program, which explores the story of Puerto Rico’s early mixed-race children.

"Mulata" is a short film developed as a final thesis in Stony Brook's MFA in Film. It is about the first mixed-race children, telling the story of a young girl torn between her Spanish upbringing and her African roots, whose discovery of La Bomba dance forever changes her life.

"Our mission is to bring light a hidden part of Puerto Rican history:  the life and death of the mulatos. By showcasing their sturggle to hold onto their roots, we aim to empower Puerto Ricans to embrace their cultural identity, regardless of their skin color," said Ramos.

Yarilis Ramos is a scholarship recipient and native Puerto Rican who entered the program as the youngest in her class and has discovered a passion for telling hidden stories.  Nnamdi Nwosa, a New Yorker of Nigerian descent, is a stuntman and family man preparing for the next steps in his career. 

To learn more about this film visit their social media @mulata.film.pr. 

 

MFA Students Get Sneak Peek at "A Different Man" 

This semester, Stony Brook's Film & TV Writing MFA Artistic Director Christine Vachon launched the Master Class in Independent Film Production with the scr

eening of writer/director Aaron Schimberg's A Different Man, starring Sebastian Stan, Renata Reinsve, and Adam Pearson.

The film will be released theatrically on September 20. Vachon is the film's producer.

We screened a sneak preview of the movie the first week, chatted with Vachon and director Aaron Schimberg the second week, and, an executive from A24, the film's studio, will be Christine's guest in the third week. In addition, students will get to read versions of the script and study the redacted budget.

Classmates have commented on how cohesive and global the view of the project has been.

Watch the Trailer. 

‘Past Lives’ Earns Killer Films Best Feature at Independent Spirit Awards

Killer Films had a huge night at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards on February 25, where the producers of Past Lives won the coveted Best Feature, and Celine Song won Best Director. Samy Burch also won Best First Screenplay for May December. Both films tied each other for most nominations at the ceremony, along with competitor American Fiction.

Read more on Stony Brook News. 

The Artistic Director of Stony Brook’s MFA in Film and TV Writing Program is co-founder of Killer Films

After 30 years of producing 129 films and pioneering queer, independent cinema, producer Christine Vachon — Artistic Director for the Stony Brook University MFA in Film and Television Writing program — was nominated for her first Academy Award for the film Past Lives in the Best Picture category. 

Read more on Stony Brook News.

2023

Killer Films Lead 2024 Independent Spirit Awards with 10 Nominations for “May December” and “Past Lives”

December 6, 2023 - Stony Brook University MFA in Film’s Artistic Director Christine Vachon has two films with five nominations apiece for the Independent Spirit Awards. Both “May December” and “Past Lives” are up for Best Feature.

“Our students get a particularly unique view of the industry by witnessing the development of these projects in class, from their development, financing, production, post and festival runs— they see it all,” says MFA Program Executive Director, Magdalene Brandeis. 

Other nominations from May December and Past Lives include Greta Lee, Natalie Portman and Teo Yoo for best leading performance,Todd Haynes and Celine Song for best director, Celine Song for best screenplay, and Samy Burch for best first screenplay. Charles Melton is also nominated for best supporting performance for May December.

Killer’s awards sweep is widespread—with New York Film Critics Circle also awarding Best Supporting Actor to Charles Melton and Best Screenplay to first-timer Samy Burch, in May December,  in addition to Best First Film for Past Lives.

Additionally, Sundance announced its long-awaited program today, which includes Killer’s A Different Man written and directed by Aaron Schinberg and starring Sebastian Stan. 

As Artistic Director, Vachon was also on the October cover of The Wrap Top Film Schools Issue, where she discussed what she brings to bear at Stony Brook’s MFA in Film & TV Writing, including working with first-time directors, and the changing face of the entertainment industry. 

Killer Films is celebrating 30 years of making films this year, putting their signature touch on more than 100 films.

Christine Vachon pictured here at Lincoln Center in October ‘23, on the occasion of the screening of Stony Brook’s first year films.

Award-Winning Alumna Returns from Korea to Direct New Feature Film

October 1, 2023—Award-winning Stony Brook Manhattan Film Graduate alumna, Juhyoung Ra (‘17) returns to direct a new feature film with fellow alumni James Sharpe (‘18) and Amy Gaipa (‘21).

Ra is the recipient of the 2023 Independent Art: Feature Film Production Support Project by the Korean Film Council. Upon submitting a package which included a screenplay, an application for production funds, a plan of action, as well as the budget of her film SONGBIRD, Ms. Ra was awarded this prestigious and competitive grant, edging out other project submissions.  

