Given the massive amount of imagery and media manipulation we are exposed to, it’s not surprising that the documentary film has gained a new importance as a way to understand ourselves and our society. Documentary at SVA is committed to cultivating work that captures life and its relationship to contemporary culture.

• Documentary is a discipline rather than a major. All film students may choose to specialize in nonfiction filmmaking.
• The Documentary Production Workshops include students from second, third and thesis years, as well as editing, cinematography, directing and sound students, making it uniquely collaborative.
• Students explore the major documentary traditions and practices, as well as alternate media and new forms of approaching nonfiction work.
• All documentary classes are taught by experienced documentarians, who help students negotiate the special world of nonfiction film and television.

Every year the Documentary Workshop honors student documentarians by presenting Doc Night in the SVA Theatre. Our documentarians have won awards from Sony and National Geographic, and have had their work screened in many national and international film festivals, including the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in Durham, North Carolina.