January 11, 2018

Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, recognized as one of the premier film schools in the United States, has announced that producer Martin Shafer (Music and Lyrics, No Reservations, The Polar Express, Before Sunrise) will join the faculty as the Spring 2019 Marion Knott Distinguished Artist. Every semester, Dodge College hosts expert filmmakers to meet with and counsel selected scholars, as part of its Distinguished Artists program. This popular program includes regular, bi-weekly meetings with the filmmaker in a one-on-one setting where the student and mentor have the opportunity to develop a specific creative project throughout the semester. In addition, the filmmakers interact with the larger Chapman community at weekly dinners open to students and screenings of the filmmaker’s films followed by an in-class Q & A.

Martin Shafer (Producer) is the Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Castle Rock Entertainment. Titles produced include Fracture, Music and Lyrics, No Reservations, Michael Clayton, The Polar Express, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Before Midnight and Friends with Benefits.

The company has also produced such critically acclaimed films as When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men, (which was nominated for four Academy Awards) Absolute Power, City Slickers, In the Line of Fire, Honeymoon In Vegas, Misery, for which Kathy Bates won the Academy Award for Best Actress, The American President, The Shawshank Redemption (nominated for seven Academy Awards), The Green Mile (nominated for four Academy Awards), other titles include Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, Kangaroo Jack, Two Weeks Notice, Miss Congeniality and Delores Claiborne.  The company also produced the enormously popular hit television show Seinfeld. In 1995, Castle Rock Entertainment received the Excellence in Filmmaking Award at ShoWest.

Prior to forming Castle Rock, Shafer was President of Production for Embassy Pictures and served as Executive Vice President of Production at Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. In October 2000, Shafer received the Lifetime Achievement Award at Show East.

Dodge College is thrilled to welcome Martin Shafer as one of our faculty members!

Visit our announcement for more information on how to apply to be mentored by Martin Shafer.