The Brooklyn College Barry R. Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema at Steiner Studios, which is currently accepting applications for the 2016-17 academic year, has recently added a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Digital Animation & VFX to its suite of degree programs. Feirstein is the first public graduate film school in New York, and the only one in the country housed on a working film lot.

With an emphasis on experimentation and imagination, and a foundation in narrative structure, the M.F.A. in Digital Animation & VFX will bridge the worlds of technology-based innovation and cinematic storytelling.

“Our students are exceptional and hard-working,” says Founding Director Jonathan Wacks, “and with the addition of our digital animation & VFX master’s program, they will be well prepared to excel in a wide range of fields, from filmmaking to video game design.”

Other degree programs offered at Feirstein include an M.A. in Cinema Studies and M.F.A. in Cinema Arts, with course emphasis on producing, directing, screenwriting, cinematography and post-production.

Merit- and need-based scholarship opportunities are also available for students. They include the Robert De Niro Award, Barry R. Feirstein (class of ’74) Cinematic Arts Graduate Scholarship, Paul (class of ’51) and Betsy Mazursky Scholarship, Joel (class of ’62) and Candice Zwick Scholarship in Directing, and the New York City Mayor’s Office for Media and Entertainment scholarship, which provides up to $10,000 for senior thesis projects or up to $2,500 for research.

The school’s advisory board includes film industry heavyweights committed to Feirstein’s mission and vision. They include Academy Award-nominated actor Ethan Hawke, Emmy Award-winning producer Celia Costas, Academy Award-nominated director Darren Aronofsky and Oscar-winning producer, director and screenwriter Stephen Soderbergh. The Feirstein faculty are also seasoned educators who bring real world experience to their practice, from the school’s Founding Director Jonathan Wacks (Repo Man, 21 Jump Street) to cinema scholar Paula Massood.

Located at Steiner Studios at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Feirstein is housed in a 68,000-square-foot facility, purpose-built for a 21st-Century film school. This entirely digital production and post-production environment offers state-of-the-art workspaces, studios, stages and equipment, including a foley stage, motion capture studio and a 4K surround-sound screening room.