Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced the opening of Brooklyn College’s Barry R. Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema. The Feirstein School is the only public graduate school in the country to be on a working film lot, located in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. It is also the first public graduate school of cinema in the City.
“New York City has long been a global capital for film and television production, but today we are making an unprecedented commitment in the future of this industry and in New York’s finest young filmmakers,” said de Blasio. “By opening the Feirstein School, we are unlocking the door of opportunity for a talented and diverse group of students who want to get the best, most cutting-edge education in cinema, and then put those skills to use right here in New York City. I thank former Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his extraordinary vision on this project and to the generous private funders who helped to make this first-of-its-kind school not only top-notch but highly affordable for a group of aspiring filmmakers who reflect the multicultural creativity of our city.”
The Feirstein School will welcome 69 students this fall. The goal is to provide affordable access to career opportunities in cinema, especially New York City’s local film industry. The project is being funded through a public-private partnership, involving the Brooklyn College Foundation, Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Steiner Studios, New York City Council, the Brooklyn Borough President and the City University of New York. The City of New York contributed $8 million in support. $4.7 million went towards construction, $1 million for curriculum and program, and $500,000 for creative grants and marketing. The City’s funds went towards not only the creation of the Feirstein School, but towards $2 million in scholarships for prospective students.
The cost of tuition at Feirstein is approximately $59,000 for in-state students over three years. The cost of comparable three-year MFA programs at private schools can amount to over $150,000.
The Feirstein School features state-of-the-art production and post0production facilities, including one of the largest sound stages in the country, complete with lighting, grip, and electrical equipment. Degree programs include M.A. in Cinema Studies and M.F.A in Cinema Arts, which is composed of five tracks: cinematography, directing, post production, producing and screenwriting.
Some famous faces will contribute to the Feirstein School, including actor and director Ethan Hawke, director Steven Soderburgh, and Emmy Award-winning producer Celia Costas.
Barry R. Feirstiein, a Brooklyn College alum, said “Brooklyn College provided an excellent academic foundation for me and I’m extremely pleased to return the favor by helping to build a 21st century cinema school that will both strengthen the college and provide access to exciting careers for today’s students.”
“The visionary philanthropy of Barry R. Feirstein, CUNY, the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, and the New York City and State Council, among others, has enabled us to transform the lives of our students,” said Brooklyn College President Karen L. Gould. “With instruction from faculty who are leaders in their fields, and hands on experience in a top notch facility, our students will be adequately prepared to succeed in the city’s burgeoning film industry.”
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams highlighted Brooklyn’s involvement in the film industry. “In Brooklyn, we are creating pipelines to prosperity in the ‘pictures,’ building on our ‘Hollywood East’ reputation to develop a full-fledged industry that trains and hires our own. I am proud to support Brooklyn College’s brand-new Barry R. Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema, a wonderful addition to the CUNY system – of which I am a proud alum – and a one-of-a-kind opportunity to study filmmaking on a working film lot in New York City. I look forward to seeing the Emmys, Oscars, and other awards that this school’s future grads will amass, along with the countless local jobs that will be created.”
Flatbush Congresswoman Yvette Clark noted that Brooklyn has historically been a center of culture, producing prominent filmmakers, actors, and screenwriters from Mel Brooks and Ruby Dee to Spike Lee and Noah Baumbach.
“With the opening of the Barry R. Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema at Brooklyn College – a college that has supported the aspirations of many generations of women and men – Brooklyn will have an institution where students have an opportunity to learn the techniques of filmmaking at an affordable cost, considerably less than at most private institutions,” she said.
East New York City Council Member Inez Barron, Chair of the Committee on Higher Education, noted that, “The location of this School, abutting the NYCHA developments of Walt Whitman, Ingersoll (formerly known as Fort Greene) and Farragut Houses is also an opportunity to provide economic, educational and social benefits for the residents of this community. I look forward to these partnerships.”
Other Brooklyn lawmakers on hand for the announcement included Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez, State Sen. Daniel Squadron, and City Council Members Stephen Levin, Robert E. Cornegy, Jr., Laurie Cumbo and Jumaane Williams.
