MFA in Film Production: Grundmanis Fellowship Report from Helēna Šania Volbeta

Between September 2022 and May 2025, I am completing the MFA Creative Producing program in Film at the School of the Arts, Columbia University. During the second year of my studies, I finished all the required classes for my master’s and begun working on my master’s thesis films, which I will be producing in the upcoming academic year. With the financial assistance of Grundmanis Graduate Fellowship I have been able to devote myself to my graduate studies in the film school, develop various film projects and receive additional scholarships, all awarded for my dedication to the Baltic studies and Latvian arts and culture development.

In my first semester of the second year of studies, I focused on completing my my coursework in Cinematography (prof. Tal Lazar), Feature Film Development (prof. Mary Jane Skalski), Writing and Script Analysis for Producers (prof. Jack Lechner) and The Business of Film (prof. Ira Deutchman) classes. Additionally, I took classes outside my program, studying Introduction to Audio Storytelling (prof. Malika Rao) in the Writing department and Cinema History (prof. Richard Peña) in the Film and Media Studies department to create a well-rounded coursework for my academic and professional development.

The Feature Film Development class was thought by working producers, Mary Jane Skalski and Mynette Louie. I learned about the pre-production, copyrights and budgeting for feature films, as well as packaging feature films for pitching. The class was taught via hands on approach, analysing and breaking down a feature script, written by fellow screenwriters at Columbia, to prepare all the necessary materials for potential investors and industry presentations. In my second semester of the second year of studies, I continued working on the same script in the Feature Film Financing class, at which I learned about the financing process and opportunities and how to bring it into the pre-production.

In the Cinema History class with Richard Peña, a formerly program director of Film at Lincoln Center and the organizer of the New York Film Festival, I explored how the technological and sociopolitical changes throughout the history impact filmmaking in different parts of the world and how to draw attention to the current events and developments to shape the scripts and films that are being produced today.

In the second semester of my second year film studies, I fulfilled my coursework in Feature Film Financing, Writing for Screen, Pre-Production of a Motion Picture (prof. Dana Kuznetzkoff), First Features (prof. Tom Kalin), Entertainment Law (prof. Domenic Romano), Post Supervising for Producers (prof. Luca Borghese), Business of TV (prof. Ira Deutschman) and Film Festivals: Theory & Practice (prof. Mynette Loui) classes.

In the Writing for Screen class I completed my second feature length screenplay. The class was taught in a seminar setting, allowing the students to learn about providing and receiving constructive feedback on their screenplays, and creating writing works that are prepared for further development and distribution after completion of the degree.

The Entertainment Law class, taught by the leading entertainment lawyer in the industry, Domenic Romano, shifted my perspectives on viewing the copyrights, contracts and the legal side of the entertainment industry, applicable for producing and working with the cast and crew members in film.

In the Post Supervising class, the professor/producer Luca Borghese was a working professional, therefore, we could have the classes and field trips in the post production offices, such as the Kodak Film Lab, Recording studio and colouring studio Company 3. Meeting the industry professional, seeing their work in process and building strong relationships has provided me with a great insight into the industry and allowed me to create creative connections in the industry for my own projects.

In addition to the coursework, I begun my preparation for the thesis films, which I will be filming in the upcoming year. Through Columbia University Film Program I applied for grants for my thesis films. Columbia has offered me an environment at which I can develop my own unique creative voice and produced work that focuses on strong female protagonists alongside other strong storytellers from Columbia. My final first year short film combines comedy with social commentary to create a fascinating short film. My latest thesis screenplay was a finalist for the prestigious Sloan Foundation grant program and my producing projects have received James Bridges and Indian Paintbrush grants though Columbia. My thesis films are centred around the collaborations I have formed while being at Columbia and doing my previous short films with my fellow classmates, as well as while doing my short films in New York City.

My career film producing goals are related to making co-production films in Europe and the U.S. In June, I produced one of my thesis films in Croatia, which was a co-production between Croatia, Latvia and the U.S. – it is a great debut for my international filmmaking career. It is important for me to include Latvian filmmakers in my international film projects. There is a dearth of Latvian film producers which prevents local stories and films from reaching wider audiences. I would like to establish co-productions between the U.S., Latvia and other European countries to be able to integrate Latvian artists and filmmakers into my upcoming international projects.

Next semester I will work as a teaching assistant at Columbia for a film and media class with a leading film professor in film theory field, Jane Gaines. In addition to the generous scholarship that comes with this position, this experience will advance my film theory knowledge and improve my research and teaching skills. In the future I aspire to share my knowledge at a university level in Latvian higher education institutions to contribute to the development of the local film industry and its up-and coming producers.

In addition to my in depth interest in producing, this year I was chosen for the directing workshop exchange program at La Femis film school in Paris. This opportunity allowed me to further develop my writing and directing skills in a new environment and establish stronger ties with the European film industry and build a network with European filmmakers for future collaborations. Learning and working within the leading film school in Europe was a truly unique experience, opening my horizons to innovative ways of filmmaking and has allowed me to build strong production ties with the European film industry, which will be great to use for future feature film projects in France and beyond.

In May 2024, ten Creative Producing program students were selected for a producing trip to Cannes Film Festival with the producer and professor Ira Dutchman (the professor for The Business of Film). The opportunity to join the group has been an invaluable experience, which has given me an insight into operating myself within the World’s largest film festival, exposed me to the distribution, market and festival side of the industry, as well as allow me to meet different producers, film distributors from around the world and form personal relationships with them via the guidance of Ira Deutchman, who set up the meetings and discussions for us throughout the festival.

Beginning next semester I will enter my final Research Arts year to focus on my thesis work prior to receiving my Master of Fine Arts Film degree. It is the terminal degree for teaching at the university level. During the thesis year, I will be doing an internship in a production company as a part of my coursework, which will also allow me to integrate myself into the U.S. filmmaking industry and collaborate with industry professionals, with whom I plan to extend our collaboration into international film projects.

Lastly, during the thesis year I will be taking a Pilot Writing Class, during which I will write a pilot episode for TV series that I would like to bring into a revision and production after the graduation. The TV series would be set in Latvia, in the 1990s, therefore, I plan to execute the production of the show in Latvia too. Nevertheless, bringing in the feedback from the international classmates and professors at Columbia would be a valuable start for the writing of the episodes, which I will further develop after the graduation.

The reception of Grundmanis Graduate Fellowship has allowed me to devote myself to the master’s studies and my interest in Latvia’s arts and humanities. This has later allowed me to receive the 2023/2024 Pennar Scholarship from The Harriman Institute at Columbia and the academic record has lead me to receive the rare 2nd year MFA Film scholarship awarded to me by my professors based on my dedication to the academics and my film projects within Columbia.

The AABS Grundmanis Graduate Scholarship has given me the much needed support for my final two years at Columbia, helping me to focus on my thesis films and allowed me to prepare for a professional career in the film industry – in the greater Baltic region, Europe, and the U.S. I hope to bring back to Latvia my passion and knowledge for film, as well as the wide network I have built while studying at Columbia and in NYC, to make sure Latvian cinema flourishes and reaches global audiences.

– Helēna Šania Volbeta, 2024

Helēna Šania Volbeta