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

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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

CLAS industry professionals bring tomorrow's creative industries into today's classrooms

Monday, August 24, 2026
From literary agents to filmmakers, the Industry Professionals in the Arts and Humanities program gives students direct access to the professionals shaping today's creative industries.

Reflections and Gratitude on 29 Years of Teaching, Learning, and Community

Tuesday, August 18, 2026
After nearly three decades of teaching, mentoring, and shaping Film Studies at the University of Iowa, Corey Creekmur has written a reflection on his career and the communities that supported it. His retrospective looks back on the courses, collaborations, and creative work that defined his time in Cinematic Arts.

Cinema alumnus helping the next generation of Cinema students succeed

Tuesday, June 30, 2026
From crash-course lessons to project guidance and support, Kelvin Nucico, Instructional Services Coordinator for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, is committed to helping students from start to finish.
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Events

Student Publications Literary Carousel promotional image

Student Publications Literary Carousel

Friday, September 4, 2026 4:00pm to 5:30pm
Adler Journalism and Mass Communication Building

The Literary Carousel, hosted by snapshots magazine, will take place on Friday, September 4th at 4:00pm in the Adler Journalism Building Rotunda. The event is open to all University of Iowa students and campus community members who are interested in learning about the University of Iowa's 15+ student-run literary magazines. The event includes booths detailing each organization's work and purpose, as well as ways for undergraduate students to get involved. Participants will have the unique...

Writing at Iowa Fall Kick-Off Open House and Reading promotional image

Writing at Iowa Fall Kick-Off Open House and Reading

Friday, September 18, 2026 2:00pm to 6:00pm
Shambaugh House

Join us for our free Fall Kick Off Event, on Sept. 18 from 2-6pm. The event will feature special readings from Melissa Febos, Lan Samantha Chang and Kaveh Akbar, along with undergraduate literary mag readings, a book fair, free swag, food + more!

2 PM: Book Fair

4 PM: Undergraduate Lit Reading

5 PM: Faculty reading with Melissa Febos, Lan Samantha Chang and Kaveh Akbar

RSVP Deadline: AMA with Walter Biggins, Obermann Editor-in-Residence promotional image

RSVP Deadline: AMA with Walter Biggins, Obermann Editor-in-Residence

Wednesday, September 30, 2026 (all day)
111 Church Street

UI faculty, students, and staff are invited to attend ask-me-anything group discussions with Walter Biggins—editor-in-chief at University of Pennsylvania Press—at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 1 at the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies. Questions might address finding an editor, pitching a book, writing a book proposal, how the publishing process works, etc.

There will be two back-to-back discussions; you may attend one or both.

Please RSVP by Wednesday, September 30.

Free and open to all.

Bi...

AI Is Not Your Friend: Cautions and Vents about Its Uses and Abuses in the Creation of Scholarly Publications — public lecture by Walter Biggins, Obermann Editor-in-Residence promotional image

AI Is Not Your Friend: Cautions and Vents about Its Uses and Abuses in the Creation of Scholarly Publications — public lecture by Walter Biggins, Obermann Editor-in-Residence

Tuesday, October 6, 2026 3:00pm to 4:00pm
111 Church Street

On Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 3–4 p.m. at the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies, Walter Biggins, editor-in-chief at University of Pennsylvania Press—will offer his perspective as both a longtime acquiring editor and as a writer on how the advent of AI affects the present and possible futures of scholarly publishing. In particular, he will discuss how the emerging technology creates concerns and unresolved tensions—ethical, legal, and otherwise—in publishing around intellectual property, peer...

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