Following a successful first installment, the biannual Milwaukee Illuminate Film Festival (miff.) returns June 14-15 at The Fitzgerald. Predominantly run and juried by graduates of the film program at the Peck School of the Arts, the festival seeks to illuminate the work of a wide range of marginalized communities. Alum …
Film, BFA BFA
You want to express yourself, and you know that making films is the way to do it. With our top-rated education, professional technology and world-class faculty, there is no limit to your filmmaking potential. And it all starts on day one as a film major.
Consistently ranked one of Variety’s “Best Film Schools,” our award-winning Film, Video, Animation and New Genres department is the best place to pursue your dream of being a filmmaker. We’re experts at helping you develop your creative, conceptual and technical abilities. That means you don’t simply earn a technical degree. You earn a fully immersive, creative, time-based and cinematic production degree that sets you up for success as a creative thinker, an informed viewer and an art maker — someone whose imaginative skills are matched by your ability to use technology and the craft of cinema to express something meaningful.
Program Type
Major
Program Format
On Campus
What it’s like to be a student at Peck School of the Arts
When you study film at the UW-Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts, you have access to equipment and facilities designed with you in mind, including dedicated lighting, animation and sound studios. We also offer numerous opportunities for you to gain hands-on experience and build your portfolio. You can intern with production studios and community partners, participate in student organizations and showcase your work in film festivals and screenings. One of our greatest strengths is our sense of community. Our students often tell us they form friendships in our program that are lifelong.
But don’t take our word for it. See for yourself what it is like to be a student here by scheduling a personalized tour and info session.
Program Details
Throughout your education, you benefit from individual attention from acclaimed faculty who serve as mentors. Even though UW-Milwaukee is a large university and this major is very popular, our film classes are intentionally capped for quality, ensuring that you receive support both academically and professionally.
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film immerses you in every aspect of the filmmaking process to better understand how every role works together. We teach all aspects of film production equally, so you graduate fully versed in cinematography, sound recording, editing, directing, producing, idea development and more. Our program also teaches all film genres – narrative, documentary, animation, experimental or a blend of any of these. Think of yourself as a one-person production company, totally prepared to enter the film industry or other creative communities.
It’s all about giving you a comprehensive education to meet the needs of an evolving industry and the demand for creative thinkers and makers. And you will have plenty of opportunity to tell those stories you’ve been daydreaming about. In your first year alone, you’ll make six films!
View the Film, BFA requirements.
Equipment Room
We believe that a solid foundation in technical expertise, coupled with your unique artistic vision, will pave the way for success in your creative endeavors. Our equipment room provides you with the tools necessary to bring your ideas to life.
Film Archives & Collections
You’ll have access to unique film archives like the Adoor Gopalakrishnan Film Archive & Research Center, which honors the legacy of internationally celebrated filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan. Or the UWM Libraries Cinema Arts Archive, which contains over 200 essential works from the history of experimental cinema. Learn more and explore the Film Archive Library.
Scholarships & Aid
UW-Milwaukee and Peck School of the Arts offer a diverse financial aid package for students, including Midwest residence savings, scholarships, grants, work-study opportunities and student loans.
Living Learning Communities
Live in campus housing on the same floor or wing as other students in your major or program. The Peck School of the Arts offers three Living Learning Communities where you can be a part of a “community within a community.” You’ll make friends, form study groups and do social activities together. And, best of all, there is no additional cost to be a part of a Living Learning Community.
Cinemas, Festivals & Screenings
Film and video screenings, festivals and exhibitions offer students the opportunity to see and experience both contemporary and historical works by American independent filmmakers as well as by international artists. Learn more about our cinemas, festivals and screenings.
Documentary Media
Documentary films preserve culture and tradition and help create the social, political and economic realities we would like to see in the world and in our communities. Explore how you can express your voice through documentary media.
Internships & Opportunities
Students work and intern professionally with big and small production companies, film festivals and creative agencies throughout Milwaukee, Chicago and beyond. See where your education can take you. Learn more about internships and opportunities.
Student Organizations & Clubs
Meet like-minded people in a wide variety of student organizations and clubs who inspire creativity and will support your aspirations. Collaborate and create, network with professional artists, and deepen your connection with faculty, mentors and fellow students outside of the classroom.
Study Abroad
We believe that a complete education in the arts should take you beyond the classroom and the local community. By studying abroad, you’ll gain more than a change of scenery. You’ll embark on a transformative educational experience and bring a global perspective to your field of study. Explore upcoming trips offered in partnership with the Center for International Education.
