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Welcome

 

Welcome to the University of Arizona School of Theatre, Film & Television (TFTV), one of the most dynamic and innovative programs in the United States. We bring together theatre with film and television in an integrated approach - preparing you to become a versatile storyteller across stage, screen, and emerging media.

 

Our Live & Screened Performance program equips students with cross-platform skills in acting, directing, writing, stage design, management, and dramaturgy for both live and recorded media. Thanks to our programs in Film & Television, TFTV is ranked the No. 2 public film school in the U.S. by The Wrap, offering hands-on training alongside academic grounding in critical studies and courses in the art and business of storytelling.

 

At TFTV, you’ll learn directly from world-renowned scholars, award-winning creators, and industry professionals from across academia, the arts, and entertainment. Regular guest artists and insiders from the field don’t just visit — they mentor, collaborate, and connect you to real-world opportunities, including internships. It’s more than education — it’s an immersive experience that launches your career.

 

Our FTV LA initiative, in partnership with Film Independent, offers unique access to the Los Angeles entertainment industry—screenings, networking events, workspace, and eligibility for prestigious fellowships like Project Involve.

 

Our home in Tucson, Arizona, offers more than a stunning desert landscape: it hosts a vibrant cultural scene with repertory and art theaters, film festivals, and permanent theatrical showcases. TFTV also produces numerous student-led performances, including live musical theater, fostering collaboration across disciplines.

 

We’re proud to be the only National Top 10-ranked film school that combines theatre with film and television into a collaborative and cohesive learning experience. This rare model ensures that you graduate not only in the medium of your choice, but with cross-disciplinary training that expands your creative and professional possibilities.

 

At TFTV, you’ll find a supportive, challenging, and inclusive space for artistic exploration—just steps from the mountains and a short trip to the heart of the entertainment industry.

 

Dr. Frances Gateward
Director

National Association of Schools of Theatre URTA

Live and Screened Performance

Events

Performance Season

Vanities: The Musical Venue: Marroney Theatre September 28, 2025 to October 12, 2025

Screening Events

What’s Up, Docs? Venue: Marroney Theatre December 16, 2025 at 7:00pm

Workshop Productions

The Climate Project Venue: Tornabene Theatre September 25, 2025 to September 28, 2025

Film & Television Production

News

From Improv to Impact: Hope Baker’s Rise as a Voice for Authentic Representation

Hope Baker (BA ’22, Communications with a Theatre minor) is an actor, writer, and advocate whose creative journey took root at the University of Arizona School of Theatre,… More

TFTV Achieves Clean Sweep at 2025 NATAS Student Production Awards

The School of Theatre, Film & Television (TFTV) at the University of Arizona is celebrating an extraordinary achievement: a clean sweep at the 2025 NATAS Student Production Awards,… More

Broadway Dreams Realized: TFTV Alum Ethan Kirschbaum (‘16) Steps into Iconic Role in ‘Wicked’

From being captivated by Wicked as a child in the audience to taking center stage in the role of Fiyero in this year’s national tour, alum Ethan Kirschbaum… More

Film & Television Producing & Studies

Featured Faculty & Staff

Jessica Maerz Academic Advisor

PhD in Dramatic Theory and Criticism, University of Georgia MFA in Dramaturgy, Stony Brook University BA in English Literature, Berea College Jessica has been with the School of… More

Jacob Bricca Professor

Jacob Bricca, ACE is an award-winning film editor, director, producer, and scholar. He has thirteen feature documentaries including the international theatrical hit Lost In La Mancha, the Independent… More

Jayna Rogers Hanson Coordinator

Jayna joined the School of Theatre, Film and Television in early 2025 as the Hanson Coordinator. She is a University of Oregon graduate, where she earned a degree… More

Film & Television Online

Student Work

UA FTV Fiction Films

Our students' films have gained recognition at the world's top films festivals, including the Berlin Intl. Film Festival and Sundance, and feature stellar performances from rising stars in the Theatre programs. BA and BFA students in the film program work collaboratively on films, with BA students applying skills learned in producing and studies courses to lead projects in the producer role. Magic Hour and I Dream in Widescreen are the popular showcases for fiction produced in the program. More

Design Tech Showcase Reveals Secrets

Every year, the school brings agents, professional designers and production specialists to campus to view the work of our actors and design and technology students. The annual Showcase of Talent offers our students a valuable next step into the business and direct access to industry professionals. More

UA FTV Documentaries

Our production students gain experience in documentary, and are taught by working filmmakers whose films can be seen on HBO, Netflix, and PBS. The documentary work is original and eclectic, and reflects the rich culture of Tucson. Student work is regularly showcased at What’s up, Docs at The Loft Cinema and at I Dream in Widescreen, the gala event of BFA senior thesis films that regularly draws crowds of over 1000 to the historic Fox Tucson Theatre. More

Take a virtual tour of the University of Arizona

Take a quick virtual tour of the Fine Arts District and the rest of the UA Campus, click here.