Juhyoung’s first feature film, ATLANTIC CITY, was made while pursuing her MFA in Directing  at Stony Brook’s Manhattan Center, now part of the Lichtenstein Center.  Ra discovered that New York City is where her imagination is unleashed, since the city itself is an incredible character and backdrop. “In the very first semester of the Master Class with Christine Vachon, Ms. Ra pitched this moving and original idea—about the family of the members of the immigrant community who ended up handing out leaflets in Times Square in fuzzy cartoon character costumes. 

A few years later, ATLANTIC CITY had its World Premiere Screening at Jeonju International Film Festival, one of the top two International Film Festivals in Korea,” Executive Director Magdalene Brandeis said. The film has held a total of more than 10 theatrical screenings, including at the Tours International Asian Film Festival in France.

SONGBIRD is a story about resolving the conflict surrounding adoption and regaining true  family love through music. It follows the protagonist, Gina, from Korea to the United States, where she learns that family is more than just blood relations, because a chosen family starts to present itself as she continues the search for her sister. The film also illustrates and weaves in the fact that Korea is the number one country for adoption—securing placement of children with new families in the United States and elsewhere. Ms. Ra educates her audience as to what those children face and aims to give the community of those adopted a voice and presence through the characters in this film. 

SONGBIRD is being co-produced by IDÉE FIX FILMS from Korea and GNBC from Queens,  New York. Ms. Ra has teamed up with fellow SB film alumni, producers Amy Gaipa and James Sharpe; all three were members of the inaugural cohort of the Stony Brook MFA Film Program. Ms. Gaipa and Mr. Sharpe will be bridging the gap between the two production companies and countries on this production and helping to coordinate the 23-day leg of this film in metropolitan New York and at Stony Brook’s Southampton campus on Long Island.  

For more information about our Graduate MFAs and Undergraduate Minors in Film or TV Writing, please contact us at MFAManhattan@stonybrook.edu

Film Thesis Director Pioneers first University/Production Company Co-Production

Stony Brook Lichtenstein Center, Manhattan, September 30, 2023 —Directing Thesis student Grant Herson, who has been making films outside the box since his 2019 arrival at Stony Brook’s MFA in Film, will be the first thesis director to make a feature film under contract with a production company. 

The collaboration emerged out of an internship Grant held with Troma Entertainment, Inc., when, after getting to know the company and their projects, he showed them his student films and pitched a new feature idea. Troma President, Lloyd Kaufman, considers Grant a protegee, and considers him to be, “the next James Gunn to be birthed from the loins of Troma.” Screenwriting professor Lenny Crooks said, “I first came across Lloyd Kaufman back in the 80s when he self promoted The Toxic Avenger along the Cannes Croisette. The man is a true original, and he will be the perfect mentor to bring Grant’s talents to the fore.” Troma has offered Grant a significant amount of funding for the project and will oversee the production and distribute the film once it’s complete. The co-production will be an independent feature called CaterKillar. The story follows a recent college grad Brandon, whose friends take him on a cabin retreat for the weekend to help clear his mind after a recent suicide attempt. Unbeknownst to them, their trip may be cut short when a half-man, half-caterpillar humanoid formed from toxic waste begins picking off anyone in its path to build a flesh cocoon out of their body parts. CaterKillar combines the offbeat humor of Wet Hot American Summer with the kinetic low-budget energy of The Evil Dead to create something surreal and terrifying.

“When Grant sought out my advice on CaterKillar,” Crooks continued, “he was concerned that the genre might not fall within the expectations of a thesis film. Talent comes alive across all genres and I was delighted to offer some guidance as he progressed his exceptional script.”

“All of Grant’s projects push the boundaries of the imagination,” says MFA Programs Executive Director, Magdalene Brandeis. “His first year film, HeartFelt, was an earnest piece about family dysfunction with a felt puppet and real people, and his second, inspired by Covid isolation-fueled nostalgia, was staged as a live theatre piece with grown men in rocking chairs costumed as frogs.”

 

“It’s especially encouraging to me that this win should befall someone in Grant’s cohort,” Brandeis continues. “March 20, 2020 was the date they were all meant to head out to make their first short films in Production I, and it felt like we put the cameras in their hands and then snatched them right back out again.” Covid lockdow

n forged an uniquely strong cohort, however, and Grant’s classmates Charles Desjardin, Zach Phillips, Lisa Thomas, Conor Demmett, Elaine Menigo, Lina Sarrapochiello and Parker Cowden will also be working on this production. 

