Brooklyn College has appointed Richard N. Gladstein as the Executive Director of the Barry R. Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema effective July 1, 2020. Founded in 2015, The Feirstein Graduate School’s unique mission is to provide access to filmmaking careers to a diverse body of students. “Richard Gladstein brings to Feirstein a deep commitment to the Feirstein mission, coupled with a career of successful industry experience and exceptional know-how,” said Maria A. Conelli, Dean of the School of Visual, Media and Performing Arts. Richard N. Gladstein Gladstein has distinguished himself as a creative producer on both independent films as well as large-scale studio projects. His films have earned a total of 25 Academy nominations, including two for himself for producing the Best Picture of the Year nominees: The Cider House Rules and Finding Neverland. His other produced films include The Bourne Identity, She’s All That, Hurlyburly, Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, The Nanny Diaries, 54, among many others. He has also enjoyed a longtime collaboration with writer/director Quentin Tarantino, serving as executive producer on Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, and most recently, as producer, on The Hateful Eight. “The mission of the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema is to bring new voices to the film industry, to populate it with our diverse, exceptionally talented students,” said Brooklyn College President Michelle J. Anderson. “Richard Gladstein’s experiences and success in that industry make him the perfect new Executive Director at Feirstein. We are confident he will enhance the programs, support our students, and lead the School with great distinction.” Passionate about contributing to the education of the next generation of film pioneers, Gladstein recently served as Dean of the American Film Institute (AFI) Conservatory, where he oversaw all academic and administrative activities. He also served as Filmmaker-in-Residence at Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, where he mentored graduate and undergraduate film students on their projects and career goals. Gladstein brings to the position an extensive network of affiliations throughout the film industry. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, The Producers Guild of America (as well as serving on its National Board of Directors for 8 years), the Leadership Committee of CreativeFuture, and the Board of Mentors for the USC Peter Stark Producing Program. Gladstein earned his B.S in Communications from Boston University and received Distinguished Alumni awards from both its College of General Studies and College of Communications. “As the only public graduate school for film in NYC, Feirstein and Brooklyn College present a unique opportunity to cultivate new and diverse filmmaking voices” said Gladstein. “The school has established so much in its first few years, and I am excited to join their mission and be a part of expanding it into the future.” As a school within Brooklyn College, one of the senior colleges of the City University of New York (CUNY), the Barry R. Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema, established in 2015, fosters inclusive public education that supports the intellectual, creative and career development of its students. Located on a 68,000-square-foot, state-of the-art facility at Steiner Studios — home to many film and TV productions — Feirstein is the nation’s only film school operating on a working lot. The school offers a two-year M.A. in cinema studies and a three-year M.F.A. in cinema arts with specializations in six disciplines: producing, directing, screenwriting, cinematography, post-production and digital arts. The programs are distinguished by a collaborative instructional model that mirrors real world professional filmmaking. Feirstein’s community of faculty, industry professionals, and staff helps students tell their unique stories by providing the tools, equipment, and instruction they need to achieve this goal. With tuition a third of other major film schools, Feirstein provides access to careers throughout the industry at a time when our visual culture and the art, craft, and enterprise of filmmaking are each undergoing profound transformations. As Executive Director, Gladstein will lead Feirstein in the next phase of its development, extending and deepening its partnerships and resources. Innovative programming and new opportunities for students that extend the mission are on the horizon.
