Reelshow International online magazine ranked UNA ranked No. 1 on a list of the Top Ten Film Schools of 2012. This is UNA’s first time on the list.

“We’ve started to have a presence out in the world that helps get people’s attention,” said Jason Flynn, UNA assistant professor of film and digital media production. “I think when you see good work and it’s from a place you’ve never heard of, you pay attention to that.”

Flynn, who was named Reelshow’s Film Mentor of the Year in 2011, said student votes may have helped the film program place on the list, but to reach No. 1 required support from students and filmmakers outside of UNA.

“We expect people to ask, ‘Who are these people? They’re from Alabama?That looks pretty good for Alabama!’” he said. “We maximize our project production value with what we have. We don’t look at them as things that hinder us.”

Many film students said they picked UNA’s program because of its hands-on nature and challenging curriculum.

“As soon as you start film classes, you’re making movies,” said Robert Livingston, a senior film student. “I know some film schools where you don’t even touch a camera until you are a senior. When students start making films, they don’t get fluff and praise. They get hard critique and ways that they can improve for next time.”

Livingston said the average student in the program makes approximately 20 films during their coursework. This hands-on experience, along with the freedom of creativity in the curriculum, is what makes the program unique, he said.

“The best part about this program is that Jason Flynn is amazing at showing us what we need and trying to get us to figure things out on our own,” said Britney McCaig, senior film student.  “He works very hard at making the film department be as good as it can be. We all really respect his opinions and care about what he thinks. He’s commanded that and, I think, it makes us strive to be better.”

Flynn, currently the only faculty member teaching in this degree concentration, said he hopes to see additional hirings so the program can continue to grow and succeed. He attributed the program’s current success to the help of Sue Jeffreys, the communication department’s former administrative assistant.

“She helped me adjust to UNA when I first came here, so I could focus on building this program,” Flynn said. “Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am to get things done. The same goes for the support of the faculty and these students.”

Flynn said he intends to continue pushing his students, going so far as to soon add a new class to the curriculum that will teach young filmmakers how to produce and distribute films so more content can be released by the program. The end goal is to continue to grow the program into its own department, he said.

“I don’t have time to go to high schools and talk to people, so all of our growth has been by word of mouth,” he said. “I don’t want to say that the program has peaked; we definitely have room to grow. Faculty is a big need — we need more faculty because the more faculty we offer, the more classes we teach, and then the more students we can get in the department.”