Middlebury graduates go on to a wide range of careers—often, but not necessarily, tied to their major.

Graduates end up in the media industry from a range of majors, and FMMC majors can end up in a broad array of careers, pointing to the flexibility of a liberal arts degree. 

The department frequently helps arrange internships for majors to work with our network of alumni. If you’re an alum who wants to add or update your information on this list, contact Sheerya Berg at shberg@middlebury.edu.

Here is a sampling of Middlebury graduates who either majored in film and media culture or have pursued a career in the film and media industries. 


Astri von Arbin Ahlander ’07 (FMMC/ENAM)

Received MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University; translated Jens Lapidus’s bestselling novel Easy Money from Swedish to English; cofounder and editor in chief of the interview website The Days of Yore.

Andres Arazoza ’05 (FMMC)

Worked in film editing for four years in New York and Los Angeles; now building guitars and mandolins in Austin, Texas.

Mark Barber ’06 (FMMC/SPAN)

Medical student at the University of Connecticut; previously worked doing Broadway press and producing.

Tim Bartlett ’98 (FMMC/ENAM)

Freelance editor based in New York; credits include the feature documentary Tibet in Song, and television series World of JenksThe Amazing RaceHell’s Kitchen, and The Surreal Life.

Brad Becker-Parton ’11.5 (FMMC)

Producer at Animal Kingdom Films in New York.

Mike Bender ’97 (FMMC/ENAM)

Screenwriter (Not Another Teen Movie); cocreator of Awkward Family Photos.

Joseph Bergan ’08 (FMMC)

Associate producer at NBC News Peacock Productions in New York; performer in live and online comedy.

Ian Berger ’98 (FMMC)

Producer at The Daily Show, focused on creating field segments for the show.

Nick Bestor ’09 (JAPN with FMMC minor)

Master’s student in film studies at Emory University.

Perry Blackshear ’05 (FMMC)

Received MFA in film directing from NYU Tisch School of the Arts; independent filmmaker in New York.

John Brimhall ’08 (FMMC)

Freelance video editor (Spike TV, TLC, Discovery, Fuel TV, MTV, Bravo, NBC, Original Media).

Katherine Davis ’87 (FMMC)

Producer at 60 Minutes (2012–present), 48 Hours (1997–2010).

Kelly Brush Davisson ’08 (FMMC)

Studying to become a nurse practitioner at MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston.

Jack Donaldson ’06 (HIST)

Story editor at Apparatus production company in Los Angeles.

David Ellis ’09 (FMMC)

Assistant to the director of development, Stefan Sonnenfeld Productions in Los Angeles.

Jason Farkas ’05 (FMMC/ECON)

Line producer of CNBC’s Fast Money.

Patricia Dawson Gomez ’11 (FMMC)

Cofounder at Dawson Sinclair Branding, chief publicist at Prince Street PR, and assistant publicist at Serge PR in New York.

Evan Harris ’07 (AMST with concentration on media)

Digital producer at ABC News, working primarily on This Week with George Stephanopoulis.

William Blake Herron ’85 (Russian)

Cowrote The Bourne Identity; wrote and directed A Texas Funeral, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival before global release; created and worked as showrunner on family action series Agent X, starring Sharon Stone for TNT. Just finished writing the official biopic for rock band KISS.

Jesse Holland ’02 (THEA)

Writer/director of independent film YellowBrickRoad and freelance motion graphics artist in Los Angeles.

Maia Hollinger ’06.5 (ENAM)

VP of drama programming at HBO in Santa Monica, California. Formerly VP of creative affairs at Gaumont Television in West Hollywood, California, and director of television development at Brillstein Entertainment Partners in Los Angeles.

Daniel Houghton ’06 (ART)

Independent video and animation artist, teaching in film and media culture at Middlebury.

Lisa Jasinski ’03 (HARC/PSCI)

Received MA in film studies from University of Wisconsin; currently special projects coordinator in academic affairs at Trinity University.

