Film, Video, New Media, & Animation

Image of a sound classroom of four students.

The department of Film, Video, New Media & Animation has long been central to the development of highly influential independent and experimental media practices in the field. The international character of our department and the cultural diversity of our community have produced an array of expanded approaches and driven many of our working procedures toward expansive trans-cultural practices that push boundaries while engaging in formal experimentation, technical innovation, and critical investigation.

Challenging Convention

Students reach beyond conventional approaches to media, investigating new directions for nonfiction and narrative film and video, moving-image installation, analog and digital animation, interactive art, web-based projects, and media art histories. Students explore moving images in all their contemporary venues—from the cinema and performance sites to the internet and mobile devices, as well as museums, galleries, festivals, and community-based projects.

Personalized Pathways

Working with graduate advisors of their choice, students create a course of study informed by their own interests and artistic goals. Within this personalized framework, they establish a theoretical and historical context for understanding their work, the work of other artists, and work from the broader media ecosystem. Students are encouraged to explore courses in other departments to enrich their practice.

International Recognition

The department has helped to produce eleven Guggenheim Fellows, as well as multiple winners at international festivals, including the Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Most recently, our graduates have earned top prizes at the Berlin Film Festival, Cinema Du Reel, the Montreal Film Festival, and the Rotterdam International Film Festival, among others.

Video Data Bank, the leading resource in the United States for videos by and about contemporary artists.
The Gene Siskel Film Center, one of the country's premiere screening venues dedicated to promoting alum, student, and faculty work, as well as bringing internationally acclaimed filmmakers to Chicago and SAIC.
Conversations at the Edge, a Thursday night series at the Film Center dedicated to the FVNMA department.
The Donna and Howard Stone Gallery for film, video, and new media in the Art Institute of Chicago's Modern Wing