Photography, Film, and Animation News

Student’s access to state-of-the-art facilities and software, impressive faculty with industry experience, and a wealth of opportunities for hands-on learning before graduation has earned RIT’s School of Film and Animation (SOFA) more recognition as one of the top animation schools in the nation.

A portrait taken by photography alumnus Kwaku Alston ’94 inspired the United States Postal Service’s new Betty White Commemorative Forever Stamp. The stamp will be available to buy on March 27.

Kwaku Alston ’94 (photography) has been named RIT’s Outstanding Alumnus for 2024-2025. Established by the Office of the President in 1952, it is the highest honor RIT can bestow upon a graduate.

The inaugural Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies symposium, hosted on March 28, will feature original work by individuals from across the RIT community.

RIT’s game design and development program was ranked sixth at the undergraduate level and 10th at the graduate level in new international rankings from The Princeton Review.

Associate Professor Meredith Davenport’s personal memoir history project, recognized by The Aftermath Project, is a tapestry of historical research, photography, poetry, and fine art used to explore her family’s role in enslavement dating back to the late 1700s.

Students from various majors across RIT made a website providing wall-to-wall coverage of the 2025 Special Olympics New York Winter Games. This was the fourth year RIT partnered with Special Olympics to document the events.

An electrical engineer turned creative technologist, Ricky Figueroa is invigorated by working at the intersection of technology, the arts, and design. Embracing an interdisciplinary approach to teaching and research has led to success for both Figueroa and the students who pass through his classroom.

Broadway World reports that the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts will feature a photography exhibition with the work of award-winning photographer Pari Dukovic ’06 (professional photographic illustration).

WXXI continues to spotlight the work of students and alumni from RIT’s School of Film and Animation through RIT Shorts, a biannual short film series.

Film and animation MFA student Gabriel Ponte-Fleary received the Jury Award for Best Documentary (East Region) for his emotional documentary about the faith and hardships of a Nicaraguan family who migrated to the U.S.

Decked out with technicolor lights and vibrant animated displays, RIT’s MAGIC Spell Studios soundstage became a runway last week during Beyond Fashion. The rainbow runway featured a diverse collection of garments and wearables crafted by local designers and RIT students across multiple disciplines.