51 Notable alumni of American Film Institute Conservatory
Updated: June 15, 2026 EliteDegrees
American Film Institute Conservatory is ranked #4,762 in the world and #1,249 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 51 notable alumni from American Film Institute Conservatory sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with American Film Institute Conservatory won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Alonso Mayo
1978-. (aged 48)
film producer
screenwriter
film director
Alonso Mayo is a Peruvian film director and screenwriter best known for his independent film The Story of Luke (2012). He has won a Student Academy Award (for Wednesday Afternoon).
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2. David Milhous
1967-. (aged 59)
television editor
television producer
David Milhous is an American film editor. He is known best as the editor of Crime Watch Daily, which won an Emmy Award for Editing in 2017. He is also a founding member of the American post-punk band Lippy's Garden.
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3. Sandra Espinet
1964-. (aged 62)
interior designer
Sandra Espinet is a luxury interior designer who resides in and has offices in both San José del Cabo, Mexico and Los Angeles, California.
4. Anku Pande
1970-. (aged 56)
television producer
Anku Pande is a film producer from Nainital, Uttarakhand in India.
5. Gavin Heffernan
1980-. (aged 46)
photographer
film producer
film director
film editor
actor
Gavin Heffernan is a Canadian filmmaker, photographer, and producer. He co-wrote the psychological horror film The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014) and Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015) with writing partner Adam Robitel. Also known for directing experimental visual works, primarily timelapse, featured in the Rolling Stones' 2015 Zip Code Tour as well as their 2016 Desert Trip shows. Heffernan...
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6. Maria Ripoll
1964-. (aged 62)
film director
screenwriter
Maria Ripoll Julià is a Spanish film director from Barcelona, with an international background and eight feature films to her credit. The success of her film It's Now or Never placed her as the highest-grossing Spanish female film director to that date.
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7. Susan Johnson
1970-. (aged 56)
film producer
music video director
film director
Susan Johnson is an American film producer and director, known for directing the 2016 comedy film Carrie Pilby and the 2018 feature To All the Boys I've Loved Before.
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8. Timothy Greenfield-Sanders
1952-. (aged 74)
documentary filmmaker
photographer
film director
Timothy Greenfield-Sanders is an American documentary filmmaker and portrait photographer based in New York City. The majority of his work is shot in large format.
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9. Matthew Robbins
1945-. (aged 81)
screenwriter
director
film director
film producer
actor
Matthew Robbins is an American screenwriter and film director best known for his writing work within the American New Wave movement.
10. Jeffrey Reiner
screenwriter
television director
film director
film editor
television producer
Jeffrey Reiner is an American film director, editor, screenwriter, television director, and producer.
11. Manny Coto
1961-2023 (aged 62)
screenwriter
film director
film producer
television producer
Manuel Hector Coto (June 10, 1961 – July 9, 2023) was a Cuban-born American screenwriter, television and film director, and producer on various films and television programs.
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12. Julie Dash
1952-. (aged 74)
writer
novelist
film director
screenwriter
Julie Ethel Dash is an American filmmaker, music video and commercial director, author, and website producer. Dash received her MFA in 1985 at the UCLA Film School and is one of the graduates and filmmakers known as the L.A. Rebellion.
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13. Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
1972-. (aged 54)
television director
director
film director
film producer
actor
Alfonso Gomez-Rejon is an American film and television director. He made his directorial film debut with the slasher film The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014). He has since directed the coming of age film Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015), and the historical drama The Current War (2017).
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14. Drake Doremus
1983-. (aged 43)
film director
screenwriter
Drake Doremus is an American film director, screenwriter and producer best known for directing the films Like Crazy (2011), which won the Grand Jury Prize Dramatic at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, Douchebag (2010), which was in Dramatic competition at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, and Equals (2015).
