Department of Film & Media Arts
The Department of Film & Media Arts at ACAPA offers rigorous, conservatory-style training in the craft and theory of filmmaking and emerging media. Established in 1972 as a division of the Visual Arts program and granted full departmental status in 1989, the department occupies a central position in ACAPA's interdisciplinary arts mission. Students work in a close collaborative environment, developing individual creative voices alongside strong technical foundations.
The department enrolls approximately 95 undergraduates and 28 graduate students. All programs emphasize hands-on production from the first semester. The department's home in the renovated Hargrove Pavilion provides access to professional-grade production and post-production facilities, including the newly opened Okafor-Tran Media Lab (opened Fall 2024).
Mission & Philosophy
The department trains students to become skilled, thoughtful, and independent media artists. The curriculum integrates production practice with film history, critical theory, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Students are expected to develop not only technical proficiency but a precise personal aesthetic and the conceptual tools to make meaningful work.
The conservatory model at ACAPA emphasizes mentorship: each undergraduate student is assigned a faculty mentor in their second year, and MFA candidates work in sustained one-on-one relationships with their thesis advisors. Faculty are practicing filmmakers and media artists who bring current professional experience into the classroom.
Degree Programs
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Film & Media Arts
A four-year, 120-credit intensive degree designed to prepare students for professional and independent work in film and media. The BFA emphasizes creative development, technical skill, and personal voice. Students complete a capstone short film or media project in their senior year.
- 120 credit hours total
- Core production sequence: 4 semesters
- History & theory requirement: 18 credits
- Concentration electives: 24 credits
- Senior capstone project required
- Portfolio review at end of sophomore year
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Film & Media Arts
A three-year, 60-credit terminal degree for advanced filmmakers and media artists. The MFA is a full-time program. Students complete a thesis film, documentary, or interactive media work as the culminating project of the degree.
- 60 credit hours total
- Shared first-year core: history, theory, production workshop
- Concentration coursework: 2nd and 3rd year
- Thesis proposal review: end of 2nd semester
- Thesis project: 12 credits
- Comprehensive written exam required
- Terminal degree; qualifies graduates for college-level teaching
Concentrations
Both the BFA and MFA allow students to concentrate their studies in one of four areas. BFA students declare a concentration at the end of their first year; MFA students apply to a specific concentration.
-
Narrative Film
BFAMFA
Students focus on fiction filmmaking: directing, screenwriting, and visual storytelling. Coursework covers directing actors, cinematography, script development, and the history of narrative cinema. Upper-division students complete a series of increasingly ambitious narrative short films, culminating in a substantial capstone or thesis work. Details → -
Documentary Film
BFAMFA
An intensive focus on non-fiction filmmaking in its many modes: observational, participatory, expository, and hybrid. Students study documentary history and ethics alongside production methods including longitudinal shooting, research-based storytelling, and cinema vérité technique. MFA documentary candidates conduct original field research as part of their thesis. Details → -
Animation
BFAMFA
Covering both traditional and digital approaches to animation as an art form. Areas include 2D hand-drawn animation, stop-motion, experimental animation, and 3D computer animation. Students study the history of animation alongside studio practice, and are encouraged to develop personal visual languages that bridge the experimental and accessible. Details → -
Interactive & New Media
BFAMFA
Explores the expanding landscape of digital media: interactive installation, web-based storytelling, virtual reality, game design for artistic purposes, and emerging platforms. Students develop both conceptual frameworks and technical skills for creating work that responds to and involves its audience. Cross-listed coursework with the Music Technology and Visual Arts programs is encouraged. Details →
Curriculum Overview
The following courses represent the core of the undergraduate sequence. Graduate courses carry the FMA 6xx numbering. Full course descriptions are available in the course catalog.
