Semans Art Fund to support UNCSA School of Filmmaking exchange program with Germany’s Konrad Wolf Film University through 2028

The School of Filmmaking at UNCSA has announced a multiyear commitment from the Semans Art Fund to support the school’s continued participation in an exchange program with Konrad Wolf Film University of Babelsberg, the oldest and largest film school in Germany.

Since the exchange program between UNCSA and Konrad Wolf began in 2017, more than 60 students from the UNCSA School of Filmmaking have taken part. The Semans Art Fund — a private foundation that provides funding to current returning UNCSA students for summer study, special projects, research and performances — has provided support to a number of those students through the years. When approached for funding this year, the fund opted to preemptively commit funding not only this year, but for 2026, 2027 and 2028 as well, providing $20,000 in program support each year.

Located in the Babelsberg quarter of Potsdam, the capital and largest city of the State of Brandenburg, the school is just 15 miles from Berlin’s city center and in the heart of the German film industry.

A man filming a group of people with a camera, capturing their interactions and expressions.

On the set of "Cassiopeia" in Berlin, May 2017

“The Konrad Wolf program has been a transformative experience for UNCSA filmmakers since the exchange’s inception,” said UNCSA School of Filmmaking Dean Deborah LaVine. “Students experience travel to Berlin, a fascinating center for filmmaking and history. While there, they make a short film in collaboration with students from the Konrad Wolf Film University and learn European-style filmmaking techniques that differ greatly from those taught at UNCSA which more closely replicate the ‘Hollywood’ production model.

“In turn, Konrad Wolf students travel to UNCSA for several weeks each spring where the School of Filmmaking students serve as guides demonstrating typically American independent moviemaking,” said LaVine.

She notes that this ongoing funding will reduce the barriers to participation in this unique program.  

“Over the years the ability for students to join the program depended on self-funding, which can be prohibitive,” said LaVine. “The School of Filmmaking has supported the film production costs; however, the other costs have sometimes made it impossible for deserving students to participate.”

Several individuals standing together around a camera, appearing to discuss or prepare for a photo.

On the set of "Cassiopeia" in Berlin, May 2017.

The Semans Art Fund, which has long been the largest supporter of this effort, has ensured through this gift that this vital bridge between two vibrant film industries will continue to thrive.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to formalize and enhance our support for the exchange program between UNCSA and the Konrad Wolf school,” said Matt Harris, president of the Semans Art Fund. “The free and open exchange of ideas and techniques between these cohorts of filmmakers from different continents and backgrounds will strengthen the work of every participant. We are happy to be a part of making this exciting program more accessible for UNCSA students.”

Since becoming dean in 2021, LaVine has bolstered international partnerships as part of her initiative to connect filmmakers across the globe to the School of Filmmaking.

“A broader world view strengthens the students' cinematic storytelling,” she says. “Topics in the films made from our international partnerships demonstrate marked maturity and deeper empathy — a reflection of the intense work making films in a foreign country alongside individuals who represent many different lived experiences.”

The School of Filmmaking at UNCSA opened its doors in 1993 as the fifth arts conservatory of the university. Over more than three decades, it has grown to enroll more than 350 students at the undergraduate and graduate levels studying concentrations including animation, cinematography, directing, picture editing and sound design, producing, production design and visual effects and screenwriting. The Hollywood Reporter ranks UNCSA No. 8 on its list of best film schools in the U.S., and it is the highest-ranking public university on the list. Last month, Variety included the school on its list of top film programs for the 10th consecutive year. Consistently recognized as among the nation’s best training programs for filmmakers, the film school has produced some of today’s most creative storytellers, including Danny McBride, David Gordon Green, Brett Haley, Rebecca Green, Jody Hill, Jeff Nichols, Craig Zobel, Vera Herbert, Martha Stephens, Aaron Katz and Zoë White, among many others. Led by independent filmmaker and educator Deborah LaVine, the award-winning faculty in the School of Filmmaking have decades of real-world experience and a passion for mentoring students.

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May 13, 2025