Check-out Grant’s Caterkillar Indiegogo Campaign, For more information about our Grad

uate MFAs and Undergraduate Minors in Film or TV Writing, please contact us at MFAManhattan@stonybrook.edu.

Killer Films' May December Earns Standing Ovation at Cannes, Gets Netflix Deal

Todd Haynes and Magdalene Brandeis at the Stony Brook University commencement ceremony in 2022.

Christine Vachon, artistic director of Stony Brook University's MFA in Film program, celebrated another successful Cannes Film Festival this year, as May December, directed by Todd Haynes, received an eight-minute standing ovation after its May 20 premiere.

Produced by Vachon and Pam Koffler of Killer Films, the film stars Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore. It is Killer Films' latest collaboration with Haynes, who has directed award-winning and groundbreaking films including Poison, Safe, Far From Heaven, Velvet Goldmine, and Carol.  Soon after the May December premiere, Netflix finalized an $11 million deal for the North American rights.

"The making of this Todd Haynes film, May December, was a test case in Christine Vachon's Master Class all last year, from pre-production to production to post," said Magdalene Brandeis, executive director of the MFA programs in Film and Television Writing. "Our film program being partnered with Killer Films gives our students unprecedented access to the world of film."

Haynes received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree at Stony Brook University's 2022 Commencement ceremony. Considered American cinema’s most prominent gay directorial voice, Haynes received the degree for all he has done for the arts, the LGBTQ community and Stony Brook University students. Haynes’ collaboration and creative partnership with Vachon has defined the rise of American independent film, and Stony Brook graduate students have been the beneficiaries. Haynes is an annual guest lecturer and his films have been used as real-time case studies. Every stage of production, including script development, budgets, storyboards, casting, post-production marketing and distribution are examined in-progress at the Stony Brook Manhattan Center for Creative Writing and Film.

MFA in Film Artistic Director Christine Vachon Talks About the State of the Independent Film from Cannes

Christine Vachon was one of several producers and executives in the indie film circuit that discussed the challenges and opportunities in today's cinematic landscape for The Wrap.

Moderated by Elevated Films' Cassian Elwes (The Butler), the discussion, posted on YouTube, featured Vachon along with Blacklist founder Franklin Leonard, 30WEST's Micah Green (Triangle of Sadness), and UTA Independent Film Head Rena Ronson.

Watch the video:

Two Shrihari Sathe Films Opening on May 19

Two films produced by MFA in Film faculty Shrihari Sathe — Stay Awake and The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future — are opening theatrically on May 19.

Stay Awake, the Berlinale award-winning feature film, is written and directed by Jamie Sisley and opens theatrically May 19 at Film Forum in New York, and on May 25 at Laemmle Royal in Los Angeles, followed by other cities across the US. The film had its world premiere at the 2022 Berlinale, where it received two awards. 

Stay Awake stars Wyatt Oleff (IT, City on Fire), Fin Argus (Queer as Folk) and Chrissy Metz (This is Us). More information can be found at stayawakethefilm.com.

The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future, co-produced by Sathe and co-written and directed by Francisca Alegria, will release theatrically May 19 at QUAD Cinema in New York and at Landmark NuArt in Los Angeles, followed by other cities. QUAD Cinema hosted a preview screening May 3, followed by a Q&A session with lead actress Mia Maestro. The film had its world premiere at 2022 Sundance Film Festival. More information can be found on the film's website at Kino Lorber.

Sathe is a New York based director and producer who won the 2019 Film Independent Spirit Award – Producers Award. 

 

Alum Yasmine Gomez Line Produced Netflix Doc on Immigrant Families

MFA in Film alumna Yasmine Gomez (far right) line produced the Netflix documentary Split at the Root, executive produced by Rosario Dawson (third from left).

Congratulations to 2020 MFA in Film alumna Yasmine Gomez for her work as line producer on a powerful, newly-released Netflix documentary, Split at the Root, which was executive produced by Rosario Dawson and acquired by Ava Duvernay’s Array.

The doc tells the story of how Immigrant Families Together (IFT) started. In Dawson’s own words, “this film is taking a really strong look at child separation at our border” which has been “clinically called torture.” Dawson says that “this isn’t about pointing fingers but about the beauty of what people can do when they say enough is enough.” 

IFT is now an organization that works to reunite families separated at the border and has reunited 124 of them, so far.

The New York Times writes: "Split at the Root is a powerful lens into the emotional plight of the thousands of immigrants who cross the border into the United States, the danger they are fleeing and the people trying to help them."

