Congratulations to AFI Conservatory Dean and Executive Vice President of AFI Susan Ruskin! Today, Variety named Dean Ruskin the Entertainment Educator of the Year and highlighted the dean’s forward-looking vision for film school education and how AFI supports Fellows and Alumni alike.

Ruskin sat down with Variety to talk about why people looking to excel in the industry should choose the AFI Conservatory, how AFI trains filmmakers to be ready to work in both film and television and the far-reaching impact of Alumni projects.

Looking ahead to how the entertainment landscape will evolve, Ruskin shared that AFI is focused on teaching Fellows how to be innovators and shift and adjust to rapidly evolving technology, while staying true to the fundamentals of film and television – the story.

The AFI Conservatory opened its doors in 1969 to an inaugural class that included Terrence Malick, Caleb Deschanel and Paul Schrader. Today, the Conservatory offers a two-year MFA degree in six filmmaking disciplines: Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and Screenwriting. In a collaborative production environment, AFI Fellows learn to master the art of storytelling, collectively creating up to 175 films a year. Fellows actively participate in the entire life cycle of a film, from development through production and exhibition.

Alumni of this elite program, ranging from modern masters to bold new voices defining the state of the art form include Andrea Arnold, Darren Aronofsky, Ari Aster, Deniese Davis, Sam Esmail, Brad Falchuk, Todd Field, Affonso Gonçalves, Susannah Grant, Liz Hannah, Patty Jenkins, Janusz Kamiński, Matthew Libatique, David Lynch, Melina Matsoukas, Polly Morgan, Rachel Morrison and Wally Pfister, among others.

Learn more about attending the AFI Conservatory, named the #1 film school in the nation.