Class of '17 | '18 | '19 | '20 | '21 | '22 | '23 | '24 | '25
Foreword
Hello friends! I am thrilled to host the 10th (!!) year of the Film School Drop Outs challenge. I don't think we count as drop-outs anymore at this point, more like failed PhD students dragging out their dissertations. Thanks to previous professors Disgustipated, Bobby Jones, Steve Geiler, eightandahalf, Fabianm, and of course Elena for facilitating our addiction— I mean education, all these years. After pouring over my spreadsheets, I tried to find some blind spots spanning the history of film. I hope you enjoy. Please fill out your course evaluations at the end of the semester, your feedback is important.…
Class of '17 | '18 | '19 | '20 | '21 | '22 | '23 | '24 | '25
Foreword
Hello friends! I am thrilled to host the 10th (!!) year of the Film School Drop Outs challenge. I don't think we count as drop-outs anymore at this point, more like failed PhD students dragging out their dissertations. Thanks to previous professors Disgustipated, Bobby Jones, Steve Geiler, eightandahalf, Fabianm, and of course Elena for facilitating our addiction— I mean education, all these years. After pouring over my spreadsheets, I tried to find some blind spots spanning the history of film. I hope you enjoy. Please fill out your course evaluations at the end of the semester, your feedback is important.
The Class of '26:
Nick Atkins | komodoskar | stemlongstem | megan amanda | Sam Q | kasarin | Julia | Trogpint | Julia | poparena | Christopher Cross | eightandahalf | Suzanne Scherrer | diya | Richie | Jerry St. Peter | Charcastrology | Adam | Peter Williams | evilchachouuu | devi123 | austin | SHER | SF_HRM94114 | Loren | Luis Baia | griffintipsword | Samuel | Germano Dutra Jr | JoJo Wilde | Andrew Jarrett | paula | papercutdooctor | TongueTied | Alex Simeon | Dirkakus | Cassiana ✧*。 | jumpacat | Jayce Fryman | Ken Mello | carol | 💜 Elena 💜 | dixie | Vee | crimegumby
(Voluntary) Rules 📢
1. Each week you must watch the film that you have selected for that week's topic;
2. After having watched each film you should write and post a review of at least five sentences;
3. Ensure that you tag each film with the challenge tag FSDO2026. Also make sure you tag it with the weekly tag, for example, FSDO2026Week1. This will enable other students to find your reviews;
4. Read other student's reviews and share comments with one another.
Please Note ✏️
- All of these rules are voluntary;
- If you are unable to watch the listed movie in any given week you can skip it or watch it later;
- Feel free to make up your own topics for any given week if you don't like the existing topic or if you are unable to gain access to a movie that fits it;
- Feel free to change any movie on your list at any time. The availability of a film often makes this necessary;
- If you don't like writing reviews you don't have to. Maybe comment on other people's reviews so you can still be a part of the dialogue (although you don't have to do that either).
2026 Syllabus:
Week 1 - Producer - Howard Hughes
Week 2 - Studio - Early Shochiku (40s or Earlier)
Week 3 - Actor - Claudette Colbert
Week 4 - Auteur - Germaine Dulac
Week 5 - Writer - Ben Hecht
Week 6 - Movement - Sirkian Cinema
Week 7 - Auteur - Hiroshi Shimizu
Week 8 - Actor - Michel Simon
Week 9 - Editor - Nino Baragli
Week 10 - Awards - Oscars Best Animated Short
Week 11 - Movement - Film Blanc
Week 12 - Composer - Toshi Ichiyanagi
Week 13 - Actor - Lena Horne
Week 14 - Auteur - Edith Carlmar
Week 15 - Studio - Kyivnaukfilm
Week 16 - Book - Amos Vogel’s Film as a Subversive Art
Week 17 - Technology - VistaVision
Week 18 - Movement - Revolutionary Documentaries
Week 19 - Auteur - Jacques Rozier
Week 20 - Actor - Tatsuya Nakadai
Week 21 - Genre - Eastern European Sci-fi
Week 22 - Movement - ’80s New York Sleaze
Week 23 - Award- Taiwan's Golden Horse Film Awards: Best Narrative Picture
Week 24 - Costume Design - Piero Tosi
Week 25 - Auteur- Nutsa or Lana Gogoberidze
Week 26 - Movement - Nunsploitation
Week 27 - Actor- Charlotte Rampling
Week 28 - Actor Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival
Week 29 - Movement - Slow Cinema
Week 30 - Studio - Toei in the 1970s
Week 31 - Auteur - Ana Carolina
Week 32 - Distributor - Canyon Cinema
Week 33 - Movement - Québecois Cinema
Week 34 - Auteur - Melvin van Peebles
Week 35 - Genre - Japanese Video Art
Week 36 - Movement - Indigenous Cinema
Week 37 - Auteur - John Waters
Week 38 - Production Design - Kenji Kawai
Week 39 - Cinematographer - Agnès Godard
Week 40 - Award - Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA): Best Picture Nominees
Week 41 - Auteur - Nancy Savoca
Week 42 - Studio - GOBELINS
Week 43 - Actor- Joan Chen
Week 44 - Composer - Trent Reznor
Week 45 - Auteur - Radu Jude
Week 46 - Movement - Hong Kong Category III
Week 47 - Actor - Michael Shannon
Week 48 - Book- 50 Years Of Maghrebi Cinema
Week 49 - Awards- TIFF People's Choice
Week 50 - Auteur- Stephen Soderbergh
Week 51 - Movement - Sapphic Coming of Age Film
Week 52 - Actor - Lily Gladstone