MFA in Film and MFA in TV Writing Virtual Information Session
Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 6 pm EST
Join faculty Christine Vachon, Alan Kingsberg and others to learn about our MFAs in Film and TV Writing at Stony Brook Manhattan on Wednesday, February 25 at 6 pm.
Applications are open for the MFA in TV Writing and MFA in Film for Fall 2026.
About the MFA in Film Program
Get it Made. Make it Right. Get it Seen.
The Stony Brook MFA in Film is the only graduate program in the SUNY system fiercely dedicated to independent filmmaking. Our philosophy is simple: roll up your sleeves and dive in. We don't just study film; we make it.
The Killer Advantage Led by Killer Films founders Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler (Boys Don't Cry, Carol, Past Lives), our faculty is comprised entirely of working professionals. We mentor students through the real-world ecosystem of independent film, TV writing, and digital content. You won't just learn to write a script; you will learn to budget, cast, navigate legal waters, market and distribute.
Your Creative Hub in Manhattan Located at the Stony Brook Manhattan Center (535 Eighth Avenue), you are an easy commute from the heart of the industry. Our facility operates as a production office and studio, featuring:
- Cameras: RED Epic-W Helium, Canon C200, and Cinema Prime lenses.
- Lighting & Grip: Aputure LED/ARRI Fresnel systems and 1-Ton grip packages.
- Post-Production: A top-tier suite with Adobe Creative Cloud and DaVinci Resolve.
Choose Your Track
- Directing
- Screenwriting
- Producing
IP: You own what you make. If you create it here, the Intellectual Property belongs to you.
Students
Fourteen indie feature films have been produced within the Stony Brook MFA, including public/private partnerships with production companies, international co-productions, and distributed and streaming films. Students have received top notch industry scholarships, awards including the National Board of Review Student Grant, Sundance Institute / Sloan Commissioning Grant, the New York Women in Film & Television Scholarship, The Turner research Grant, and NYWIFT’s "From Script to Pre-production" internships. Plus their work has showcased at film festivals across the world including the Atlanta Film Festival, DOC NYC, Loft Film Fest, Miami International Film Festival, New York Short Film Festival, NewFilmmakers New York, Cannes Market, Nottingham International Film Festival, the Zero Film Festival and the Jeonju International Film Festival in Korea.
Faculty
Each one of our faculty are active working professionals in the field and understand first hand what it takes to make a living as creatives and content-makers. Check out our Faculty page.
Library
The University Library holds in excess of 15,000 items comprised of books, eBooks, videos, periodicals, music scores, dissertations, and audio files related to the study of film, which are easily accessible through interlibrary document delivery. Our book collection contains over 7,500 volumes.
Special collections, such as the recently endowed Sklar Collection, are being developed continuously.
Interested students should request information from the department and find application information here.
Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible, especially if they plan to apply for financial aid.
The MFA in Film program accepts applications for admission on a semi-rolling basis.
A NOTE ABOUT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: If creative work is conceived and/or completed within the Stony Brook MFA program in Film and Television Writing, then the Intellectual Property (IP) represented by that creative work is owned by the student.