**I will preface this review with the caveat that I entered in the fall of 2019 and finished in spring 2021, that was my choice, many students deferred because of COVID-19, but my review still stands with a high regard of this film school despite COVID-19.
My faith and trust in this film program solely lies in the faculty and staff and their dedication to helping the students, especially the undergrad seniors, try to finish out their final year with some work to show for their time at SFSU despite a university that completely denied our access to equipment, facilities, and classes. I'm not sure how other people's experiences were in film school around the country or even in other parts of California during the beginning and height of the pandemic, but the Bay Area was an incredibly strict and restrictive area for trying to control COVID. This isn't me complaining about this, but giving context as to the hurdles that myself and fellow classmates had to deal with in order to have a fraction of the education we were still paying for and were promised. My issue was that there was no give, for many months, on the school's allowance for undergrad film students to have access to equipment because it would encourage filmmaking, which encourages gathering, even though we were completely remote by March 2020. It never sat right with me, but thankfully the professors and staff of the Cinema program at SFSU fought for us constantly, and for that I will always be grateful because the school gave in and allowed certain classes to resume (remote) and allowed those classes access to equipment. If it weren't for them I wouldn't have and award winning and festival presented short film under my belt.
Now as far as the program goes, yes, it is a state school so a lot of emphasis on writing and theory is necessary to graduate, but during a normal school year you have access to taking production classes that fit whatever tract you are pursuing: if you want to be a director there is Directing Actors, Visual Directing, Advanced Fiction Filmmaking, etc. screenwriters can choose from Adapting the Screenplay, Writing for Short Films, Feature Screenplay, etc. editors have multiple classes to choose from for editing, there are also sound classes a plenty, not to mention the great faculty that have experience and classes for experimental filmmaking.
SFSU also boasts a robust variety of faculty and professors, some well known filmmakers have worked there (Cheryl Dunye worked there for years before going back to working in the industry) and speaking of which SFSU is the type of school where you'll learn who Cheryl Dunye is, or Julie Dash, or Patricia Cardoso, or Charles Burnett, etc. and their contributions to film and an approach that may be more relatable to a diverse body of student filmmakers that aren't just young white men. Queer cinema and studies is also largely supported and backed by amazing faculty who work in the Bay Area and support the queer community within that work. The take away for me as a black woman that went to this school was that they put an emphasis and importance on educated well-rounded filmmakers to know history that isn't just Scorsese, Coppola, Howard, or Spielberg. It's always why it's quite anti-Hollywood because the film history is rooted in showing the flaws of Hollywood from the perspective of who history has notoriously left out in this country. This shouldn't be revolutionary, but required knowledge. Also if you want a Cinema and Media Studies background, the variety of courses you can choose from are very impressive.
Unfortunately, the equipment and facilities are a little dated, but they have stepped up in buying newer cameras and they try their best, again it's a state funded film program in the most expensive city in the state. Transportation can be tricky, especially if you don't live in San Francisco, mainly because the school is on the outer edge of the city. Driving and finding parking can be a pain but it is doable. Getting to the school through public transportation is also a pain but the school provides you with a discounted Clipper card for BART and SF Muni, and there are buses dedicated to dropping you off at campus from Daly City BART the are free, it's just a long commute. And yes, San Francisco is very expensive, I couldn't imagine being 18 and trying to move here, so if you can get campus housing your first year and meet people to live with later in something affordable I wish you all the best. SF and the Bay is very unique and special though, and many students gravitate here because there are communities that are fully supported here more than other parts of the state and country and you can't really put a price or measure on that. The career assistance post-graduation is hard for me to navigate or comment on because they offer the CSU Media Alliance and other apps for jobs, but the industry in the Bay Area is very limited but not impossible, it just depends on what you want to do. I did get an internship my senior year with a company based in L.A. but that was also something that could happen because of the pandemic. If you have a true desire/tract in something and you become close enough with any of those professors, keep in good contact with them because I've seen them help many students with jobs or opportunities in the Bay Area and L.A.
If you're looking for an inexpensive program that can help you figure out what direction in film you would like to take, or a program that offers a variety of classes that help you focus on your specific tract in filmmaking, SFSU is a great pick. You'll be supported in any community you identify with and can feel comfortable knowing you're in a program at a school that understands how far the industry still needs to go but will show you who has helped push the industry forward, and it doesn't have to be in the Hollywood system.
Also something that seems to be important is that they do not take any ownership of the work you do. They also have a fairly competitive school film festival every year highlighting all the work from students selected in a very diverse film festival with decent prizes.
If you want a school where you're touching a camera immediately your freshman year and never stop, this might not be the school for you. If you want the hands on experience of film school while also learning a true history of American and world film and watching films you may not ever see in other programs down south, this may be a great choice for you.
