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Eight years of film collaboration with California

From 2017 to 2025, the strategic cooperation between HAW Hamburg and California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) in the field of film and media technology received €270,000 in grants from the DAAD ISAP programme. Over these eight years, the cooperation made a substantial contribution to transatlantic exchange and “internationalization at home” through the development of student and faculty exchanges. Workshops in Hamburg and Long Beach marked the end of the final grant period in 2025. However, the cooperation is set to continue.

Group of students and professors© HAW Hamburg/Weatherall

CSULB Film workshops 2025

The cooperation with CSULB in the field of film began in 2010 with the first student exchange. Since then, 46 media technology students have completed a tuition-free semester in Long Beach – equivalent to approximately $437,000 in tuition. Between 2017 and 2024, 24 students received a full ISAP scholarship for the semester. During the same period, 29 film students from Long Beach came to Hamburg for a semester abroad.

The faculty exchange began in 2015 with a collaboration between Prof. Wolfgang Willaschek and Prof. Tom Blomquist. Over the course of the ISAP project, a total of fourteen professors have shared their expertise with students in workshops in Long Beach and Hamburg, as well as online during the pandemic. ISAP grants provided a subsidy for the travel expenses of the German and American professors; co-financed with funds from the Dean's office, the “HAW goes USA” budget of the International Office, and CSULB travel grants.

At the end of June, three US professors visited Hamburg to hold workshops for bachelor's and master's students and give guest lectures. Sharri Hefner, Alicia Dwyer, and Kent Hayward organized seven days of workshops on topics such as “Creative Producing,” “Pitch Training,” and “Documentary Filming”. Students from the bachelor's programme in Media Technology and master's students from the Sound/Vision programme worked in small groups to apply the theoretical components to make short films, which were then shown in a joint final presentation. In addition, Prof. Kent Hayward gave a lecture on sustainability in film production to around fifty students and presented key points from his book “Green Filmmaking: A Guide to Sustainable Movie Production.” During a very intensive workshop week, the students created four very different short films. Prof. Sharri Hefner summed up the week for herself: “I was impressed by what the students achieved in such a short time. They had great ideas and worked long hours on their films. The quality was very good, and it was a pleasure to work with them.” 

Teaching screenwriting and game writing in California, where undoubtedly the most interesting television series and games in the world are created, was a great challenge - and also a special honour. The exchange with the students and professors at CSULB was very inspiring.

Prof. Dr. Joachim Friedmann

In September 2025, Prof. Joachim Friedmann, Professor of Interactive Dramaturgy, and Prof. Marco Grimm, Professor of Video Technology, traveled to Long Beach. Grimm discussed the current development of AI tools with students in several lectures and presented a workflow for using different AI tools. Afterwards, twenty students had the opportunity to apply this knowledge in practical exercises.

In a lecture on “Social Responsibility in Storytelling,” Friedmann highlighted the interplay between perception and cognitive filters and the resulting responsibility of authors in social discourse. In a subsequent workshop, students were able to learn about the basic elements of narrative design in an analytical and creative process. Professor Friedmann also used the visit to network with colleagues and tour the facilities of the Department of Cinematic Arts. He says, "Teaching screenwriting and game writing in California, where undoubtedly the most interesting television series and games in the world are created, was a great challenge - and also a special honor. The exchange with the students and teachers at CSULB was very inspiring."

This visit marks the end of ISAP funding for media technology and film for the time being. A change in the curriculum at CSULB led to an interruption in the student exchange programme, which will hopefully resume soon. In the meantime, however, it is hoped that the faculty exchange programme can be financed with university budgets in order to continue this valuable cooperation.

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Text & images: Ingrid Weatherall

Links to the films from the Hambrg workshops with CSULB / June 2025:

„Between hours“ - a cinematic portrait about people who work nights - their thoughts and their own rhythm; https://youtu.be/ixzIDGGaZBs (Laura Affolter, Thorben Schulz)

„Shadows“ - Using techniques from shadow theatre, the audience is taken on a silent journey through the grieving souls of unhappy lovers. The result is an atmospheric story about finding light in dark times. (Currently being prepared for submission to film festivals, so no public link)

 „Ava“: As a two-week war unfolds between Iran and Israel, Ava, a young Iranian woman (student) living in peaceful exile in Europe, is drawn into the emotional chaos from afar. “Ava” is a relentless, poetic examination of the collateral victims of modern warfare. (Mahsa Zarififar, Moritz Walliser)

„The Swift Tailor“ - about a young woman who cannot realize her dreams due to a lack of financial support. But she does not give up so easily. https://youtu.be/2pE9rOTRmaE (Karina Suppes, Luis Messner)

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