Follow the film on Instagram.

 

2022

November 3 NYC Screening of Documentary Savage Land, Featuring Cinematography by MFA Faculty Niav Conty

In commemoration of Native American Indian Heritage Month of November, the City College of New York will screen Savage Land on Thursday, November 3. The film is a feature documentary by filmmaker/professor/film critic Campbell Dalglish and Dr. Henrietta Mann, a full-blooded Cheyenne descendant of the Sand Creek and Washita Massacres.

Stony Brook University MFA in Film faculty member Niav Conty served as the cinematographer on the film and won the award for Best Cinematography at the Fusion Film Festival.

RSVP for the screening, which will be held at 6 p.m. at Aaron Davis Hall, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, N.Y.

Distributed by EPSTV in over 230 PBS stations, the film has won Best Feature Documentary in 12 international film festivals, including the 46th Annual American Indian Film Festival. 

Synopsis: "When Custer County Police kill 18 year old Cheyenne Arapaho Mah-hi-vist Red Bird Goodblanket in his family's kitchen, descendants of the Sand Creek and Washita Massacres take us back 150 years to reveal how historical trauma and the horrors of the past are still present in America today.”

The film family, the Goodblankets and Dr. Henrietta Mann will be present for an engaging Q & A that you will not want to miss as we discuss Colonialism today in America, an unsolved murder, and how to forgive the unforgivable in order to find healing for all in generations to come.

SAVAGELAND_TRAILER from Campbell Dalglish on Vimeo.

 

2021

Eugina Gelbelman Feature Premieres at Austria's Fright Nights Festival

Eugina Gelbelman (right) with Magdalene Brandeis, executive director of Stony Brook's Programs in Film and Television.

2019 Stony Brook Film alumna Eugina Gelbelman's feature film The White Goddess premiered at the Fright Nights Festival in Austria on October 14, 2021, and lead actress Morgan Everitt, an NYU grad acting alumna, won Best Actress.

The film will have two upcoming screenings in New York. The first, November 19 from 5-8 p.m., including a reception and Q&A at the Tribeca Screening Room. The second screening is November 30 from 9:30 p.m. - midnight at the Prospect Park Nitehawk Cinema, which will also have a brief reception and free dine-in and drink menu. 

Lisa Thomas Video 'Candy Store' Wins Munich Music Video Award

'Candy Store,' a long-form video directed by second-year director's track student Lisa Thomas, has won Best Production at the Munich Music Video Awards.

The music novella, produced by Thomas' Thin Edge FIlms, was shot in August 2020 immediately after lockdown. It had earned the coveted #1 spot on the popular alternative music site The Tinnitist, and was featured in Post Magazine.

Said Thomas: "Big shout out to The Dust Bowl Faeries, Nichola Benizzi, Jesika Farkas, Fabrizio Fama and the whole Catskill Covid Crew for daring to make art during a pandemic!"

The song is off off The Dust Bowl Faeries' album The Plague Garden. The video has an old-time feel, with a young couple struggling to keep their business afloat. Looking to collect on an insurance policy, they hatch a scheme to burn down their sweet shoppe.

Micah Demby Wins Turner Research Award

Huge congrats to first year Turner Fellow and film student, Micah Demby, who was just awarded the Turner Research Award for her short film project, Silhouette. She wrote a phenomenal proposal to earn the award for this worthy project.

In its briefest summary, Silhouette is a short film in which a young escort falls for one of her clients, only to discover he is not the man he presents himself to be. However, Silhouette is much deeper than that. It is a short film that addresses the stigma society has placed on sex workers, the dangers women face when dating, and the lack of care society often has towards black women and people of color.

Tom of Your Life Is a Multiple Festival Winner

Tom of Your Life, a full-length feature produced by MFA in Film graduate James Sharpe, was a winner at three film festivals and a finalist in several others.

Sharpe provided the story for the film, which was directed by Jer Sklar. The two also appear in the film, and Sklar wrote the screenplay.

The comedy-drama, available for streaming on Amazon Prime and Apple TV, won Best Narrative feature at the Albuquerque International Film Festival, Best Editing - Narrative Feature at the Culver City Film Festival, and earned Honorable Mention for Best Director at the Paris/Around International Film Festival.

The film, which has received rave reviews, was a finalist for Best Picture - Comedy at the Burbank International Film Festival, the DaVinci International Film Festival and the California Music Video and Film Awards. It was also an official selection at several other events, including the Stony Brook Film Festival, Dances With Films, the Cinquest Film and VR Festival and the Seattle True Independent Film Festival.

