The film industry is a notoriously tough industry to break into, leading many to not even try. That line of thinking tends to extend across smaller film communities, including those on college campuses. The Film and Media Studies Program is relatively new to Tufts’ academic offerings, having only been established in 2015 — but it has already drawn a large crowd of film-lovers. The Daily had the opportunity to sit down with two students involved with the department, senior Ayala Mehrotra and junior Amba Raghavan, and learn more about breaking into the community.
Mehrotra didn’t immediately find herself on film sets. After starting as an engineering major, she soon transferred to quantitative economics, finally settling on an English major and a double minor in film and media studies and economics. Having truly seen everything Tufts has to offer, Mehrotra’s passion for film carries even greater weight.
“It just kind of happened spontaneously,” she said.
After producing two FMS senior theses over the last year, Mehrotra firmly established herself as a figure in the community despite her alternative start. Raghavan had a similarly winding journey into the department, originally starting at Tufts as a combined degree student majoring in international relations and studio art at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. While interested in documentary work, she found there wasn’t much opportunity to develop film and media skills — leading her to pivot to an FMS major.
“I really just wanted a technical foundation in film,” she said. “I loved how passionate [FMS] people were. I think I was approaching film from a point of tension. I was like, ‘Oh, it has to go well.’ I was almost indoctrinated by film bros, but I just saw how beautiful the community was.”
Indeed, the FMS community seems to be one of the main draws to the department, thanks to its welcoming and passionate members. Given its artistic roots, the community may be misinterpreted as exclusive – welcoming only those who can recite “The Godfather” (1972) by heart. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Mehrotra, someone who didn’t take the traditional route into FMS, highlighted the inclusive nature of the community.
“I think both of our stories of getting into FMS are very much about the people we met,” she said. “Every set that I’ve been on has just been, especially the thesis sets, … a bunch of people coming together to execute someone’s specific vision and really support each other. … In those environments, it’s so light and exciting — even though there’s a lot going on, …it’s super stressful and you’re there for 12 hours, no one’s exhausted [and] everyone’s still having fun, because we’re there for each other.”
A community as welcoming as FMS not only unites those from diverse backgrounds, but also shows what they all have in common. Creativity is not an elusive concept possessed by only a special few, but something everyone has. People may have natural inclinations towards certain aspects of production, whether that be writing, cinematography, directing or acting, but in no way does that prevent one from contributing equally to a set.
“Being in an environment where you’re naturally forced to try to be creative makes you realize that you do have it,” Mehrotra said. “I think [that’s] really important to know coming in; everyone has the capacity to be creative, but you just have to take the time and effort to try to unlock that for yourself.”
Between mentors and fellow students, there are countless opportunities to share knowledge and resources. While some students enter with an eye for cinematography, writing, lighting or production design, others bring their strengths in producing, directing, sound and other areas. As the community grows together, more student filmmakers are pushed to make bold, innovative choices, offering more creative and unique narratives to the field. The FMS department has already started taking small but confident strides towards cultivating a new generation of passionate and driven filmmakers.
While fostering creativity, Tufts also offers courses in Indian and Chinese film, Indigenous film, women’s visions in film and more. Unfortunately, these offerings often go unnoticed and underappreciated by the general student body. While production classes are essential to aspiring filmmakers, so too are theory and cultural courses. While a production course may be able to teach filmmakers how to use a camera, theory and cultural courses often explore why filmmakers should bother to pick up the camera in the first place.
Reflected in the large film industry, the Hollywood Diversity Report, only roughly 20% of directors are people of color and roughly 15% of them are women. Roughly 25% of lead actors and only 13% of theatrical film writers are people of color. According to the European Audiovisual Observatory, only 14% of cinematographers for European feature films were women between 2019 and 2023 — just a 2% increase from 2015 to 2018.
Part of this severe underrepresentation of women behind the camera may come from the notion that “technical” work, such as operating the camera and directing, is inherently better suited for men, while women thrive in writing and producing roles. However, this mindset may finally be changing with aid from mentors and faculty.
“I sort of internalized this thing that I’m not going to be good at the technical. I’m never going to be as good with the camera equipment as my male counterparts or my male peers,” Raghavan said. “One of my mentors [said] this is the best time … to just make something because you’re never going to have this liability-free environment to create again in your career.”
With several production-based courses and student film projects offered every semester, FMS is slowly challenging this trend, creating space for women and students of color to explore several different roles on set. And with a community committed to collaboration, there is always an opportunity to learn from FMS peers.
“There’s always new people coming in. There’s always people who have something to bring to the table and have niche interests. … You never know what can happen,” Raghavan said.
A diverse set of course offerings, mentors and peer groups may seem inconsequential, but these pieces are key for aspiring filmmakers. It is only when creativity, knowledge and innovation meet that filmmakers can push the boundaries of the industry, ushering in a new wave of cinema.
“For any female filmmakers out there, don’t be intimidated. You got this. You can definitely carry the equipment. You can go to locations. You can direct. You can lead a crew. There may be other people who are faster with cameras or who may be more in love with cameras than you are. That doesn’t t make them more qualified than you are,” Raghavan said.
Even so, the film industry evidently has a long way to go. Thankfully, the Tufts Film and Media Studies Program may be just the place to start.
The Film and Media Studies Student Film Festival will be held April 29 through May 1 in Barnum Room LL08.
