The Telluride Film Festival announced a new partnership in 2022 with the American Film Institute Convservatory. As part of the educational experience, a cohort of AFI Conservatory Fellows will attend this year's 50th anniversary five-day festival. In addition to screenings, AFI Fellows participating in the FilmLAB program will learn from world-class filmmakers in a masterclass setting and enjoy a special ‘filmmaker’ experience of the festival.

“AFI is an organization that has earned an incredible amount of trust and respect within the film community and beyond,” said Julie Huntsinger, Director of the Telluride Film Festival. “It is an absolute honor to partner with them on our exceptional FilmLAB program. We look forward to providing opportunities together for the best and brightest students to help keep cinema alive for generations to come.”

“AFI’s partnership with Telluride Film Festival is another step forward in creating a robust, immersive educational experience for AFI storytellers,” said Susan Ruskin, Dean of the AFI Conservatory and EVP of the American Film Institute. “We look forward to this unique opportunity to fulfill both of our shared missions to bring together artists and audiences in honor of great storytelling.”

Recently, the AFI Conservatory was once again named the #1 film school in America by The Hollywood Reporter. Across the two-year MFA degree program, AFI Fellows learn to master the art of storytelling, collectively creating up to 175 films a year. Alumni, ranging from modern masters to bold new voices defining the state of the art form, include Andrea Arnold, Darren Aronofsky, Ari Aster, Deniese Davis, Caleb Deschanel, Sam Esmail, Brad Falchuk, Affonso Gonçalves, Susannah Grant, Liz Hannah, Patty Jenkins, Janusz Kamiński, Matthew Libatique, David Lynch, Terrence Malick, Melina Matsoukas, Polly Morgan, Rachel Morrison, Wally Pfister and Paul Schrader among others.