From the film's description on IMDB:

“When a baby is born who inexplicably grows, evolves and ages four years an hour, a strung-out nurse smuggles him out of the hospital to show him what life is all about before the authorities and time catch up with them both.”

Sharpe graduated from the MFA Film Program at Stony Brook University in 2018. Since graduating he has produced three feature-length films and was recruited into the newly formed film department at Jacksonville State University. In his final year of studies at SBU, he co-produced Big Fork, which is scheduled have its world premiere at the Breckenridge Film Festival this fall. He went on to single-handedly produce Tom of Your Life.

2020

Stony Brook Adds First MFA in Television Writing in the SUNY System

Stony Brook University announced today that the New York State Education Department has approved SUNY’s first-ever Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Television Writing. This stand-alone MFA is one of a handful in the country to offer in-depth graduate studies in the burgeoning field of TV Writing.

Read the complete press release

Student Lisa Thomas Directs Long-Form Video 'Candy Store'

Second-year MFA student Lisa Thomas directed the long-form video for 'Candy Store,' from The Dust Bowl Faeries, and it has made an immediate impression.

The video earned the coveted #1 spot on the popular alternative music site The Tinnitist, and was featured in Post Magazine, a monthly publication that looks at all areas of post production, including film, television, animation, graphics, audio and the Web.

The song is off off the Faeries' upcoming album 'The Plague Garden,' set for release Friday, November 20. The video has an old-time feel, with a young couple struggling to keep their business afloat. Looking to collect on an insurance policy, they hatch a scheme to burn down their sweet shoppe.

Said Thomas: “The location, which was empty with a ‘For Rent’ sign in the window, in many ways called out to me to restore it for the shoot. So, along with the help of our amazing production designer, Jesika Farkas, we brought back all the former details of the one-time candy shoppe, down to the original candy cases, fixtures and lights."

Read more about the Dust Bowl Faeries and the video at Rock and Roll Globe.

Conor Demmett and Zhuoga Renqing Take First Prize in SUNY PACC

Congratulations to Conor Demmett, Zhuoga Renqing (Gaga), their deck-master behind the scenes, Maja Cule, and the 2019 Dogme cohort for winning the $10K first prize in the SUNY Performing Arts, Creation and Curation competition on Saturday, Nov. 14.

The win represents not only the 110 collective hours that went into filming the Dogme project, a year's worth of multiple practice pitches and the development of an amazing pitch deck, but also four rounds of pitches before seven judges.

Congrats and thanks go also to Lenny Crooks for keeping the Dogme flame alive, and to all the professors — including Simone Pero and Jennie Allen — who listened to the pitch and gave notes. 

Their pitch states: "Our goal is to become agents for this kind of filmmaking.... (and to) ....take back power as storytellers and artists." Mission accomplished! 

Read the full story in SBU News

Jared Szafman Wins Page Award for Drama Pilot Script

Jared Szafman, a student in the Stony Brook University MFA in Film and Television Writing program, won the Gold Prize in the TV Drama Pilot category at the 2020 Page International Screenwriting Awards.

Szafman's pilot script, RX, topped a field of more than 8,000 script submissions from over 97 countries.

Szafman entered the MFA in Film program in 2015, as part of the first film cohort, where he studied screenwriting and directing. With the introduction of Alan Kingsberg's TV Writing curriculum, Jared took a deep dive into TV Writing and wrote a spec script and three pilots. 

Film and television industry judges read and evaluate all the contest submissions at the Page Awards, searching for the best new screenplays and teleplays. Each year the Page Awards presents Gold, Silver, and Bronze Prizes in ten genre categories, plus a $25,000 Grand Prize.

Learn more about the Page Awards at the contest website.

John Kim Short Selected to Asian American International Film Festival

Big Congratulations to third year student John H. Kim!  

His first year film, Cupcake Dad, is going to be featured in the Shorts program at the 43rd Annual Asian American International Film Festival. The AAIFF will be held online October 1-11, 2020 .

Since 1978, the Asian American International Film Festival, produced by Asian CineVision, is the nation’s first and longest running festival of its kind and the premier showcase for the best independent Asian, Asian diaspora and Pacific Islander cinema.

We couldn't be more excited to have one of our own featured!

Chris Arnold's Script, 'Cornerstone', Wins Best Student Script Award

Graduate student Chris Arnold’s script, Cornerstone, has won Best Student Script at the 2020 Los Angeles Film & Script Festival.

