A Message from the Dean
The School of the Arts at Columbia University was established officially thirty-seven years ago. These have been years characterized by increasing success—none more so than now, when all four divisions of the school are thriving. An arts faculty worthy of a great research university and integrated within the artistic capital of the world has visibly emerged. The basic teaching philosophy—artists teaching other artists—consistently attracts students of the highest quality.

This year the School of the Arts celebrates the fifteenth anniversary of the Columbia University Film Festival, showcasing the very best emerging cinematic talent. Filmmakers such as Kim Peirce and Andy Bienen (both MFA 1996; Boys Don’t Cry), James Mangold (MFA 1999; Kate & Leopold and Girl, Interrupted), Patrick Stettner (MFA 1995; The Business of Strangers), and Lisa Cholodenko (MFA 1997; the upcoming Laurel Canyon and High Art) launched their careers here.

Another measure of the increasing success of the Film Division is the number of awards won by its students. The Student Academy Award, the most sought-after student film prize in the United States, has been won by School of the Arts Film Division students in four out of the last five years—most recently by David Kartch (MFA 1999) for Zen and the Art of Landscaping. Just this year, current Film Division student David Silver (MFA 2003) won the Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking at the Sundance Film Festival with Gasline, which screened in last year’s Columbia University Film Festival.

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