MGSDII Offers San Diego Student Scholarship to Pursue M.F.A. at the Prestigious Tisch Film and Television School at Tel Aviv University

The MGSDII is proud to offer San Diego student, Alexandria Rivetti, a scholarship to pursue her M.F.A. in Documentary Cinema at the Tisch School at Tel Aviv University. An undergraduate of U.C. Berkeley, Alexandria moved back to San Diego where she began honing her craft.

Alexandria shared her excitement for the program, saying, “After watching films and television series by female filmmakers such as Rama Burshtein, Talya Lavie, and Ronit Weiss Berkowitz, I realized I wanted to go to Israel and study film. Coincidentally, Professor Weiss Berkowitz happened to be a MGSDII Visiting Israeli Professor at San Diego State University, and we were able to meet and discuss the documentary cinema program at Tel Aviv University… the brand new program sounded too good to pass up and I decided to apply right away!”

This unique program deals exclusively with documentary filmmaking. Recently, documentary cinema has become a powerful tool for spreading stories and ideas. The Tisch Film and Television School provides world renowned resources and tools, making it an excellent place through which students can enter the exciting world of documentary cinema. This program, held for four terms, gives students a comprehensive education in visual production. Students spend the first three sequential terms in Tel Aviv gaining research skills, learning about script writing, producing, editing, and directing. Immensely hands on, students will simultaneously gain a theoretical grounding and practical knowledge of all aspects of documentary filming.

Students will learn from world-renowned filmmakers (including award-winning Ran Tal) about using camera equipment, adjusting lighting, sound and setting, and scriptwriting. The practical workshops will provide students with comprehensive skills to produce their own films and television. During the fourth semester, students produce a film or television series in the location of their choice on a topic they are passionate about under the (virtual) guidance of a supervisor. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to meet with world-renowned filmmakers and visual artists and will be encouraged to participate in the International Student Film Festival. Students will have the opportunity to present their own work as well as take part in documentary and non-documentary film workshops.

Upon completion of this degree, students will be positioned to work in the television industry, cinema production, or as directors. More information can be found HERE.