University of Auckland film school officially among the world's best
The University of Auckland’s Screen Production Programme (Department of Film Television and Media Studies) has joined the ranks of the world’s best film and television schools.
The Screen Production Programme was unanimously voted into the membership of CILECT based on the quality of its teaching, and the films produced by its students.
CILECT (Centre International de Liaison des Ecoles de Cinéma et de Télévision) is the association of the world's major film and television schools. Founded in Cannes in 1955, it enables the exchange of ideas, creativity and development amongst member schools. A significant number of the world's leading film and television makers are graduates of CILECT schools.
The University’s Screen Production Programme is the first New Zealand member of CILECT.
“Being a CILECT member will open up various opportunities for the exchange of ideas with students and staff at some of the most prestigious international film schools,” says Dr Shuchi Kothari, Director of the Screen Production programme. “It serves as a benchmark for our programme and also facilitates networks among academic-practitioners to foster collaborative projects.”
Memorandums of understanding are being discussed for student exchange with film schools in Prague and Cuba.
Membership to CILECT was no easy feat. The first step was a 40-page application, on the merit of which CILECT sent the Head of CILECT Asia Pacific to conduct an exhaustive audit of the department. This was followed by Dr Kothari’s presentation at the CILECT General Assembly in Cape Town, South Africa. The University of Auckland was the only new school to receive a unanimous vote supporting its membership.
Dr Stanislav Semerdjiev, the Executive Director of CILECT, said a unanimous vote was very rare, demonstrating there was no doubt over the quality of the department. He added it was high time The University of Auckland became a CILECT member as it was already well-known in the field of film education.
“It is the time for the world to be in touch with film education in New Zealand, to learn from it, to find out its richness, diversity and for there to be much better networking connections with New Zealand and students from the Pacific,” he said.
Dr Kothari praised the cultural diversity within the films produced by students in the department.
“The students’ work is very strong — varied, competent, imaginative, ambitious. And we only presented a small sample of the material produced to CILECT, there were many fine works not included.”