On-campus cinema named for filmmaker Mike Flanagan, '02
State-of-the-art Mike Flanagan Cinema and endowment will enrich student filmmaking, multimedia experience
Filmmaker Mike Flanagan’s continual support of the electronic media and film department Â鶹ɫ˛Ą has inspired student filmmakers to take risks, question what they know, remain curious and trust in their creative vision. His latest contribution to his alma mater is no exception.
The 2002 grad’s generous gift to name the Mike Flanagan '02 Cinema and fund the Mike Flanagan Endowment for Electronic Media and Film (EMF) will enhance the College of Fine Arts and Communications’ support of the next generation of filmmakers and media professionals. The cinema is set to open with the completion of the new Smith Hall in 2027.
Mike Flanagan '02 Cinema and Endowment
The Mike Flanagan '02 Cinema, designed with the technology and luxury of a top-tier cinema, will provide a real-world learning experience for students and faculty to showcase their works in a major motion picture setting.
This state-of-the-art cinema will not only serve students as a premium screening space, it will also be a regional destination to see touring films from visiting artists and a satellite screening venue for notable events, including the Maryland Film, Sweaty Eyeballs Animation and Thomas Edison Film festivals.
The Flanagan Cinema will be equipped with Dolby Atmos-Certified Immersive Audio—one of just six Atmos-certified theaters in the Baltimore region—a cinema-ready 4K projector supporting the digital cinema package format, enabling students to gain hands on experience with industry grade film technology.
In addition to the cinema, the endowed scholarship will provide an additional funding to support senior film projects, computer production and editing programs, student financial aid and to provide opportunities for EMF students to focus solely on the production, creation, direction and editing of films.
The Life of Chuck: A sneak peek for students
From providing advanced screenings of his Netflix show “The Fall of the House of Usher” and movie set shadowing opportunities for TU EMF students to speaking at the College of Fine Arts and Communication’s Spring 2024 Commencement, Flanagan actively engages with the TU community.
Most recently, he provided EMF students and alumni with an advanced screening of his latest film “The Life of Chuck,” an adaptation of the novella by Stephen King.
The film, described by Flanagan as perhaps one of the most meaningful projects he’s worked on to date, blends the joys and complexities of humanity and the fleetingness of life into a resonant piece of art that implores viewers to question and celebrate life.
EMF students attended the screening at the Towson Cinemark and were offered words of encouragement by Flanagan through a pre-recorded video message.
Recent EMF graduates Minna Knight ’23 and Sid Gopinath ’24, who shadowed Flanagan on set and play extras in the film, were at the screening to celebrate.
Paving the way for our Tigers
Flanagan’s desire to give back to the EMF department and the students standing in the shoes he once occupied continues to provide TU students with enriching, meaningful, hands-on experiences in the film industry.
His pivot to directing a genre-bending film like “The Life of Chuck” and involving TU students is an additional testament that a career in electronic media and film can be whatever students make it.
“There was a sense of secondary ownership watching the film. To see that a TU graduate created this showed us that the potential is there for all of us,” Shari Malowitz says.
Malowitz is working toward her second bachelor’s degree and curating her degree in interdisciplinary studies to fuse EMF, autism studies and early childhood education.
Her goal is to combine the skills she learns in her EMF classes with her background in autism studies to create an animated TV show for children. With the opportunities and community available in the College of Fine Arts and Communication, she feels supported on that path.
“Events like this bring students across disciplines together. It was exciting that we got to take part in a special moment that was made for us and to see EMF and communication students come together to celebrate one of our own,” she says.