| Course | Title | Credits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FMA 101 | Introduction to Film Production | 3 | Required; all BFA students |
| FMA 102 | Moving Image History I: Origins to 1960 | 3 | Required; all BFA students |
| FMA 103 | Moving Image History II: 1960 to Present | 3 | Required; all BFA students |
| FMA 110 | Screenwriting Fundamentals | 3 | Required; all BFA students |
| FMA 201 | Intermediate Production: Narrative | 4 | Prerequisites: FMA 101, 110 |
| FMA 202 | Intermediate Production: Documentary | 4 | Prerequisites: FMA 101 |
| FMA 210 | Cinematography I | 3 | Required; all BFA students |
| FMA 215 | Sound Design for Film | 3 | Required; all BFA students |
| FMA 220 | Editing & Post-Production | 3 | Required; all BFA students |
| FMA 230 | Film Theory & Criticism | 3 | Required; all BFA students |
| FMA 301 | Advanced Production Workshop | 4 | Concentration-specific; junior/senior |
| FMA 310 | Animation Studio I | 3 | Animation concentration; prereq FMA 101 |
| FMA 320 | Interactive Media: Concepts & Practice | 3 | New Media concentration |
| FMA 340 | Documentary Methods & Ethics | 3 | Documentary concentration |
| FMA 401 | Senior Capstone Production | 6 | Required; BFA senior year |
| FMA 410 | Senior Thesis & Exhibition | 3 | Required; BFA senior year |
| FMA 601 | MFA Production Workshop I | 4 | MFA Year 1; required |
| FMA 650 | MFA Thesis Production | 12 | MFA Year 2–3; required |
Complete course listings with descriptions →
Facilities: Okafor-Tran Media Lab & Hargrove Pavilion
The department's primary home is the renovated Hargrove Pavilion, which underwent a major expansion in 2022–2024. The Okafor-Tran Media Lab, opened in September 2024, is located on the second floor of Hargrove Pavilion and serves as the department's flagship production and post-production facility.
| Facility | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Okafor-Tran Media Lab | Hargrove Pavilion, 2nd fl. | 24-station editing suite (Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Adobe CC, Pro Tools); 4K color grading bay; audio mixing suite; equipment checkout window. Opened Fall 2024. |
| Screening Room A | Hargrove Pavilion, Rm. 108 | 60-seat screening room with 4K projection and 7.1 surround sound. Used for class screenings, visiting artist presentations, and student showcases. |
| Production Studio | Hargrove Pavilion, Rm. 120 | 1,200 sq. ft. soundstage with lighting grid, cyclorama wall, and green screen. Available to enrolled production students by reservation. |
| Animation Lab | Hargrove Pavilion, Rm. 218 | 12 workstations with Wacom Cintiq tablets, Maya, Toon Boom Harmony, Blender. Lightbox stands available for traditional 2D work. |
| Equipment Checkout | Hargrove Pavilion, Rm. 105 | Sony FX6 and FX3 camera kits, ARRI and Lowell lighting packages, Sennheiser audio kits, tripods, dollies, grip accessories. Open Mon–Fri 9am–6pm. |
| New Media Suite | Hargrove Pavilion, Rm. 220 | VR/AR headsets (Meta Quest 3, HTC Vive Pro), interactive installation hardware, physical computing components (Arduino, Raspberry Pi), motion-capture rig. Opened Fall 2024 as part of Media Lab expansion. |
All production facilities are available to enrolled Film & Media Arts students. Equipment checkout requires completion of the department safety orientation in the first semester. Hargrove Pavilion hours and maps →
Faculty
Full faculty profiles are available on the Faculty page. Below is a selection of current Film & Media Arts department faculty.
James Okafor joined the ACAPA faculty in 2009 and has served as department chair since 2018. His feature documentary The Weight of Still Water (2016) screened at over 40 international festivals and received the Jury Prize at the Vermont International Film Festival. His work focuses on contemporary documentary practice, environmental storytelling, and the ethics of representation. Okafor teaches FMA 340 (Documentary Methods & Ethics), FMA 202, and the graduate documentary thesis workshop.
Okafor was the principal advocate for the construction of the Okafor-Tran Media Lab, for which the department secured a $1.4 million gift from ACAPA alumni in 2022. He holds an MFA from the University of Iowa and a BA from Oberlin College.
Office: Hargrove Pavilion, Rm. 216 | j.okafor@acapa.edu | Office hours: Tues. & Thurs. 2:00–4:00 pm
Diana Rusch's work spans experimental narrative film and interactive installation. Her films have been exhibited at the Sundance Film Festival, the Ann Arbor Film Festival, and MoMA's Documentary Fortnight. She teaches FMA 201 (Intermediate Narrative Production), FMA 230 (Film Theory & Criticism), and the MFA production workshop. She serves as graduate program coordinator and primary advisor for MFA Narrative Film candidates.
Office: Hargrove Pavilion, Rm. 212 | d.rusch@acapa.edu
Yuki Tanaka specializes in experimental and traditional 2D animation, with a particular interest in hand-drawn techniques and the integration of animation with live-action footage. Her short films have screened at SXSW, Ottawa International Animation Festival, and Annecy. She joined the ACAPA faculty in 2021 after teaching at the Rhode Island School of Design. She teaches FMA 310 and FMA 311.
