IULM students at Chapman University

From May 6 to 14, 2026, thanks to the collaboration with Chapman University, a group of 12 students from the Master’s program in Television, Film, and New Media participated in a residential study program at the university’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts in California. The initiative is part of the university’s internationalization efforts and provided an important opportunity to engage with an academic and professional environment of international prominence in film and audio-visual studies.

Over the course of the week, under the guidance of Professor Michael Kowalski, Senior Associate Dean of Dodge College, participants were able to explore the university’s facilities—including soundstages, editing rooms, and storage areas for sets and costumes—as well as participate in the academic activities scheduled for the term. The students attended classes in History of Film, History of Television, French Cinema, Black Cinema, Introduction to Film Aesthetics, Directing, Producing the Newscast, and Cinematography, participating in highly interactive classes. The experience allowed them to engage directly with faculty and established professionals from the Hollywood audio-visual industry.

The program also featured cultural visits to Los Angeles, with stops at some of the city’s leading art and film institutions, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Getty Museum, the Dolby Theatre, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, and Warner Bros. Studios, as well as iconic landmarks of contemporary visual culture such as the Griffith Observatory, Venice, and Santa Monica.

On Friday, May 8, hosted by the Ferrucci Institute for Italian Experience and Research as part of Professor Federico Pacchioni’s Italian Studies course, the students presented some of the audio-visual projects developed during their two-year master’s program, including television formats, mockumentaries, and trailers. Among the works presented was the “Ecocritical Dictionary,” a collection of video essays produced within the Critical Writing Workshop for Film and Performing Arts under the supervision of professors Elena Gipponi (who also accompanied the group during the trip) and Mariachiara Grizzaffi. The experience served as an important opportunity for academic and professional growth, fostering intercultural dialogue, in line with Università IULM’s commitment to promoting academic programs that are more and more open to the international scope.