CU Denver’s College of Arts & Media (CAM) has been named one of MovieMaker’s 25 Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada of 2023. The annual list recognizes schools that prepare students for every aspect of moviemaking, spotlighting both world-renowned institutions and surprisingly affordable schools on the rise. This is the second consecutive year CU Denver’s Film & Television (FiTV) department has been named to the list.

“The CU Denver department of Film & Television is thrilled to be on a list with other great film programs. Being included is proof our hard work is paying off,” says FiTV chair David Liban.

In the article accompanying the 2023 list, MovieMaker called out CU Denver’s “outstanding film and television production training,” alluding to the junior-year web series project, which teaches CU Denver film students of the rigor and skills necessary to create an episodic project.

Indeed, FiTV is known for its intense, cohort-style curriculum. Starting in their first semester, students are learning on set and assisting upperclassmen and faculty with their projects. It’s not uncommon for students to have 20+ films on their portfolios by the time they graduate.

Building such a robust portfolio wouldn’t be possible without FiTV’s film cage, which also received a shout-out in MovieMaker’s article. Calling CU Denver an “affordable option,” the magazine applauded the school’s ability to give students access to “industry-standard, professional-grade cameras, as well as sound, lighting, and grip equipment.”

Faculty Are a Big Part of CU Denver’s Best Film School Status

CU Denver’s talented film faculty were also mentioned. “Students learn from experts like Ozark writer-producer Alyson Feltes and Eric Jewett, whose TV directing credits include Weeds and Party of Five.”

In fall 2022, CU Denver welcomed three visiting scholars from Mexico whose film backgrounds gave students an international perspective. CU Denver’s partnership with the COMEXUS: Becas Fulbright-García Robles organization runs through 2027, allowing the University to host many more visiting scholars over the next several years. For those with Hollywood in their sights, there is the Hollywood Internship program organized by Professor Jewett, who has enjoyed a 40-year career in Hollywood.

CU Denver’s film department is staged to prepare students for several career paths. From landing jobs at NBC Universal to winning Academy Awards, alumni are working as independent filmmakers, in corporate communications, in documentary film, with TV stations and networks, and in post-production studios.

Perhaps one of the best things about FiTV, though, is the dedication of the faculty members to their students. “When you’re at a place like CU Denver, you’re going to have people that have a vested interest in you,” says faculty member and FiTV alum Mitch Dickman (’05).

CU Denver is the only film school in the Rocky Mountain region featured on the list, sharing the recognition with schools such as NYU and UCLA. MovieMaker editor-in-chief Tim Molloy says, “With so much change in the movie industry, the fundamentals of storytelling are a comforting constant—these 25 schools are deeply committed to guiding the next generation of storytellers.”

MovieMaker is dedicated to the art and craft of making movies. The list of the 25 Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada in 2023 appears in the magazine’s new issue, with Blue Beetle star Xolo Mariduena on the cover.