School of Media Studies

The School of Media Studies mourns the passing of a distinguished member of the New School community, associate professor of media and film Michelle Materre. Michelle will be remembered as a tireless advocate for and champion of films by and about women and people of color, a beloved teacher, an engaged university citizen, and a cherished colleague. No list of accomplishments or accolades, however, can fully capture how special she was to the countless students, colleagues, and collaborators fortunate enough to have been drawn into her circle. She was known for her generous, ebullient presence, bringing joy to everything she did. Her absence will be felt deeply, but her immense impact and legacy will live on and stay with us.

Ascension, by Jessica Kingdon, MA Media Studies ’14, received an Oscar nomination in the category of Documentary Feature. The 94th Oscars will take place on March 27, 2022.

The Hollywood Reporter included the School of Media Studies at The New School on its list of New York and California film schools to consider, highlighting the flexibility that allows students to combine courses to fit their own interests.

MovieMaker, a website focused on the art and craft of movies and cinematic TV, included The New School as one of the Best Film Schools in the U.S. & Canada in 2021. The Media Studies MA program was cited for outstanding media studies and signature Hirshon Artist-in-Residency, which has drawn prominent filmmakers like Raoul Peck and Sam Pollard and creates a unique opportunity for students to learn from contemporary filmmakers in an intimate setting.

Media Studies alum Sam Feder's recent documentary Disclosure is an unprecedented, eye-opening look at the depiction of transgender people in film and television, revealing how Hollywood simultaneously reflects and manufactures our deepest anxieties about gender. The film, which Feder directed alongside executive producer and three-time-Emmy-nominated actress Laverne Cox, saw its world premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. The documentary is now available to stream on Netflix.

Intelligent.com, a website that offers students access to educational resources and advice, ranked the School of Media Studies’ MS in Media Management program No. 8 on its Best Online Master’s in Entertainment Management Degree Programs list. Intelligent rated 142 universities and colleges with graduate degrees in the management of media, entertainment, and related fields.

Ambrus Hernadi, Uwaifo Iduozee, Maria Mayo, and Tyche Zhuge, 2019 graduates of the Documentary Studies Graduate Certificate program, have been selected to showcase their work at this year's DOC NYC film festival. Their films, all of which were created during their time at The New School, were selected as a part of the festival's University Showcase series.

Maya Mumma, a 2009 graduate of the MA Media Studies program, edited the documentary King in the Wilderness for HBO. Chronicling the final three years of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life, King in the Wilderness was called "an exceptional documentary" by the LA Times .