Alumni Spotlight

Naphtali Curry (BFA ‘20) has a full circle moment as ‘Shrek the Musical’ comes to Tucson

This week School of Theatre, Film & Television alum Naphtali Yaakov Curry (BFA Musical Theatre, ’20) returned to Tucson, playing a lead role in the national touring production… More

Clayton Lukens (’24) joins North American tour of ‘The Book of Mormon’ 

School of Theatre, Film & Television alum Clayton Lukens (BFA Musical Theatre, ’24) was recently selected to join the national touring company of The Book of Mormon. Over… More

TFTV Alum Diana Cadena wins Regional Emmy® for her work on AZPM documentary ‘John is Colorblind’

School of Theatre, Film & Television alum Diana Cadena (BA Film & Television, ’21) has won a Regional Emmy® for her work on the Arizona Public Media documentary… More

Instagram

The semester is in full swing here at @uatheatrefilmtv! Under the leadership of our new school director, Dr. Frances Gateward, classes, rehearsals, clubs, events, and more are sparking creativity and hands-on learning.

Students Scarlett Manzo, Alena Maestas, and Sophie Bartholomew-Gonzales are seen here working on their draping skills in Associate Professor Rick Tuckett’s class on Pattern Drafting and Draping for the Entertainment Industry.

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Open post by uatheatrefilmtv with ID 17970597599941121
The semester is in full swing here at @uatheatrefilmtv! Under the leadership of our new school director, Dr. Frances Gateward, classes, rehearsals, clubs, events, and more are sparking creativity and hands-on learning. Students Scarlett Manzo, Alena Maestas, and Sophie Bartholomew-Gonzales are seen here working on their draping skills in Associate Professor Rick Tuckett’s class on Pattern Drafting and Draping for the Entertainment Industry.

...

114 1

In the decade since graduating from @uatheatrefilmtv, BFA Acting alumni Brenna DiStasio (‘15) and Paul Michael Thomson (‘15) have amassed impressive bodies of work across stage, screen, teaching, and playwriting. They have also brought to life a dream they’ve held since their TFTV years: they are the co-founders of @thestorytheatre in Chicago, an adventurous storefront theatre dedicated to doing things differently.

This summer, The Story Theatre was honored with the @BroadwayInChicago 2025 Emerging Theatre Award, the annual award presented by the League of Chicago Theatres to recognize and promote young Chicago-based theatres demonstrating artistic excellence, innovation, and responsible business practices. The Story Theatre received the recognition for its commitment to artistic innovation, collective leadership, and radical imagination.

Read more about their journeys and the founding of The Story Theatre at the link in our bio.

Congratulations, Brenna and Paul Michael! Bear Down!

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Open post by uatheatrefilmtv with ID 18039007052450964
In the decade since graduating from @uatheatrefilmtv, BFA Acting alumni Brenna DiStasio (‘15) and Paul Michael Thomson (‘15) have amassed impressive bodies of work across stage, screen, teaching, and playwriting. They have also brought to life a dream they’ve held since their TFTV years: they are the co-founders of @thestorytheatre in Chicago, an adventurous storefront theatre dedicated to doing things differently. This summer, The Story Theatre was honored with the @BroadwayInChicago 2025 Emerging Theatre Award, the annual award presented by the League of Chicago Theatres to recognize and promote young Chicago-based theatres demonstrating artistic excellence, innovation, and responsible business practices. The Story Theatre received the recognition for its commitment to artistic innovation, collective leadership, and radical imagination. Read more about their journeys and the founding of The Story Theatre at the link in our bio. Congratulations, Brenna and Paul Michael! Bear Down!

...

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🎉 CLEAN SWEEP at the 2025 NATAS Student Production Awards! 🎉
TFTV filmmakers won every single category they were nominated in at the awards ceremony this past weekend — an incredible achievement that showcases their outstanding talent and the mentorship they receive at @uatheatrefilmtv. Huge thanks to @RockyMountainEmmy and the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and CONGRATULATIONS to our winners!

Best Writer – Nostalgiathon ‘99
Cailan Compierchio, Sophia Harrigan

Best Director – Parallel Lines
Neylani Castro

Best Editor – Universe Academy
Daniel Cadena, Andy Mourelatos

Best Audio/Sound – The World We Live In
Xander Maniece, Brady McDowell

Best Photographer – The Grit of It All
Alek Mendez

Best Fiction Short Form – Play Pretend
Jordan Fouts

We’re beyond proud of #TeamTFTV 💙❤️ Bear down!

🎥: @saguaroheights

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Open post by uatheatrefilmtv with ID 18093773248678960
🎉 CLEAN SWEEP at the 2025 NATAS Student Production Awards! 🎉 TFTV filmmakers won every single category they were nominated in at the awards ceremony this past weekend — an incredible achievement that showcases their outstanding talent and the mentorship they receive at @uatheatrefilmtv. Huge thanks to @RockyMountainEmmy and the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and CONGRATULATIONS to our winners! Best Writer – Nostalgiathon ‘99 Cailan Compierchio, Sophia Harrigan Best Director – Parallel Lines Neylani Castro Best Editor – Universe Academy Daniel Cadena, Andy Mourelatos Best Audio/Sound – The World We Live In Xander Maniece, Brady McDowell Best Photographer – The Grit of It All Alek Mendez Best Fiction Short Form – Play Pretend Jordan Fouts We’re beyond proud of #TeamTFTV 💙❤️ Bear down! 🎥: @saguaroheights

...

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