The Hollywood Reporter has released its 2023 ranking of the Top 25 American Film Schools, and Ithaca College was ranked 16th overall for the second year in a row. It’s the tenth consecutive year that IC has been included in the magazine’s ranking. The Hollywood Reporter — which bills itself as the most widely trusted resource for entertainment news, reviews, and analysis —determines the rankings after consultations with academic experts, industry professionals and scores of film school alumni.
Ithaca’s annual spot on the list was secured thanks to its strong reputation, but also because the Roy H. Park School of Communications, which houses the Cinema and Photography program, has continued to offer new and unique opportunities to current students.
In its writeup of the program, The Hollywood Reporter highlighted the recently launched Park Pathways program, which allows students the opportunity to learn more about the school’s offerings prior to enrolling in one of its 10 majors. Students can choose various foundational and applied programs for up to three semesters.
The publication also lauded the Park School’s Special Opportunities for Students Fund, which was created for the college’s 2023 Giving Day and provides students the funding to take part in unique opportunities they earn during their time at IC.
Over the past year, IC film students frequently made names for themselves in the industry. This past spring, cinema and photography students Malaika Menezes ’26 and Sami Smith ’26 were named one of the five finalists in the 2023 Coca-Cola Refreshing Films program. Additionally, Alex Isbell ’26 won the 2023 YoungArts award for film for her film J’accucumber.