Anaheim University Akira Kurosawa School of Film Opens with Online MFA in Digital Filmmaking

Akira Kurosawa, one of the most influential filmmakers of all time, has been honored with the launch of the Anaheim University Akira Kurosawa School of Film. After two decades in the making, the Anaheim University Akira Kurosawa School of Film will begin accepting applications for a state-of-the-art Online Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree program in Digital Filmmaking on April 13, 2015.

Hollywood, CA, April 12, 2015 --(PR.com)-- Akira Kurosawa, one of the most influential filmmakers of all time, has been honored with the launch of the Anaheim University Akira Kurosawa School of Film. After two decades in the making, the Anaheim University Akira Kurosawa School of Film will begin accepting applications for a state-of-the-art Online Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree program in Digital Filmmaking on April 13, 2015.

The ground-breaking masterpieces of filmmaker, film producer and screenwriter Akira Kurosawa (March 23, 1910 - Sept 6, 1998), have inspired such movie makers as George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone and Francis Ford Coppola and Kurosawa’s influence can be seen in classic movies such as Star Wars, The Magnificent Seven and A Fistful of Dollars. George Lucas who, along with Francis Ford Coppola, co-produced Kurosawa’s Kagemusha, stated, “It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Kurosawa’s work, and that his films were a source of inspiration for my own Star Wars saga.... He had a tremendous influence on my life, on my work, and on my sensitivity to visual story telling.” Steven Spielberg, who produced Kurosawa’s Dreams, said, “Akira Kurosawa has been a maestro to my entire generation and to every generation of filmmakers who watch movies, are inspired by movies, and learn from movies.... I have learned more from him than almost any filmmaker on the face of the Earth.”

Anaheim University, a pioneer in online education, who began their online graduate degree programs in the 1990s, worked closely with the Kurosawa family over the past two decades to prepare for the opening of this school. The school was developed in the spirit of Akira Kurosawa to teach the craft of filmmaking. The online MFA in Digital Filmmaking program provides students access to several hours of never-seen-before behind-the-scenes footage of the acclaimed filmmaker Akira Kurosawa on the set, thereby allowing students to learn directly from Kurosawa as they watch him interact in various situations and circumstances. Film students are able to interact with film professors and students around the world through weekly live online face-to-face high-definition webcam classes and daily discussion forums. In addition, students attend a one-week residential session in Los Angeles, California or Tokyo, Japan to experience field trips to movie sets and backlots, lectures from filmmaking professionals, and group filmings.

Anaheim University President Dr. Andrew Honeycutt stated, "The program offers access to very unique content, some of which was created in cooperation with Hollywood's filmmakers and actors. The online MFA degree program allows students around the world the opportunity to pursue an accredited MFA degree in filmmaking while working full-time and without having to set aside their personal lives and careers in order to go back to school. What helps students to keep their motivation is the tremendous amount of interaction between our students and their professors and amongst students themselves."

According to Dr. David Desser, Dean of the Anaheim University Akira Kurosawa School of Film, “Taking advantage of our proximity to Hollywood—the center of global film production—our unique access to major filmmakers, craftspeople, studio personnel and others in the media production and distribution industry, and unique and exclusive video content, our program offers students an unparalleled opportunity to experience and learn the varieties of film, video and game production.” Holding a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California (USC)’s Cinema program with a minor in Japanese, Dr. Desser has taught film in leading university film programs in the U.S., Japan and Hong Kong including USC, UCLA, University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan and the University of Illinois. He has authored numerous filmmaking books including The Samurai Films of Akira Kurosawa.

About Anaheim University
Anaheim University is a nationally accredited online institution of higher learning headquartered in Anaheim, California.

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