Independent Film & Digital Imaging, M.F.A.

Master of Fine Arts in Independent Film and Digital Imaging

Governors State's MFA in Independent Film and Digital Imaging (IFDI) sharpens your voice as a working filmmaker or photographer and moves you toward your academic, creative, and professional goals. The program is built around internationally recognized film and photography that puts evolving technology in service of diverse visions — especially those still underrepresented in the field.

Authorship is the center of everything we do. We guide every student through the full arc of the creative process. Our filmmakers work in individual and small-crew teams across development, production, post, and delivery — you'll be conceiving your thesis from day one, so your coursework builds directly toward writing, directing, and producing a documentary or drama of real substance. Our photographers develop the technique and eye that carry a body of work to gallery exhibition, and each student mounts a themed show in the program's final stage. Classes are capped at 12, so mentorship is personal, not incidental. Our students range from their 20s to their 70s — most are mid-career artists ready to grow in ways they haven't before.

A record that speaks for itself

Our graduates keep landing on the national stage. Wes Auburn (IFDI 2027) wrote and produced The Travel Companion, a sharply funny yet serious film about filmmaker egos, which premiered at Tribeca in 2025 and was recently picked up for North American distribution by Oscilloscope. Claudia Parker (IFDI 2026) wrote and directed a documentary celebrated by the Logan Center at the University of Chicago. Marshall Gibson (IFDI 2024) won the Sergio Mims Prize for Excellence in Black Filmmaking at Chicago's 30th Annual Black Harvest Film Festival for his thesis film, Life in My Eyes. And Seth McClellan, IFDI's first graduate (2009), remains a leading voice in participatory community documentary — his newest film, Shiners: Voices from Owsley County, set in a Kentucky student theatre community but paced like a dramatic sports documentary, is now airing nationally on PBS (2026); read more in the Daily Southtown.

Our alumni have also worked with faculty on in making a critically acclaimed Chicago trilogy, including Chicago Heights, named to Roger Ebert's last list of Best Art Films, and Hogtown, a New York Times Critics' Pick that the Chicago Sun-Times called "the most original film made about Chicago in Chicago to date." Several graduates with academic ambitions have gone on to tenure-track positions at colleges nationwide, including McClellan, Pamela Planera, and Aaron-Daniel Annas, who is now Chair of the Department of Communications Arts & Media at Catawba College. IFDI grad Keisha Dyson is Vice President of Enterprise Innovation at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. Dirk Fletcher, another graduate of the program, is a Senior Technical Specialist at Canon USA. Jason Knade is thriving in virtual production. Uriah Berryhill works in institutional and educational production.

IFDI graduates also run film festivals. Josh Young leads GSU's own Chicago Southland International Film Festival, held every April right on the GovState campus, with programming shaped by fellow alumni Uriah Berryhill, Dan Castillo-Aranda, Kylie Zieminski, Mark Kundla, Megan Smith, and Tiyen Simmons. Brian Stanley (IFDI 2026) runs the A Taste of Theatre Film Festival.

Dollars and sense

Students arriving from Harvard, DePaul, and Columbia College are routinely surprised by the price tag. This may be the most affordable MFA in Illinois — and its graduates stand toe-to-toe with any program in Chicago.

Reach your career goals

An MFA in Independent Film and Digital Imaging is a terminal degree that opens doors across photography, filmmaking, graphic design, corporate communications, and college-level teaching.

Why the MFA-IFDI?

Governors State's 60-credit IFDI program puts you inside every facet of filmmaking and photography. On the film path, students write screenplays, master cinematography, direct cast and documentary subjects alike, carry projects through post in Adobe Premiere and After Effects, and build festival and streaming distribution strategies. Photographers work with real creative latitude toward exhibition-ready work. Every graduate leaves with the terminal degree — the "union card" — required to teach at the college level. We're looking for students who want a nurturing, creative space, including those ready to move above the line after years in supporting crew roles. We're now accepting applications for the upcoming semester.

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MFA Application Process and Study Plan 2027-2030

MFA IFDI Student Handbook 2026-2030

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What You'll Study

The MFA-IFDI is a 60 credit hour terminal degree - one that will give you customized experience in filmmaking - including screenwriting, directing, cinematography, color grading, acting, editing, and producing - and in the art of photography.

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How to Apply

You'll need to write a short statement for us about your vision for the MFA and your career. We'll need to see a resume, references, and a sample of your creative work. This may be a screenplay or a short film. Don't be shy about applying if you come from another undergraduate background - just give us a sample of what you can do. MFA programs routinely consider students from other disciplines.

We like to be accessible as you start out and while you're in the program. Reach out now to Daniel Nearing, Coordinator for IFDI, to get the process started at dnearing@govst.edu. He will guide you through the application process (and will be happy to meet with you on Zoom or in person if you have questions).

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Financial Aid and Scholarships

At Governors State University (GovState), graduate students have several financial aid and scholarship options to help make advanced study more affordable. To access federal student aid, including unsubsidized loans up to certain annual limits, graduate students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year using GovState’s school code (009145) and be enrolled at least half-time; federal student loans are one of the most common forms of support for graduate study.

Beyond loans, GovState offers a variety of scholarships through its Scholarship Universe platform, which matches students to institutional and external funding opportunities based on their profile and responses, and sends notifications when new awards are posted.

In addition, some students may qualify for graduate assistantships, on-campus employment, or discipline-specific awards that provide tuition assistance, stipends, or both. IFDI has two GAs, normally selected from current students, and other campus GAships are sometimes available. Advisors in the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships can help graduate students explore these resources, navigate eligibility requirements, and plan a financial strategy that includes budgeting, loan counseling, and scholarship applications tailored to their goals.

The IFDI path even has its own scholarship for active students - a modest grant for student production known as The Levilyn Chriss Memorial Scholarship.

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Get Involved

MFA students can enhance their graduate experience by engaging with professional networks, creative communities, and opportunities that extend learning beyond the studio and classroom. Participate in graduate exhibitions, public talks, film festival experiences, and visiting artist programs that showcase your work and connect you to broader audiences. Join or help organize creative research groups or peer critique circles to share studio practice, feedback, and ideas.