It is the latest honor for Cornerstone, which has also been ️ a Finalist at Script Summit 2020, a Semifinalist at the Create World Awards 2020, ️ a Quarterfinalist at the ScreenCraft True Story & Public Domain Competion 2020, and a Semifinalist at the Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards Winter 2020.

Congrats on racking up so many nominations Chris! We’re rooting for your success!

Halofsky's 'Going Out of Business' Wins Award at Women's Comedy Film Festival

Ada Lee Halofsky's mircro-short screenplay, Going Out of Business, was just named winner Best Romantic Comedy at the Women's Comedy Film Festival.  The script was written as an exercise in her TV Writing class at Stony Brook Manhattan's MFA program.

The Women’s Comedy Film Festival is described as "a comedic haven, existing to elevate writers with fun, unique, and female-centric stories."

Documentary Executive Produced by Simone Pero wins Gracie Award

This Changes Everything, a documentary film executive produced by Stony Brook Killer Films MFA in Film Visiting Faculty Simone Pero, was among 100 winners at the 45th Gracie Awards, announced today by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWMF). Told first-hand by some of Hollywood’s leading voices in front of and behind the camera, This Changes Everything takes an incisive look into the history, empirical evidence, and systemic forces that foster gender disparity in Hollywood. CONTINUE READING >

 

2019

North Fork TV Fest Announces Second Annual TV Pilot Competition Winners

The NOFO TVFest/SB Pilot Competition announced the winning scripts for best original television pilot. Splitting first prize and $500 are Noelle P. Wilson for her pilot, By the Book, and Kate Levitt for her pilot, Trouble.  CONTINUE READING >

Levitt Pilot Script Wins First Place at Nantucket Film Festival

Stony Brook’s MFA in Film and TV Writing student Kate Levitt won first prize at The Nantucket Film Festival for her one-hour pilot script Living.  As winner of the top prize in the Showtime one-hour pilot competition, Levitt gets a development meeting with a Showtime executive and $1000. CONTINUE READING >

MFA Student Shorts Featured in 2 Film Festivals

MFA in Film students Jamie DiNicola and Kathleen Harty have had their short films entered into the Inside Out Fil Festival in Toronto and the Big Apple Film Festival in New York, respectively. CONTINUE READING >

MFA in Film Grad Juhyoung Ra Screens New Film at Joenju Film Festival

Stony Brook University MFA in Film graduate Juhyoung Ra has a feature film screening at the 20th Annual Jeonju International Film Festival in South Korea. Atlantic City is a full-length feature film that will screen from May 4-9. Ra, who attended the MFA in Film program in Manhattan and graduated in 2017, wrote, directed and edited the film.
CONTINUE READING >

Simone Pero Is Redefining the Meaning of 'Impact'

Simone Pero could not possibly have chosen a more appropriate name for her strategic marketing and production firm specializing in the confluence of content and social action: For Impact Productions. CONTINUE READING >

 

2018

Soo Hugh Joins TV Writing Program Guest Series  on November 5

Soo Hugh, showrunner for the television adaptation of the bestselling novel "Pachinko" by Min Jin Lee currently in development, will be interviewed by Alan Kingsberg at the Stony Brook Manhattan Center for Creative Writing and Film on Monday, November 5.  CONTINUE READING >

TV Writing Guest Series Begins September 24 with 'Power' Showrunner Gary Lennon

The Stony Brook Southampton TV Writing program based at the Manhattan Center for Creative Writing and Film will launch a new TV Writing Guest Series on Monday, September 24, at 8 p.m. with special guest Gary Lennon, co-showrunner of the Starz hit “Power."  CONTINUE READING >

Levitt Wins Inaugural North Fork TV Fest TV Pilot Competition

North Fork TV Fest, in association with Stony Brook's MFA in Film (and TV Writing), announces its inaugural TV Pilot Competition winner: Kate Levitt.  CONTINUE READING >

MFA in Film Student Eugina Gelbelman Receives New York Women in Film & Television HP Scholarship

Stony Brook Killer Films MFA in Film student Eugina Gelbelman has been selected to receive the 2018 New York Women in Film & Television Ha Phuong (NYWIFT-HP) Scholarship.  CONTINUE READING >

Film Screening: Keep the Change

Please join us for a special screening of  Keep the Change, followed by a talk with Stony Brook's MFA in Film's Artistic Director Christine Vachon, Writing/Directing Faculty Jennie Allen, and Writer/Director Rachel Israel. May 15, 2018 at 5:20 p.m. at Stony Brook Manhattan, 535 Eighth Avenue. CONTINUE READING >

 