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15. Frank Spotnitz
1960-. (aged 66)
screenwriter
television director
film producer
television producer
Frank Charles Spotnitz is an American television writer and producer. He is best known for his work on the series The X-Files (1995–2002) and its spin-off The Lone Gunmen (2001), and as the developer/creator of The Man in the High Castle (2015–2019), Medici (2016-19), Ransom (2017-19), and Leonardo (2021)
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16. Rachel Morrison
1978-. (aged 48)
film director
director
cinematographer
film producer
television director
Rachel Morrison is an American cinematographer and director.
17. Rodrigo GarcÃa Márquez
1959-. (aged 67)
film director
director
television director
camera operator
author
Rodrigo GarcÃa Barcha is a Colombian and Mexican television and film director, screenwriter, author and former cinematographer, best known for his films Nine Lives (2005), Mother and Child (2009), Albert Nobbs (2011), Last Days in the Desert (2015), as well as his work on the HBO drama series In Treatment. He also created, wrote, and directed the award-winning web series...
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18. Carl Franklin
1949-. (aged 77)
television actor
film director
director
actor
television producer
Carl Michael Franklin is an American film and television director, producer, screenwriter, and former actor. He began his career in the 1970s as a television actor, playing regular roles as Dr. Fred Walters on The Fantastic Journey, Detective Jerry Cross on McClain's Law, and Captain Crane on The A-Team. In the 1980s, he graduated from the AFI Conservatory, and began...
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19. Matthew Libatique
1968-. (aged 58)
cinematographer
Matthew José Libatique ASC, LPS is an American cinematographer. He is best known for his collaborations with directors Darren Aronofsky, Joel Schumacher, Spike Lee, and Bradley Cooper. He has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Cinematography - for Black Swan (2010), A Star Is Born (2018), and Maestro (2023). He is also a two-time Independent Spirit Award winner, and...
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20. Mimi Leder
1952-. (aged 74)
film producer
television producer
film director
Miriam Leder is an American film and television director and producer; she is noted for her action films and use of special effects. She has directed the films The Peacemaker (1997), Deep Impact (1998), Pay It Forward (2000), and On the Basis of Sex (2018). She was the first female graduate of the AFI Conservatory, in 1973. She has been...
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21. Steve Golin
1955-2019 (aged 64)
film producer
producer
television producer
Steven Aaron Golin was an American film and television producer and the founder and CEO of Anonymous Content LLP, a multimedia development, production and talent management company and co-founder and CEO of Propaganda Films. Golin graduated from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University in 1976 and attended the AFI Conservatory. He won Best Picture at the...
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22. Andrea Arnold
1961-. (aged 65)
screenwriter
film director
television presenter
actor
Andrea Patricia Arnold OBE is an English filmmaker and former actress. She won an Academy Award for her short film Wasp in 2005. Her feature films include Red Road (2006), Fish Tank (2009) and American Honey (2016), all of which have won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, while her first documentary feature Cow premiered at the 2021...
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23. Jack Fisk
1945-. (aged 81)
film director
production designer
Jack Fisk is an American production designer and director.
24. Zal Batmanglij
1981-. (aged 45)
screenwriter
film director
writer
film producer
executive producer
Zal Batmanglij is an American film director and screenwriter. He directed and co-wrote the 2011 film Sound of My Voice and the 2013 film The East, both of which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, as well as the Netflix series The OA, which debuted in 2016.
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25. Janusz Kamiński
1959-. (aged 67)
manufacturer
director
cinematographer
film director
camera operator
Janusz Zygmunt Kamiński is a Polish cinematographer and director. He is known for his frequent collaborations with Steven Spielberg.
26. Amy Heckerling
1954-. (aged 72)
film producer
film director
television producer
actor
director
Amy Heckerling is an American writer, producer, and director. Heckerling started out her career after graduating from New York University and entering the American Film Institute, making small student films. Heckerling is a recipient of AFI's Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Medal celebrating her creative talents and artistic achievements. She struggled to break out into big films up until the release...
