~ Named one of the Top Ten Documentary Film Schools in the Nation!
- "The Independent"

The Documentary Center at The George Washington University was inaugurated in 1990 as the Center for History in the Media. After ten years of focusing exclusively on the historical genre, the Documentary Center expanded to encompass all forms of documentary filmmaking: history, natural history, cultural, public affairs, social issue, and experimental.

The six-month Institute for Documentary Filmmaking is the central educational offering of the Center and is both a theoretical and hands-on exploration of the documentary form.

All participants—both faculty and students—in the Institute are remarkable. The faculty and guest speakers associated with the Institute are at the top of the documentary field. We have guest speakers and instructors who represent the wide array of talent inherent in the creation of non-fiction films: from writers to producers, directors, cinematographers, and editors. Many of our instructors have participated in the conduct of the Institute for well over a decade.

Participants in the Institute come from around the world, and admission is competitive and by application only. Individuals in the Institute come from such diverse backgrounds as broadcasting, law, psychology, literature, science, anthropology, museum studies, and education. Many participants have no background at all that would necessarily lead to careers in filmmaking. Some participants have extensive experience in the filmmaking or media-related fields. What all participants share, however, is a commitment to non-fiction stories and their expression in a visual form. Moreover, each member of the Institute must have a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively as this course -- as well as all filmmaking -- is a highly interactive, interpersonal experience.

The students in each Institute work as a group to develop and produce a short documentary film. The documentaries that have been made in past years are: "Millgirls," "Soulsville: Black Power in Vietnam," "Harnessing Fear: Polio in American Society," "Wildland to Wonderland: The Hayden Expedition to Yellowstone," "Welcome to Chicago," "Ain't Misbehavin," " Down Freedom's Main Line," "The Road Out of Peekskill," "Grace," "Changing Room," "Capital Beat," "Opening Moves," "Monumental Sacrifice", "Caught in the Net", "A Gathering Storm ", "Hamlet with out words" and "American Gurgitators", "Fine Diving" and "Good Game".
This coming year, the participants in the program will again select a new subject for their documentary.

CLASS HOURS AND REQUIREMENTS

This upcoming year's Institute begins January 11th and runs through July 1st, 2010. From January 12th through April 27th the class will meet from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On these evenings there will be lectures and seminar discussions on issues related to all phases of documentary filmmaking. In addition, over the course of these initial four months, periodic workshops will be held outside of regular class hours in lighting, camera, sound, and editing. These workshops are held in small, hands-on groups

All of May and June will be devoted to the production of a single short documentary that the class will produce as a production team. During these final two months participants will work many hours outside of the regular class time to complete the group project. Production is an intense, all-consuming process. Therefore, if you intend to work during the term of the Institute you should make arrangements with your employer take substantial leave during these final two months in which production occurs.

We offer a total of 9 graduate credits for this program and all individuals who successfully complete the full program will earn a certificate in documentary filmmaking.

COST

The cost of the full program is $8350. Successful graduates receive 9 graduate credits and a certificate verifying successful completion of the program.

Note: Financial Aid is typically not available for Certificate Programs as they are considered part-time. For more information, please visit the following links below.

Certificate Program Financial Aid
Terms of payment

SCHOLARSHIPS

The Elberger Scholarship in the amount of $2500 will be awarded to one student per institute to assist with financial hardship. To apply, please write and submit an essay describing why you feel you deserve the award sending to the attention of nlk@gwu.edu by November 20th, 2009. (If you wish to be considered for the scholarship, please be sure to have your application submitted by the scholarship essay deadline.)

INTERNSHIPS
In addition to the program, we offer a substantial internship program which runs from January until the filmmaking process begins. Placement in the past has been provided at various reputable production companies such as National Geographic and WETA along with other smaller companies offering an intense documentary experience.

Click here for course description

Click here for admission information