Alto Studio Tuscany is a New York non-profit visual arts study program based in Lucca that provides the student opportunities on two levels:

We encourage the student’s creative growth and self-discovery while at the same time introducing them to level of instruction in state of the art production training rarely taught in academia.

Our faculty enables the student to realize their projects but also ripen as human beings and artists. All of our instructors have taught in major universities while at the same time working on award winning film and TV productions.  This combination of expertise allows the best of both worlds to be passed on to the next generation.   Our program is designed for students driven by an innate curiosity and inner sense of motivation.   Our distinct location in Lucca, Italy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, removes the familiar and replaces it with inspiration.

By learning from working film professionals, students will learn the hard skills needed to make films and work in the film industry. Students will learn how to function as a professional with state of the art camera and sound equipment.  All students are expected to work, on both group projects as well as their own personal works.  Since filmmaking is a collaborative medium, students will have the opportunity to make lifelong connections and gain experience by working on each other’s films. 

Filmmakers create culture. We hold up the mirror that the world is influenced by. Because of this there is great responsibility in crafting the characters people identify with and stories that expand one’s perspectives. This program encourages the individual growth of each filmmaker so they create from a place of deep connection to themselves and the world.

Going beyond the surface, students will be challenged to reflect deeply on why they make films. We encourage students to examine how filmmaking is touched by every aspect of their lives, becoming a way of being and seeing.

Classes are generally held Mon-Fri 10am-1pm with some adjustments for filming and editing in the final weeks. Afternoons are reserved for completing assignments.

Students will curate a group exhibition and screening with the support of faculty. All work created during the program will have the opportunity to be screened on site in Lucca.