2017

MFA in Film Student Eugina Gelbelman Accepted for New York Women in Film & Television Intensive Workshop

Out of a highly qualified field of seriously motivated competition, Stony Brook's MFA in Film student Eugina Gelbelman has been selected for the intensive year-long New York Women in Film & Television workshop, "From Script to Pre-Production (FS2P).”  CONTINUE READING >

 

MFA in Film Student Yasmine Gomez Receives New York Women in Film and Television Scholarship

Stony Brook Killer Films MFA in Film student Yasmine Gomez has been selected to receive the 2017 New York Women in Film and Television (NYWIFT) Scholarship.  CONTINUE READING >

 

MFA in Film Program Expands to TV Writing, Adds New Manhattan Location

With a new base of operations at 535 Eighth Avenue in Manhattan and the hiring of Alan Kingsberg as a full-time professor for the new TV Writing curriculum, the MFA in Film offered by Stony Brook Southampton in association with Killer Films is poised to join the ranks of top film schools in the U.S. CONTINUE READING >

 

Master Class in Acting Led by Academy Award® Winner Mercedes Ruehl

Stony Brook University announced today that it is offering a Master Class in Acting for Directors led by Academy Award® Winner Mercedes Ruehl. The Master Class will be held from July 12-16.  CONTINUE READING >

 

202020 Filmmaker Darcy Brislin Earns a Spot In Sundance Institute's 2017 Screenwriters Lab

Darcy Brislin, a student in the MFA in Film's groundbreaking 202020 program, and her writing partner Dyana Winkler have been selected to take part in Sundance Institute's 2017 Screenwriters Lab at the Sundance Resort in Utah running from January 13 to 18, 2017. CONTINUE READING >

 

2016

MFA in Film Student Nancy Bannon Accepted for NYWIFT Intensive Workshop

Out of a highly qualified field of seriously motivated competition, Stony Brook Southampton/Killer Films MFA in Film student Nancy Bannon has been selected for an intensive yearlong New York Women in Film and Television workshop, "From Script to Pre-Production (FS2P)." CONTINUE READING >

 

Bank, Heyman Achievements Equal More Success for MFA in Film Program

The Stony Brook Southampton/Killer Films MFA in Film program got two big boosts for its already meteoric momentum in the last week, based on two major achievements by Melissa Bank and Bentley Heyman. CONTINUE READING >

 

MFA in Film Student Emily Laue Receives New York Women in Film and Television Scholarship  

Stony Brook Southampton / Killer Films MFA in Film student Emily Laue has been selected to receive the New York Women in Film and Television (NYWIFT) Scholarship. CONTINUE READING >

 

MFA in Film Students Nominated for Careers in Entertainment Tour

Eugina Gelbelman and Matthew Gonzalez, two first-year students enrolled in the Stony Brook Southampton Killer Films MFA in Film program based in Southampton and Manhattan, and Viviana Leo and Yasmine Gomez, two second-year students, have been nominated to take part in the Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation (WJSFF) Careers in Entertainment Tour stop in New York City on September 21, 2016. CONTINUE READING >

 

Magdalene Brandeis Joins Robin Pogrebin to Cohost Panel Following Screening of Equal Means Equal

Fresh from her visit to the White House as a juror for the March on Washington Film Festival, Associate Director of the Stony Brook Southampton MFA in Film program Magdalene Brandeis will be cohosting a panel on National ERA Day, following a screening of the documentary Equal Means Equal. CONTINUE READING >

 

Magdalene Brandeis Invited to White House for Film Festival Screening and Awards Program

Southampton, NY, July 14, 2016—Magdalene Brandeis, associate director of the Stony Brook Southampton MFA in Film program offered in association with Killer Films, has been invited to The White House in Washington, D.C. for a special March on Washington Film Festival awards ceremony and screening on Wednesday, July 20. Brandeis served as a juror in the Festival's inaugural Student & Emerging Filmmaker Competition this year. CONTINUE READING >

 

Master Class in Film Led by Academy Award® Winner Mercedes Ruehl

New York and Southampton, NY, June 24, 2016—Stony Brook University announced today that it is offering a Master Class in Acting for Directors led by Academy Award® Winner Mercedes Ruehl (The Fisher King, Lost in Yonkers). CONTINUE READING >

 

Academy Award Nods for Killer Films' Carol Have Special Meaning for MFA in Film Students

SOUTHAMPTON, NY, February, 2016—When the film Carol earned nominations for Oscars in six categories this year, the Academy Awards attention had special meaning for students in Stony Brook Southampton's MFA in Film program. CONTINUE READING >

