"AISFM - Largest, Best Equipped Film school in Asia"-Interview with the CEO, Kurt Inderbitzin

The Annapurna International School of Film and Media (AISFM) is India’s first private, non-profit and completely student-focused media school.

AISFM is the largest, best equipped film school in Asia where students will have access to all the filmmaking facilities of Annapurna Studios. 

Mr. Kurt Inderbitzin, CEO of AISFM, comes with an in-depth knowledge in education, global media, entertainment and technology and a great sense of humour & candour. Kurt holds an MBA in finance from the University of Chicago, a Masters of Fine Arts from the University of New Orleans and a Bachelors of Arts from Georgetown University. He brings with him more than 13 years of experience in the media industry where he has produced feature films and television movies and series in the United States for CBS, ABC, NBC, Lifetime, TBS and USA before becoming the President of Abandon Pictures, a diversified entertainment company.

Nishatha Abraham Bijeesh from click4college got talking with Mr. Kurt Inderbitzin to get first-hand details of what ISFM has in pipelines for the upcoming academic session of 2012-13:

HTC: What is the vision of AISFM? How did you become associated with it?

Kurt: The vision started as Dr. Akkineni Nageshwara Rao’s (Chairman, AISFM) dream to give back to Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh and India through not-for-profit education. We have now taken that dream to its logical conclusion: we are creating the best degree program in Asia in filmmaking and media and want it to compare favorably with the best schools in the United States as well.

HTC: You've had a rich & diverse experience producing feature films for CBS, ABS, NBC & others. With the kind of experience that you bring, what plans do you have for AISFM?

Kurt: I have a lot of top-level knowledge (producing/directing) about TV and Film, as well as a lot of technical knowledge on editing, sound, cinematography, etc. This knowledge and experience helps me work with faculty and our world-class Academic Advisors (Mani Ratnam, Kamal Hassan, Hema Malini, Anurag Kashyap, Tabu & many more) to design curriculums that really give students great tools to become fantastic content creators. And that’s what we want to do; we want every student who leaves AISFM to really be a cut above the rest, in terms of knowledge and training.

HTC: How are the curricula for the degree courses that are in the offing being designed?

Kurt: We are studying the requirements in the industry so that we can provide the right practical training and then coupling this with a broad liberal arts education to help our students to understand the world around them. In short, it’s a serious, global education in psychology, economics, literature etc. along with specialized training in media – filmmaking, television etc.

HTC: What are the eligibility criteria for getting admission into the degree courses that will be introduced by mid-2012? What would be the fee-structure of these courses?

Kurt: For our BFA courses, eligibility is 12th standard in any stream, and for Masters courses students need graduation. Beyond that, we make our selection on the basis of application essays and personal interviews. The fees for Bachelors courses will be approximately 11 lakh for 4 years and for the Masters courses, fees would be approximately 8 lakh for 2 years. We have scholarships available for girl students.

HTC: Will the short courses that were introduced in 2011, still be on offer in 2012?

Kurt: Some of the courses will still be offered, however we will be focusing on shorter, part-time courses for people who are working or studying full-time, yet who have a passion for film and media.

Interviewed by: Nishatha Abraham Bijeesh

Facts about Annapurna International School of Film and Media (AISFM) that you didn’t know:
 

• Largest, best equipped film school in Asia: AISFM is located on the grounds of Annapurna Studios, creating a 22 acre campus with 10 sound stages, permanent sets and cutting-edge post production facilities.
   
• India’s first private, non-profit film institute: All tuition and fundraising revenue is spent within the school, providing higher quality education for the students.
   
• World-Class Faculty: AISM has sourced a team of great faculty from across India (and even abroad); many of whom have experience with top international media schools as well as and significant practical, real-world knowledge.
   
• Partnerships with top technology companies: Affiliation with the world’s best media technology companies & access to the latest computers & filmmaking software.
   
• India’s best industry connections: AISFM is backed by India’s biggest names in filmmaking, acting, animation and visual effects (Mani Ratnam, Kamal Hassan, Hema Malini, Anurag Kashyap, Tabu & many more as academic advisors). These relationships provide students with unparalleled opportunities for internships and placements.
   
• Local and international academic affiliations: Provides world-class learning experience by combining government recognized degrees with best practices of international higher education; affiliation with multiple international film schools, establishment of student exchange programs and international opportunities for students.
   
• Classes starting May-October 2012:

Bachelors & Masters courses 2012-13:

BFA (Film+Media), 3 years
MFA (Film+Media), 2 years

BFA (Dramatic Arts), 3 years
MFA (Dramatic Arts), 2 years

BFA (Animation + VFX), 3 years
MFA (Animation + VFX), 2 years

MBA (Media Management), 2 years

Vocational Courses:

• Intro to Direction for Film+TV, 8 weeks
• Cinematography for Film+TV, 6 months
• Editing for Film+TV, 6 months

Skill-oriented, exciting courses:

• Practical Filmmaking
• Script Lab
• Presentation Skills & Pitching
• Digital Photography
• Applications for iPhone & iPad

 
Related Articles:

Career Options in Media & Films

New Course at ISFM : PG diploma in film making at ISFM 

Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute: Admission notification

Animation Industry in India