Vashti Anderson Headshot

Vashti Anderson

Assistant Professor

School of Film and Animation
College of Art and Design
vxapph@rit.edu
585-475-5303
Office Location
GAN-2204

Vashti Anderson

Assistant Professor

School of Film and Animation
College of Art and Design

Education

BA, University of Wisconsin-Madison; MFA, New York University

Bio

Vashti Anderson is a Trinidadian-American filmmaker based in New York. Since earning her MFA in Film at NYU, her films have won grants and awards and screened in film festivals around the world. She wrote and directed the feature film Moko Jumbie, which explores themes of race, class and post-colonialism through a fictional story set in rural Trinidad. It had its world premiere at LA Film Festival and ended its festival run at Edinburgh International Film Festival, screening at Urbanworld, Bentonville, Pan African Film Festival, Curacao International Film Festival Rotterdam, BAMcinematek Caribbean Film Series, and others in between. Her work has been written about in Indiewire, Crossfader, Film Inquiry, Caribbean Beat, Moviemaker, Enclave, Large Up, New Machine, Screen Daily and others. She is a contributing writer for Talkhouse, Moviemaker and A&U.

vxapph@rit.edu
585-475-5303
Personal Links
Personal Website
Publication Database
Areas of Expertise
Film Directing
Film Production
Screenwriting

Currently Teaching

SOFA-306
Senior Capstone Seminar
2 Credits
Students are guided through the process of composing a successful Senior Capstone proposal. Students conceive and develop projects through idea to script. Craft students develop collaborative plans and mood boards. A draft of a written proposal with script will be presented in the fall to faculty for signatures and approval. This course is a pre-requisite for Production Capstone (SOFA-416 Production Capstone I and SOFA-417 Production Capstone II).
SOFA-416
Production Capstone I
4 Credits
The first of two classes designed to advance students toward the completion of a capstone. It will advance students from capstone proposal toward the completion of a project. Students will also take part in weekly critiques to present their work and discuss the work of their classmates. At the completion of this course, students should be at the halfway point of their set project.
SOFA-417
Production Capstone II
4 Credits
This course will lead students toward the completion of their capstone. Students will take part in weekly critiques, present their work, and discuss the work of their classmates. At the end of this course, students will complete their capstone and take part in a public screening of their finished work or craft experience.
SOFA-524
Advanced Directing
3 Credits
This course will offer in-depth study of techniques introduced in the basic directing class, with an additional focus on using external observation to determine appropriate behavior. This course emphasizes the problems in blocking for camera, peculiar to film and video production. Class meetings are organized around the presentation of scenes prepared by student directors using the acting students in the class.
SOFA-562
Film History
3 Credits
This course examines selected, varying film topics in a wider socio-historical context. Seminar themes change each year and may include topics such as post-war German film, films of the Holocaust, Japanese film, surrealist and magic realist film, Soviet film, Native Americans on film, etc. Students are expected to participate actively in the course discussions.
SOFA-607
Advanced Directing
3 Credits
Students will deepen their skills in analyzing scripts and directing actors while adding the breakdown of scenes into shots and the choreography of the camera with actors. Students will stage scenes from professional productions in class, and then shoot and edit them outside of class with a focus on creative rather than technical accomplishment.
SOFA-662
Film History
3 Credits
This course examines selected, varying film topics in a wider socio-historical context. Seminar themes change each year and may include topics such as post-war German film, films of the Holocaust, Japanese film, Surrealist and Magic Realist film, Soviet film, Native Americans on film, etc. Students are expected to participate actively in the course discussions.
SOFA-721
Fall Film
3 Credits
This course allows 2nd year graduate student in production or screenwriting an opportunity to complete their second major production in the program. They must decide on a concept, develop a treatment, write a script or research a non-fiction subject and produce the film complete with mixed track and finished titles and credits.
SOFA-790
Research and Thesis I
4 Credits
This is the first of two courses designed to advance a student towards completion of their thesis. Students will work independently on their approved plan of work for their thesis while meeting on a regular basis with their committee chair. They are required to meet at least twice with their full committee during the semester.
SOFA-890
Research and Thesis II
4 Credits
This is the second of two courses designed to advance a student towards completion of their thesis. Students will work independently on their approved plan of work for their thesis while meeting on a regular basis with their committee chair. They are required to meet at least twice with their full committee during the semester as well as present a final screening of their thesis.

In the News

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Featured Work

Moko Jumbie

Vashti Anderson

Narrative feature film shot in Trinidad, West Indies. Written and directed by Vashti Anderson. Distributed by Indiepix

View More about Moko Jumbie