Chris Johnson ’12 (FMMC)

Engagement officer at Fordham Preparatory School in the Bronx, New York City. Produces promotional videos and photography and manages the school’s social media presence. Chris also films and photographs weddings on weekends.

Ryan Koo ’03 (FMMC)

Independent media producer; cocreator of award-winning web video series The West Side; creator of popular blog No Film School.

Tim Leavitt ’06 (FMMC)

Emmy-nominated freelance editor in Los Angeles; projects include The Celebrity ApprenticeExtreme Makeover: Home EditionHell’s Kitchen and web series Guess Again. Writes a blog on editing, View from the Cutting Room Floor.

Matt Leonard ’09 (FMMC)

Assistant editor for MTV’s Made in New York.

Stephanie Levine ’08 (FMMC/MATH)

Municipal dond department at Barclays Capital.

Ioana Literat ’09 (FMMC)

Assistant professor of communication, media and learning technologies design, Teachers College, Columbia University. Ioana received her PhD at Annenberg School of Communication at University of Southern California, studying prosocial global media.

Caryn LoCastro ’07 (SOAN with FMMC minor)

Formerly director of marketing and promotions at Sundance Channel. Currently insights and strategy lead, CPG Google.

Derek Long ’08 (HIST with FMMC minor)

In PhD program at University of Wisconsin - Madison’s Film Studies program.

Andrew Manugian ’09 (FMMC/PSYC)

Currently traveling and teaching English in Bangkok, and blogging about it.

Sarah Peters ’04 (ENAM/THEA)

Publicity Department at Warner Bros. Pictures in New York.

Andrew Peterson ’87 (HIST)

Received MFA in film directing from NYU Tisch School of the Arts; executive director, FilmNorth; director of programming, Provincetown Film Festival; formerly VP production, Werc Werk Works (HowlLife during Wartime).

Rob Perez ’95 (FMMC/THEA)

Screenwriter in Hollywood (40 Days and 40 Nights); independent writer/director in Minneapolis (nobody).

Shawn Ryan ’88 (ECON/THEA)

Acclaimed television writer/producer; creator of The ShieldThe Chicago Code, and Last Resort; executive producer of The Unit, Lie To Me, and Terriers.

Sheila Murphy Seles ’05 (AMST/THEA with emphasis on media)

Received master’s in comparative media studies at MIT, focusing on television audience research; director of strategic research at Advertising Research Foundation in New York.

Felipe Pruneda Sentíes ’07 (FMMC)

Doctoral student in the Film Studies program at the University of Pittsburgh, studying scripts, subtitles, and Latin America cinema; contributor to the Amigos del Cine Latinoamericano blog.

Henry Simonds ’97 (FMMC/ART)

President and founder of Headwater Films; independent film and media producer (Rachel is).

Aaron Smith ’09 (FMMC)

Assistant media planner at Wieden & Kennedy New York. See Aaron’s honors thesis on transmedia storytelling and television.

Annie Stamell ’06 (INTL)

Comedy writer for television and feature films, blogger for Huffington Post, HelloGiggles, and her personal blog.

Daniel Stone ’05 (FMMC)

Sailor on educational vessels that teach nautical science and oceanography.

Michael Suen ’11 (ENAM, with FMMC minor)

Web producer and researcher at Learning Games Network; founder of 21st Century Boy, a blog about media and culture in Asia. See his personal website. 

Andrey Tolstoy ’10 (FMMC)

Currently enrolled in PhD program at Yale University in film studies and comparative literature.

Jack Thurston ’02 (FMMC)

Award-winning reporter for New England Cable News, based in Burlington, Vermont.

Plummy Tucker ’87 (FMMC)

Editor, The InvitationJennifer’s BodyLonesome JimGirlfight. Lecturer at UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. 

Kati Madouros Vogiatjis ’04 (PSCI)

Works in strategy and planning for HBO Original Programming in New York.