The entertainment trade publication Variety magazine named California Institute of the Arts in Valencia as one of the top 30 film schools in North America in its April 28 issue.

Variety described CalArts School of Film/Video with its programs in Film Directing, Character Animation, Experimental Animation and Film and Video as offering BFA and MFA tracks.

“…works in all modes of moving image and sound based artwork, including story and character driven narratives in live-action and animated form.”

The article also lauded CalArts documentary projects, experimental cinema, extended studies program and the Center for Integrated Media Concentration.

Variety also made note of CalArts graduates Michael Rianda and Jeffrey Rowe who won the feature prize at the 2022 Annie Awards for their critically acclaimed Netflix hit “The Mitchells vs. the Machines,” which they co-wrote and co-directed.

CalArts joins other recognizable institutions including University of California, Berkeley; Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica, Mexico City; Art Center, Pasadena; University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Winston-Salem and Vancouver Film School in Vancouver, Canada.

Variety editors chose the selected schools from a list of film schools already known to be strong contenders and named a top film school in America, as well as outlier pitches. Each school was closely examined to to see what specific programs they offer in film, music, TV and entertainment. The Best Film School list represents programs in the United States, Canada and abroad.