Film School

Presented by the Independent Film Channel, Film School is a compelling documentary series that offers an inside look, circa 2004, at New York University's famous—and challenging—graduate film program. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Nanette Burstein follows three students with diverse backgrounds and wildly different aspirations as they race to meet the deadline for NYU's prestigious First Run Festival with their made-under-the-gun films. Writing the scripts, casting the roles, and shooting the films are nothing compared to the drama of raising production budgets—tens of thousands of bucks above and beyond the tens of thousands of bucks in tuition—and coming to grips with how one's own great expectations don't always coincide with reality. Not surprisingly, tension and emotions run high in this 10-episode series (presented on this extra-less three-disc set), which serves up a gripping and enlightening study of artists and their sometimes fractious compulsion to make art. Also featuring interviews with, among others, Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, and Oliver Stone, Film School is recommended. (M. Johanson)