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27. Sam Esmail
1977-. (aged 49)
television director
film producer
filmmaker
showrunner
film director
Sam Esmail is an American film and television producer, director, and screenwriter who runs the production company Esmail Corp. He is best known as the creator, writer, and director of the award-winning USA Network television series Mr. Robot (2015–2019), starring Rami Malek. He wrote and directed the feature films Comet (2014) and Leave the World Behind (2023). He produced and...
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28. Edward Zwick
1952-. (aged 74)
screenwriter
film director
director
film producer
Edward M. Zwick is an American filmmaker. He has worked primarily in the comedy drama and epic historical film genres and received an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for his work producing Shakespeare in Love (1998).
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29. Charlie McDowell
1983-. (aged 43)
actor
screenwriter
film director
Charles Malcolm McDowell is an American film director and screenwriter. McDowell made his directorial film debut with the romantic thriller The One I Love (2014). He has since written and directed the Netflix drama films The Discovery (2017) and Windfall (2022).
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30. Ari Aster
1986-. (aged 40)
writer
film director
director
screenwriter
Ari Aster is an American filmmaker. His films are noted for their unsettling combination of dark comedy, horror, and graphic violence. After garnering some recognition for writing and directing the short horror film The Strange Thing About the Johnsons (2011) as part of his studies at the AFI Conservatory, he became widely known for writing and directing the horror films...
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31. Jennifer Phang
screenwriter
director
film director
film editor
film producer
Jennifer Phang is an American filmmaker (writer, director, producer), most known for her feature films Advantageous (2015) and Half-Life (2008). Advantageous premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, winning a Special Jury Award for Collaborative Vision, and was based on her award-winning short film of the same name. Half-Life premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and won "Best Film"...
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32. Neal Baer
1955-. (aged 71)
showrunner
television producer
screenwriter
Neal Baer is an American pediatrician and television writer and producer. He is best known for his work on the television shows Designated Survivor, ER and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
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33. Miguel Arteta
1965-. (aged 61)
screenwriter
film director
director
actor
Miguel Arteta is a Puerto Rican filmmaker known for his work in independent cinema and television. His film Chuck & Buck (2000) received the Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature made for under $500,000, while The Good Girl (2002) premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was met with positive critical reception. In television, Arteta has directed episodes for series...
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34. Duke Johnson
1979-. (aged 47)
screenwriter
film director
director
film producer
Duke Johnson is an American film director who specializes in stop-motion animation. He currently serves as a director and junior partner for Dino Stamatopoulos's animation production studio Starburns Industries in Burbank, California.
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35. Doug Ellin
1968-. (aged 58)
film producer
screenwriter
director
television producer
film director
Douglas Reed Ellin is an American screenwriter and film and TV director, known best for creating the HBO television series Entourage. Ellin also served as executive producer, director, head writer and supporting actor for the series, and wrote, directed and produced its 2015 film adaptation.
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36. Darren Aronofsky
1969-. (aged 57)
film producer
screenwriter
director
writer
film actor
Darren Aronofsky is an American filmmaker. His films are noted for their surreal, dramatic, and often disturbing elements, frequently in the form of psychological realism. His accolades include a Golden Lion and a Primetime Emmy Award as well as nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award and the British Academy Film Award. Aronofsky studied film and social anthropology...
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37. Gary Winick
1961-2011 (aged 50)
screenwriter
film director
film producer
film editor
Gary Scott Winick was an American filmmaker whose films as a director include Tadpole (2002) and 13 Going on 30 (2004), and who also produced such films as Pieces of April (2003) and November (2004) through his New York City-based independent film production company InDigEnt.
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38. Marshall Herskovitz
1952-. (aged 74)
screenwriter
film director
film producer
television producer
Marshall Schreiber Herskovitz is an American film director, writer, and producer, and currently the President Emeritus of the Producers Guild of America. Among his productions are Traffic, The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond, and I Am Sam. Herskovitz has directed two feature films, Jack the Bear and Dangerous Beauty. Herskovitz was a creator and executive producer of the television shows thirtysomething,...