Office: Hargrove Pavilion, Rm. 219 | y.tanaka@acapa.edu
Marcus Webb came to ACAPA from industry, having worked as a lead interaction designer at a digital media studio in Brooklyn before completing his MFA at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. His creative practice encompasses VR narrative, physical computing-based installation, and web-based interactive storytelling. He oversees the New Media Suite and teaches FMA 320 and FMA 325.
Office: Hargrove Pavilion, Rm. 221 | m.webb@acapa.edu
Constance Almeida is one of the longest-serving members of the department, having joined ACAPA in 2002. A director of photography with credits on numerous independent features and documentary series, she teaches FMA 210 (Cinematography I), FMA 211 (Cinematography II: Advanced), and coordinates the equipment checkout program. She holds an MFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
Office: Hargrove Pavilion, Rm. 106 | c.almeida@acapa.edu
View all Film & Media Arts faculty →
Admissions
BFA Admissions
Applicants to the BFA program must submit the standard ACAPA application, including a creative portfolio or sample work. Portfolio requirements for Film & Media Arts include one short video work (maximum 10 minutes) or a screenplay of 10–15 pages, plus a written artist statement. A portfolio review interview may be requested after initial application review.
MFA Admissions
MFA applicants must submit: a completed graduate application, three letters of recommendation, a critical writing sample (5–10 pages), a creative portfolio (film, video, or interactive work, maximum 20 minutes total), a statement of purpose (500–800 words), and a proposed area of concentration. Finalists are invited to an on-campus or video interview.
Spring Showcase 2025 — Call for Submissions
The ACAPA Film & Media Arts Spring Showcase is an annual juried screening and exhibition of student work held each May in Screening Room A of Hargrove Pavilion. All currently enrolled BFA and MFA students are eligible to submit.
Submission Deadline: March 1, 2025 at 11:59 pm (Eastern Time). Late submissions will not be accepted.
Format requirements and length limits:
- Short films (narrative or experimental): maximum running time 20 minutes
- Documentary works: maximum running time 25 minutes
- Animation works: maximum running time 10 minutes
- Interactive/new media works: submit a documentation video (max 10 min) plus a written description of the installation or interactive work (up to 500 words)
Submission requirements:
- Upload via the department submission portal (link distributed to enrolled students via email)
- File format: H.264 or ProRes 422 MP4/MOV; minimum 1080p resolution
- Include: completed submission form, title card, director's statement (150–300 words)
- Works previously screened at ACAPA events in the same academic year are not eligible for re-submission
- Each student may submit a maximum of two works
Selection: A faculty jury, including members from outside the Film & Media Arts department, will select works for inclusion. All submitters will be notified of decisions by March 21, 2025.
Screening dates: May 2–4, 2025, Hargrove Pavilion Screening Room A. Award presentations on May 4.
Questions: contact filmshowcase@acapa.edu or speak with your faculty advisor. Full showcase guidelines →
Student Work & Alumni
Film & Media Arts graduates have gone on to careers in independent film, documentary production, commercial media, game design, and academia. Recent alumni have screened work at the Tribeca Film Festival, True/False Film Fest, and the New England Film Festival. Several MFA graduates have joined faculty at colleges and universities across the United States.
The department maintains an archive of selected student thesis and capstone films accessible to currently enrolled students through the Hargrove Pavilion Media Lab. Alumni spotlight →
Internships & Professional Development
Junior and senior BFA students, as well as MFA students in their second year, are eligible to pursue internship credit through the department. ACAPA has established relationships with film production companies, documentary organizations, broadcast media, and interactive media studios across New England and beyond. Internship placements are coordinated through the department and the ACAPA Career and Professional Development Office.
The department hosts a bi-annual visiting artist series, bringing working filmmakers, documentary makers, and media artists to campus for public lectures, screenings, and student meetings. Events are listed on the Events & Performances calendar.
Contact & Advising
| Name | Role | Contact | Office Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prof. James Okafor | Department Chair | j.okafor@acapa.edu | Tues./Thurs. 2–4 pm, Hargrove 216 |
| Prof. Diana Rusch | Graduate Coordinator | d.rusch@acapa.edu | Mon. 1–3 pm, Hargrove 212 |
| Dept. Office | General inquiries, scheduling | filmarts@acapa.edu / (802) 555-0183 | Mon–Fri 9 am–5 pm, Hargrove 214 |