UNAM Students Study Film and English at CSUN

  • Group of students in black shirts in front of library.

    UNAM students studying film at CSUN this summer gather for a photo in front of the iconic Oviatt Library. Photo by Alan Vidali

  • Woman stands in front of class

    Classes featured guest speakers such as producer Eunetta T. Boone, as well as CSUN professors, at the 2016 UNAM Film Workshop. Photo by Alan Vidali

  • Two students speak with someone off-camera

    Students had the opportunity to make connections and learn from industry professionals at the UNAM Film Workshop. Photo by Alan Vidali

  • Three students in group, talking.

    Nineteen students visited CSUN for the Film Workshop. Photo by Alan Vidali

  • Students pose for photo with Nate Thomas

    Nate Thomas (third from left), award-winning film director/producer and CSUN professor of cinema and television arts, was one of the professors at the 2016 UNAM Film Workshop. Photo by Alan Vidali

  • Twenty-one UNAM students visited CSUN for the intensive four-week English classes this summer. Photo by Alan Vidali

  • Two students studying

    The English class prepared UNAM students to take the TOEFL test. Photo by Alan Vidali

  • Group of students in front of library

    Students enjoyed staying in the CSUN dorms and visiting the SRC while attending English classes. Photo by Alan Vidali

Over the summer, California State University, Northridge hosted 40 students for a three-week intensive program in film and a four-week English class as part of its partnership with the prestigious Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).

In its second year, the UNAM Film Workshop allowed UNAM students a unique opportunity to hear directly from U.S. film industry professionals, take studio tours and see film screenings.

“They really took advantage of the time here,” said UNAM representative Alejandra Vega. “It was just four weeks, but the program was so well organized that they were really able to take advantage of their time.”

The students went on tours at studios such as Sony Pictures, and visited Los Angeles points of interest such as the Santa Monica Pier, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Getty Center and Dodger Stadium. With so much planned for the students to experience, according to Vega, some students even complained that they didn’t have much time to rest.

English students were immersed in American college life, living on campus and attending on- and off-campus events such as the Summer Movie Fest on the Oviatt Library Lawn and some tourist attractions in Los Angeles.

“Besides the course, it’s a valuable life experience,” said Vega. “Coming to another country, taking classes in another language, and meeting new people was great for them.”

The workshops are part of a student exchange with UNAM, one of the oldest and highest-ranked academic institutions in Latin America, signed in 2014. The agreement brought UNAM offices to CSUN’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences department where it is accessible to faculty and students across the campus interested in the study of Mexico and Latin America.

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