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39. Paul Schrader
1946-. (aged 80)
screenwriter
film critic
film director
director
Paul Joseph Schrader is an American screenwriter, film director, and film critic. He first became known for writing the screenplay of Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver (1976). He later continued his collaboration with Scorsese, writing or co-writing Raging Bull (1980), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and Bringing Out the Dead (1999). Schrader has also worked extensively as a director: his...
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40. John Dahl
1956-. (aged 70)
screenwriter
film director
director
television director
John Dahl is an American film and television director and writer, best known for his work in the neo-noir genre.
41. Brad Falchuk
1971-. (aged 55)
film director
director
television director
television producer
showrunner
Bradley Douglas Falchuk is an American television writer, director, and producer. He is best known for co-creating the television series Glee, American Horror Story, Scream Queens, The Brothers Sun, and Pose with Ryan Murphy, as well as the 911 franchise with Murphy and Tim Minear. He was also a writer and executive producer for Nip/Tuck and is married to actress...
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42. Patty Jenkins
1971-. (aged 55)
film producer
screenwriter
director
television director
executive producer
Patricia Lea Jenkins is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. She has directed the feature films Monster (2003), Wonder Woman (2017), and Wonder Woman 1984 (2020).
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43. David M. Rosenthal
1969-. (aged 57)
film producer
screenwriter
film director
David Mitchell Rosenthal is an American screenwriter, film director, and producer. He has directed the films A Single Shot, How It Ends, Janie Jones, and The Perfect Guy, among others.
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44. Jon Avnet
1949-. (aged 77)
producer
screenwriter
director
writer
film director
Jonathan Michael Avnet is an American director, writer, and producer.
45. John McTiernan
1951-. (aged 75)
screenwriter
director
film director
film producer
actor
John Campbell McTiernan Jr. is an American film director, producer and writer best known for his work in the action film genre. His films include Predator (1987), Die Hard (1988), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Last Action Hero (1993), The Thomas Crown Affair and The 13th Warrior (both 1999).
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46. Todd Field
1964-. (aged 62)
screenwriter
film director
film score composer
film producer
film actor
William Todd Field is an American filmmaker and actor. He is known for directing In the Bedroom (2001), Little Children (2006), and Tár (2022), which were nominated for a combined fourteen Academy Awards. Field has personally received six Academy Award nominations for his films; two for Best Picture, two for Best Adapted Screenplay, one for Best Director, and one for...
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47. David Lynch
1946-2025 (aged 79)
cinematographer
lyricist
animator
film screenwriter
photographer
David Keith Lynch was an American filmmaker, actor, painter, and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, with his films often characterized by a distinctive surrealist sensibility that gave rise to the adjective "Lynchian". In a career spanning more than five decades, he received numerous accolades, including a...
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48. Robert Richardson
1955-. (aged 71)
cinematographer
Robert Bridge Richardson, ASC is an American cinematographer.
49. Kirby Dick
1952-. (aged 74)
screenwriter
film director
director
film producer
Kirby Bryan Dick is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best known for directing documentary films. He received Academy Award nominations for Best Documentary Feature for directing Twist of Faith (2005) and The Invisible War (2012). He has also received numerous awards from film festivals, including the Sundance Film Festival and Los Angeles Film Festival.
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50. Terrence Malick
1943-. (aged 83)
film producer
film actor
film director
journalist
director
Terrence Frederick Malick is an American filmmaker. Malick began his career as part of the New Hollywood generation of filmmakers and received numerous accolades, including the Palme d'Or and the Golden Bear, in addition to nominations for three Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a DGA Award, and a WGA Award.
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51. Dean Israelite
1984-. (aged 42)
screenwriter
writer
film director
Dean Israelite is a South African filmmaker, best known for directing the found footage film Project Almanac (2015), the 2017 reboot of Power Rangers, and the 2019 reboot of Are You Afraid of the Dark.
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