 

MFA in Film Co-Sponsors 2016 SUNYWide Film Festival

SOUTHAMPTON, NY, February 12, 2016—Less than a year after being approved by the New York State Education Department, the MFA in Film program at Stony Brook Southampton + Manhattan has announced that it will be co-sponsoring the 7th Annual SUNYWide Film Festival, to be held April 8-9, 2016 at the campus of festival host and co-sponsor SUNY Oswego. CONTINUE READING >

 

2015

Hamptons International Film Festival Sloan Fellows Join Stony Brook MFA in Film Students in Master Class Led by Academy Award® Winner Mercedes Ruehl

New York and Southampton, NY, May 20, 2015 - Stony Brook University announced today that the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellows from the Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) will join Stony Brook Southampton MFA in Film students in a Master Class in Acting for Directors led by Academy Award® winner Mercedes Ruehl (The Fisher King, Lost in Yonkers). CONTINUE READING >

 

Christine Vachon, Todd Haynes Premiere Carol at 2015 Cannes Film Festival
Film Served as Real-Time Case Study for Stony Brook MFA in Film Students

New York and Southampton, NY, May 12, 2015 - Stony Brook University announced today that Christine Vachon, Founder of legendary indie production company Killer Films and Graduate Director of Stony Brook's innovative Master of Fine Arts in Film Program, and Academy Award®-nominated Director Todd Haynes, who has served as guest faculty at Stony Brook's MFA in Film Program, will premiere their eagerly anticipated film Carol starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival scheduled for May 13-24. CONTINUE READING >

 

Stony Brook's MFA in Film Program Featured at Sixth Annual SUNYwide Film Festival

New York and Southampton, NY, April 28, 2015 - Stony Brook University announced today that its new MFA in Film Program, an innovative three-year graduate program in narrative film, led by Graduate Director Christine Vachon, Co-Founder of legendary indie production company, Killer Films was featured at the sixth annual SUNYwide Film Festival (SWFF6) in Oswego, New York, held April 24-26. CONTINUE READING >

 

Stony Brook Killers, Stony Brook's Film School Soccer Team, Makes Knockout Round of 2015 NYFEST Industry Tournament

New York and Southampton, NY, April 21, 2015 - Stony Brook University announced today that the Stony Brook Killers, the Stony Brook / Killer MFA in Film soccer team, made it to the knock out round on their debut performance at the 2015 New York Film and Entertainment Soccer Tournament (NYFEST) at Pier 5, Brooklyn Bridge Park held Saturday April 19.  CONTINUE READING >

 

Stony Brook University Offers MFA in Film - Groundbreaking, Affordable, Project-Driven, Led by Legendary Killer Films Producer Christine Vachon
New York and Southampton, NY, April 2, 2015 - Stony Brook University announced its new groundbreaking and affordable Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Film. With locations in Manhattan and Southampton, Stony Brook's innovative three-year MFA program is led by Graduate Director Christine Vachon, Co-Founder of legendary indie powerhouse Killer Films. Stony Brook and Killer Films share a mission to provide students an environment where they can learn, create and pursue their art without signing on to a lifetime of debt. This new program emphasizes original storytelling and is taught by a faculty of the most distinguished practicing artists in the country. CONTINUE READING >

 

Christine Vachon to Keynote at SXSW
Vachon, Legendary Founder of Killer Films and Graduate Director of Stony Brook’s Film Program

New York and Southampton, NY, March 11, 2015 – Stony Brook University announced today that Christine Vachon, Founder of legendary indie production company Killer Films and Graduate Director of Stony Brook’s innovative Master of Fine Arts in Film Program, will be a keynote speaker at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Conference and Film Festival.
CONTINUE READING >

 

Julianne Moore Wins Best Actress Academy Award for Still Alice, a Killer Films Production
Three Stony Brook Students Earn Credit on Crew

New York and Stony Brook, N.Y.—February 23, 2015—Stony Brook University announced today that three students in its MFA in Film program were credited participants in the feature film STILL ALICE, produced by Killer Films, which earned the 2014 Academy Award® for "Best Actress in a Leading Role" for Julianne Moore, who also won the Best Actress Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, BAFTA Award, and Independent Spirit Award. 
CONTINUE READING >

Stony Brook Southampton Adds First MFA Degree in Film in the SUNY System
Applications Now Being Accepted for Fall 2015

New York and Southampton, NY, February 3, 2015 – Stony Brook University announced today that the NY State Education Department has approved SUNY's first ever Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Film.
CONTINUE READING >