Alumni Stories in Film & Animation
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Trailblazing filmmakers amplify diverse narratives at Milwaukee Illuminate Film Festival
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Feature film by PSOA alum gets major streaming releaseSeven Days by filmmaker Corey Kupfer (BFA 2008, Film) has received a major streaming release. A fully self-funded and produced seven-part anthology, Seven Days is Kaufer’s first feature film. A Wisconsin native, Kupfer grew up in Ozaukee County before studying film and creative writing at UWM. "I don't think there's …
Careers in Film, Video, Animation & New Genres
- 3D Modeler
- ADR Editor
- Advertising Producer
- Aerial Cinematographer
- Animator/Stop-motion Animator
- Art Director
- Artist
- Assistant Director
- Best Boy
- Boom Operator
- Camera Operator
- Casting Director
- Character Rigger
- Cinematographer
- Colorist
- Compositing Artist
- Copywriter/Content Developer
- Creature Designer
- Curator/Programmer
- Development Executive
- Digital Imaging Technician
- Digital Media Product Developer
- Director
- Distributor
- Dolly Grip
- Drone Operator
- Dubbing Mixer
- Editor
- Educational Video Director/Producer
- Educator/University Administrator
- Electrician
- Electronics & Sensor Designer
- Entertainment/Studio Executive
- Festival Director/Programmer
- Film Archivist/Processor/Writer
- Filmmaker
- Fixer
- Foley Specialist
- Forensic Animator
- Gaffer
- Image Librarian/Archivist
- Interaction Designer
- Jimmy Jib Operator
- Key Grip
- Lighting Designer/Technician
- Line Producer
- Location Manager/Scout
- Marketing Executive
- Medical Animator
- Motion Capture Engineer
- Motion Graphics Designer/Producer
- Multimedia Artist/Journalist/Producer
- Photo Asset Manager/Instructor/Editor
- Photographic Labs/Image Producer
- Photojournalist
- Post-Production Supervisor
- Press Agent
- Producer (Film, TV, Web)
- Production Designer/Manager
- Prop Maker/Producer
- Public Relations/Publicist/Publisher
- Puppet Fabricator
- Recording & Mastering Engineer
- Researcher
- Rights & Clearances Manager
- Rotoscope Artist
- Screenwriter
- Script Editor/Supervisor/Writer
- Set Constructor/Designer/Director
- Sound Designer/Editor/Mixer
- Steadicam Operator
- Still Photographer
- Storyboard Artist
- Talent Producer
- Visual Effects Specialist/Supervisor
- Wardrobe Supervisor
Program Faculty
Which faculty you have within this program is dependent upon your chosen courses or interests. For a list of all Film, Video, Animation & New Genres faculty and staff please follow the link below.
- Assistant Professor, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- Co-Chair, Programming Committee
- brbalcom@uwm.edu
- Mitchell Hall B70
- Lecturer, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- ballar23@uwm.edu
- Kenilworth Square East 449
- Teaching Professor, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- crlelbog@uwm.edu
- 414-627-3996
- Mitchell Hall B69A
- Lecturer, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- jbbrazo@uwm.edu
- Kenilworth Square East 479
- Lecturer, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- Technical Assistant, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- ibrooks@uwm.edu
- 414-229-3905
- Mitchell Hall B57
- Teaching Faculty I, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- Director, Zen Film Festival
- tateb@uwm.edu
- 414-324-2333
- Kenilworth Square East 408
- Professor, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- Director, Community Media Project
- pcobb@uwm.edu
- Mitchell Hall B73A
- Associate Professor, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- Graduate Program Representative, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- Co-Chair, Programming Committee
- gibisser@uwm.edu
- Mitchell Hall B83A
- Lecturer, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- hansenkd@uwm.edu
- Kenilworth Square East 449
- Teaching Faculty II, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- Program Director, docUWM
- skafer@uwm.edu
- Kenilworth Square East 445
- Associate Professor, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- Director, Undergraduate Studies
- kirshtne@uwm.edu
- 414-688-5200
- Mitchell Hall B73B
- Assistant Professor, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- jmalmed@uwm.edu
- Mitchell Hall B83A
- Assistant Professor, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- maysm@uwm.edu
- 414-510-3902
- Kenilworth Square East 471
- Associate Professor, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- Chair, Department of Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- mcleanj@uwm.edu
- 414-251-6302
- Mitchell Hall B83B
- Lecturer, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- tapero@uwm.edu
- 4106-451-979
- Kenilworth Square East
- Teaching Faculty II, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- Outreach Coordinator, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- Living & Learning Community Coordinator, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- atorinus@uwm.edu
- Mitchell Hall B69A
- Teaching Faculty I, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- rumali@uwm.edu
- Mitchell Hall B83A
- Teaching Faculty II, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- Outreach Coordinator, Undergraduate Advisor, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- Chair, Scholarship Committee
- Co-Chair, Curriculum Committee
- lillyjc2@uwm.edu
- Mitchell Hall B69
- Interim Head of School, Peck School of the Arts
- Associate Professor, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- swetzel@uwm.edu
- 414-391-2955
- Mitchell Hall B83C
- Teaching Faculty I, Film, Video, Animation and New Genres
- davidrw3@uwm.edu
- Mitchell Hall B55
