SANTA FE, N.M., Nov. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Santa Fe University of Art and Design (SFUAD) announced today that it has re-envisioned its film program and will make a new Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film curriculum available to SFUAD film students beginning Fall 2013. Reflecting these changes, the university is renaming its Moving Image Arts Department to The Film School at SFUAD.

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The BFA in Film curriculum includes three primary concentrations: Production, Story Development, and Visual Effects/Technical Animation. Classes focus on storytelling, the business of film and TV, screenwriting, directing, cinematography, producing, critical studies and more. Students will learn how to create media content for film, TV and Internet platforms that extend to a variety of audiences and purposes, including entertainment, information, marketing and publicity.

"The core values we base our film program upon are storytelling, business and professional responsibility," said Chris Eyre, chair of the Film School and an award-winning, nationally recognized director and producer of film and TV. "We have now also incorporated new technology and a twenty-first-century curriculum into the classroom so students can explore the range of career opportunities that a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film makes possible. Alumni of The Film School at SFUAD will be prepared with the tools they need to succeed in an ever-changing industry."

The university has also created an Advisory Board for the Film School. Leading directors, screenwriters, animators and other film professionals will give guest lectures and workshops on campus, as well as advise the university on how to continue to strengthen the Film School's curriculum.

The Film School is proud to announce that the Advisory Board  includes writer and producer Kirk Ellis, best known for writing the Emmy Award– winning John Adams miniseries for HBO; Jaime Paglia, writer, producer and co-creator of Eureka for the Syfy Channel and NBC Universal; animator and director John Stevenson of Kung Fu Panda, Shrek, Shrek 2 and Madagascar; and Kathleen Broyles, a program coordinator for feature films at the Sundance Institute and liaison to actor Robert Redford.

"We have something here that is very special, which is a space to create," added Eyre. "We are in the Southwest, and something about that is creative and stimulating. The other component that's unique about Santa Fe University of Art and Design is the opportunity to intern at Garson Studios—professional soundstages connected to the Film School where movies like True Grit and No Country for Old Men were made."

To watch Eyre speak at greater length about the Film School, visit the university's YouTube channel. For highlights on where some of SFUAD's Moving Image Arts Department alumni are today, visit the Alumni Accomplishments page on SFUAD's website.

About The Film School at SFUAD
The Film School at Santa Fe University of Art and Design offers a comprehensive, hands-on, four-year curriculum that integrates film, video and digital production with critical studies and writing. Films such as True Grit and Cowboys & Aliens and TV dramas such as Longmire have been shot at the university's Garson Studios, where students have the opportunity to intern on professional productions. Garson Studios is part of the Garson Communications Center, which features a 65,000-square-foot production and postproduction facility. The Screen, a popular destination within the Garson Communications Center, shows some of the greatest works of world cinema daily for students and the public.

About Santa Fe University of Art and Design
Santa Fe University of Art and Design is an accredited institution located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, one of the world's leading centers for art and design. The university offers degrees in arts management, contemporary music, creative writing, digital arts, graphic design, film, performing arts, photography and studio art. Faculty members are practicing artists who teach students in small groups, following a unique interdisciplinary curriculum that combines hands-on experience with core theory and prepares graduates to become well-rounded, creative, problem-solving professionals. As a Laureate International Universities Center of Excellence in Art, Architecture and Design, the university boasts an international student body and opportunities to study abroad, encouraging students to develop a global perspective on the arts. Santa Fe University of Art and Design is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, www.ncahlc.org.

SOURCE Santa Fe University of Art and Design