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UGA Establishes Master of Fine Arts Film Program

UGA

The University of Georgia’s Grady College has established a new Master of Fine Arts program aimed at filling a need for Georgia’s ever-growing film and television industry. Dean Charles Davis explains how the program prepares student for tackling industry opportunities.

“It is the culmination of several years of conversation between many of us at the University of Georgia and the state and the film community, to address the need for indigenous, local digital storytelling,” according to Davis. “It’s pretty innovative, one year in Athens learning the basics of cinematography and then a second year resident at the Georgia Film Academy’s Pinewood Forest location, adjacent to Pinewood Studios.”

Davis says this is the only such university-studio partnership program.

There are nearly 45,800 direct motion picture and television industry jobs in Georgia, according to the Motion Picture Association.

More than enough to support such an area of study and training according to Davis.

“In fact there is a crying need for it. As you know film and television production in the state has very rapidly grown into a six and a half billion-dollar industry. There are quite literally, hundreds of productions shooting at any given moment in the state of Georgia.”

The Georgia Department of Economic Development says in the 2019 fiscal year, which ended June 30, Georgia hosted 391 projects that had a direct in-state spend of $2.9 billion.

The MFA Film program will begin in fall 2020. Applications will be accepted until Feb. 15, 2020, and can be viewed at mfafilm.uga.edu.

Pinewood Forest is a 235-acre master-planned residential and mixed-use development located in south metro Atlanta, Georgia, adjacent to Pinewood Atlanta Studios.

Credit Photo: WUGA

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