Teri Schwartz
Teri Schwartz is the Dean of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television (UCLA TFT) where she has launched an exciting new vision and actionable strategic plan that re-imagines entertainment and performing arts education as an interdisciplinary enterprise grounded in humanistic story, social impact, industry partnerships, technology and innovation and diversity/global diversity. Reframing UCLA TFT as the “Storytelling School”, she has dynamically led the School for 10 years and is its first woman dean. Dean Schwartz has raised over $100 million for student, faculty, facilities and high impact programmatic support including a recently announced $20m gift for scholarships for diversity and ethical leadership and $10m to renovate the iconic Freud Playhouse.
From 2003-2009, Schwartz successfully served as the founding dean of the Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television Schwartz is an award-winning feature film producer, whose many films have garnered nominations for Academy, Emmy, Golden Globe, People’s Choice, Grammy and MTV awards. In 2018, Schwartz produced the feature documentary WATERSCHOOL in partnership with the Swarovski crystal company. Seven final year TFT him students served in key positions. WATERSCHOOL focuses on how environmental education empowers and transforms the lives of young women and girls living in underserved communities along the major rivers of the world. WATERSCHOOL screened at Sundance, Cannes, World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Toronto. The film is currently streaming on Netflix in 193 countries and translated into 26 languages. A global social action campaign launched to support WATERSCHOOL in alignment with Schwartz’ focus on social impact and diversity.
Service and Memberships: Producers Guild of America; Directors Guild of America; Academy of Television Arts and Sciences; Television Academy Foundation’s Board of Directors; The Hawn Foundation Board of Directors; the Geffen Playhouse Board of Directors; the UCLA TFT/UCA Storytelling Institute in Cannes Executive Board; the NAACP Entertainment Industry Advisory Board; the Board of Trustees of the Swarovski Foundation. Schwartz was recently appointed by the University of California’s Board of Regents to the California State Summer School for the Arts Board of Trustees.
Recent awards: 2018 UCLA Community School Bruin Partnership Award for Service and Distinction; 2015 CayFilm International Film Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Film Producing; 2013 Caucus for Producers, Writers & Directors American Spirit Award for Special Achievement in Educating New Filmmakers; Variety’s 2012 Media Mentor of the Year. Schwartz has been a keynote speaker at industry conferences, universities and festivals worldwide.
A native of Los Angeles, Schwartz graduated Magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, BA English Lit. UCLA ’71. She received her Master of Arts in Film, University of London ’73.