Why Iowa?

Iowa helped pioneer film studies—and today, you can hone your craft and find your voice in America’s best small city for the arts.

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Turn creativity into storytelling

Advance your craft

Learn from experts

See yourself here

Experience the energy of Iowa City, where filmmakers, dreamers, and storytellers turn vision into art.

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Write your story

Iowa’s cinematic arts programs prepare you to think critically, create boldly, and lead in a changing media world.

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faculty helping student with VR

15

Full-time faculty
student in camera check out

229

Undergraduate cinema majors

Fall 2025 data

179

Undergraduate screenwriting majors

Fall 2025 data

screenwriting student in class workshopping

70 +

Courses taught
student in theatre discussing films

News and announcements

Cinematic Arts faculty projects are changing the way we see and hear the world through the Arts and Humanities Initiative

Friday, February 20, 2026
Faculty members Constantine Bakopoulos, Laura Conway, Laura Gede, Kate Hinshaw, and Kaia Olsen will advance their creative works through funding from the Arts and Humanities Initiative (AHI).

Dewey Stuit Fund Student Award

Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Congratulations to screenwriting student Danny Willis for being awarded from the Dewey Stuit Fund for Undergraduate Research to support her ongoing work on a script called NORTHSIDE!

Recent Cinematic Arts Faculty Awards

Friday, February 6, 2026
Learn about the different awards that faculty from the Department of Cinematic Arts received and the work their awards are supporting!
View more

Events

Film Screening at FilmScene | Chameleon Street promotional image

Film Screening at FilmScene | Chameleon Street

Monday, April 6, 2026 7:00pm to 9:00pm
FilmScene

The Stanley presents a Pay What You Can screening of the independent film, Chameleon Street, in collaboration with FilmScene. Arrive at 6:15pm for a pre-screening meal and stay after for a post-screening discussion.

Reserve your tickets here.

This programming is related the exhibition, Flex: Masculinities in the Arts of Global Africa, on view at the Stanley from February 28, 2026 - July 26, 2026.

CHAMELEON STREET
(1989, Comedy, Drama, 94 min) Dir. Wendell B. Harris Jr.
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize...

Symposium: Shadow Play Across the Arts and Humanities promotional image

Symposium: Shadow Play Across the Arts and Humanities

Thursday, April 16, 2026 5:15pm to 8:00pm
Visual Arts Building
Symposium on Shadow Play
Iowa City International Documentary Film Festival promotional image

Iowa City International Documentary Film Festival

Thursday, April 23 to Sunday, April 26, 2026 (all day)
Adler Journalism and Mass Communication Building
The Iowa City International Film Festival is a student-run experimental film festival hosted in Iowa City.
Film Screening at FilmScene with Director Khalik Allah promotional image

Film Screening at FilmScene with Director Khalik Allah

Thursday, April 23, 2026 6:30pm to 9:00pm
FilmScene

The Stanley presents a Pay What You Can screening of experimental documentary work by New York-based filmmaker Khalik Allah, in collaboration with FilmScene. The double feature screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director who will be in Iowa City for the Iowa City International Film Festival (ICDOCS).

Reserve your tickets here.

This programming is related the exhibition, Flex: Masculinities in the Arts of Global Africa, on view at the Stanley from February 28, 2026 - July 26, 2026.

BLACK...

Iowa City International Documentary Film Festival promotional image

Iowa City International Documentary Film Festival

Friday, April 24 to Sunday, April 26, 2026 (all day)
Adler Journalism and Mass Communication Building
The Iowa City International Film Festival is a student-run experimental film festival hosted in Iowa City.
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