Antioch MFA Listed as One of “30 Best Film Schools” for Third Year

For the third consecutive year, Antioch University’s MFA in Creative Writing has earned a coveted spot on MovieMaker Magazine’s annual list of the 30 Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada. The 2025 edition of the list, written by Deirdre McCarrick, aims to identify institutions that rise above the rest and that “will help you break into the film and TV industry.” In compiling the list, MovieMaker considers unique strengths as well as practicalities such as accessibility of financial aid and tuition costs. All of these factors come into their recommendation of the Antioch MFA, which, in MovieMaker’s words, “has established itself as one of the best rising opportunities for screenwriters.” 

The recommendation calls out specifically the Antioch MFA’s mentorship model, where each faculty member works one-on-one with just three to six students each semester. Colette Freedman, a prolific screenwriter, playwright, novelist, and teacher who currently serves as Teaching Faculty in Dramatic Writing and helps run the program, agrees that this a key differentiator. She says, “What makes Antioch special is our mentor/mentee relationship.” She emphasizes the quality of the screenwriters, TV writers, and playwrights who serve as mentors—all of whom are working writers—and touts the ways they “work one on one with our students to develop their projects.” 

Beyond the emphasis on mentorship, the key reasons cited for including the Antioch MFA on this prestigious list were the excellent lineup of “visits from some of the world’s best storytellers,” the structure and flexibility of the Antioch MFA’s two-year low-residency delivery, and the program’s affordability.  

For Lisa Locascio Nighthawk, the Chair of the Antioch MFA, inclusion on this list confirms the sense that the program is building something special. “Being recognized as one of MovieMaker Magazine’s Best Screenwriting Programs for the third year in a row is a wonderful accomplishment for the Antioch MFA,” she says. “It shows what a powerful, unique program we have built in just a few short years. We’re proud to offer a world-class education in writing for the screen, grounded in relationship-building, high-level creative craft, and hands-on filmmaking experience here at Antioch.” 

Freedman says that this achievement goes beyond a celebration of Antioch University’s ongoing commitment to nurturing talent and fostering creativity. “Because we are social justice oriented,” she says, “our students aren’t just ‘making art’, they are making art that makes a difference…and I couldn’t be more proud.”