CSU School of Film & Media Arts

Dedication & Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

By Cleveland State University

The dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for Cleveland State University's School of Film & Media Arts drew a SRO crowd to the sixth floor of The Idea Center at Playhouse Square on October 11, 2018.

Created with a $7.5 million appropriation from the State of Ohio, the new facility features adaptable film production studios, digital editing bays, high-tech teaching laboratories and smart classrooms.

It is the only standalone school of its kind in Ohio.

CSU President Harlan M. Sands: “I am thrilled to welcome everyone to the world premiere of our new School of Film & Media Arts. Today represents another crowning achievement in the evolution of Cleveland State University.”

CSU President Emeritus Ronald M. Berkman: "It is the perfect moment and the perfect alignment....You can't help but feel and understand that something very special is going on here."

Ivan Schwarz, president and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission: “We are proud to be a player in this industry....This film school is what’s going to drive this.”

Frederic Lahey, director of the School of Film & Media Arts: “These high ceilings are filled with aspiration and goodwill. I have been around a lot of film students, but this is a special group. This is a special place.”

In the News

"USC, NYU -- and CSU," wrote Emily Bamforth of cleveland.com. "Cleveland State University officials, along with Ohio and city leaders, hope to get CSU’s new School of Film & Media Arts on the map as one of the prominent film schools in the country."

"Cleveland just took a big step in becoming a player in the film industry, with Thursday marking the official dedication of Cleveland State University’s new film school," reported Andrew Horansky of WKYC.

What will it take for Cleveland to land more film projects? The School of Film & Media Arts had a cameo in this report by Lauren Wilson of WEWS:

"Cleveland is in the works of becoming the 'North Coast Hollywood' with the opening of Cleveland State University’s School of Film & Media Arts," declared Alyssa Schmitt of Cleveland Jewish News:

Frederic Lahey "hopes Cleveland will become a backdrop for his students' creations and that the productions will be shot here, fueling the local economy and leading to a distinct brand of storytelling that could be labeled the 'Cleveland school of expression,'" wrote Peter Krouse of cleveland.com.