Ringling hits the (Hollywood) Hills

The Ringling College of Art and Design made the top 25 on Hollywood Reporter's list of the world's best film schools — the latest step toward turning Sarasota into a mini-Hollywood.

The Hollywood Reporter noted Sarasota-based Ringling's Digital Filmmaking School, which is 4 years old, already has two Student Academy Award winners. The newspaper also points out the school is hands-on: Students direct commercials their first year; documentaries the next year; narratives the third year; and a thesis for senior year.

Ringling president Larry Thompson says the recognition is validation that the school's ambitious agenda — to become the best art and design college in the world — is headed in the right direction. The Hollywood Reporter's list is based on interviews with filmmakers and industry executives. They rank schools based on several categories, including alumni successes, cost and faculty.

“It's definitely quite an honor to be recognized so early on in the life of our film program,” Thompson tells Coffee Talk.

The Ringling College Digital Filmmaking School has also created some local buzz. Enrollment has doubled in each of the four years the school has been open, Thompson says, and total colleges applications are up, too. Plus, Sarasota County officials recently agreed to invest more than $1 million to help the college turn part of its filmmaking building into a post-production studio lab.