We are excited to share the news that recent
Columbia Journalism School alumni
Zainab Sultan (M.S. Documentary '18) and
Si Chen (M.S. Documentary '18) have received a Goldziher Prize for their short documentary
Worthy of Love, which they made as students in the
Master of Science Program, Documentary Specialization. The
Goldziher Prize is an award for excellence in the coverage of Muslim Americans by an individual or team of U.S. journalists. This prize is named for Ignác Goldziher (1850-1921), a Hungarian Jew who was among the first university scholars in Europe to study and admire the laws, poetry, and practices of Islam.
Worthy of Love chronicles the life of an African American Muslim who fought drug addiction, HIV and found love from his near ones. Watch the trailer below.
The students selected for Columbia Journalism School's M.S.
Documentary Specialization are trained to be independent film producers and directors. Under the direction of Professor
June Cross and a distinguished group of long form storytellers, including Professor
Betsy West, they undertake courses in journalism production, visual storytelling, camerawork, editing; and receive one-on-one coaching from a faculty advisor. Students also learn the business side of documentaries - negotiating partnerships, rights and clearances, and how to develop a winning production trailer. Their Master's project, the capstone of their studies at Columbia Journalism School, is a short documentary expected to be of professional quality. The completed films are shown at Columbia Journalism School's annual
Doc Fest, which is open to the public.
Please explore our
website to learn more about Columbia Journalism School's
faculty members,
course offerings, and
degree programs.
If you would like to make an appointment to speak with a counselor or sit in on a class, please email us at
apply.journalism@columbia.edu.