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UCR Low Residency MFA

@ucrpdlrmfa

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Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing & Writing for the Performing Arts
The Hottest MFA

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Remember how we're ridiculously proud of everything our crew gets up to? And how our students, alumni, and faculty are all in a constant state of adding accolades to their names?

While we're playing catch up on all of the Hottest News from the past few months, we thought it would be fun to add in a new series of alumni spotlights to really show off some of the amazing people who go through our program!

Starting off strong, we've got recent grad and absolute powerhouse Yana Billé-Chung!

Yana is an award-winning Cameroonian-American writer, director, and producer whose films have been screened at festivals worldwide, including SXSW and the Venice Circuito Off. A graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts before coming to UCR Palm Desert, Yana has worked as an assistant to Oscar-nominated showrunner Michael Green (AMERICAN GODS) and was a writer on the first season of Netflix’s BLUE EYE SAMURAI.

Recently she's been blowing up the short film scene with her critically acclaimed dark comedy, TILL DEATH. The film won both Best Screenwriting and Best Actress at the 2026 Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase. It has also been officially selected for highly regarded festivals such as the Silicon Valley African Film Festival, Accra Indie Film Fest, and the Toronto Pan Afrikan Film Festival, among others. It’s slated to be showcased at one of the world’s most prestigious short film festivals based in Hollywood, recognized by the Academy Awards, BAFTA, and the Canadian Screen Awards.

TILL DEATH is set to make its Los Angeles premiere at the LA Shorts International Film Festival on August 3rd, so head over to @till_death_film and grab your tickets today!

#alumnispotlight #screenwritingmfa #screenwritingprogram #creativewritingmfa #tilldeathfilm #diversityincannesshortfilmshowcase #yanabillechung #indiefilm #shortfilm by @ucrpdlrmfa

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3 months ago

Humility is for programs that don't have the kind of powerhouse students, alumni, and faculty we do.

Humility is also for programs that don't host their residencies at luxury resorts in the beautiful Coachella Valley taking one-on-one meetings around firepits with guest faculty including editors from every major New York publishing house; Academy Award- and Emmy Award-winning writers, producers and showrunners; plus studio executives from Amazon, Netflix, Warner Brothers, Paramount, and Disney.

We couldn't be more proud of our students, alumni, faculty, staff, guest lecturers, and everything we've worked hard to build for this program over the years to make sure we can deliver on the promise of a degree that sells and a team that champions its students well past graduation.

The deadline for Fall applications is coming up soon, so check out the link in our bio for more information!

#creativewritingmfa #screenwritingmfa #getpublished #getproduced #topmfa #thehottestmfa #nonfictionmfa #playwritingmfa #creativewritingprogram #creativewritinggradschool by @ucrpdlrmfa

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3 months ago

MFAs. Low-Residency MFAs. What's the difference?

If you've been looking for a creative writing program that you won't have to move for, that you won't have to adjust your busy life around, and that makes sure you leave with not just an advanced degree but also unparalleled bragging material to make your friends, family, and coworkers jealous, then we're the program for you.

Applications for our Fall cohort are open until August 1st, so check out our website and send in your best stuff! We can't wait to see you around the pool in December. 😎

#mfacreativewriting #lowresidencymfa #screenwritingmfa #playwritingmfa #fictionmfa #nonfictionmfa #writingprogram #getpublished #getproduced #creativewritingmfa #thehottestmfa by @ucrpdlrmfa

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3 months ago

Somehow it's the middle of the summer and no longer February, but I'm finally playing catch up on all of the exciting stuff you guys have gotten up to this year!

Now that we're back and rolling again with the Hottest News, be prepared for a mini social media avalanche of pride over how cool you all are. More monthly roundups coming soon!

#thehottestmfa #creativewritingmfa #lowresmfa #lowresidencymfa #screenwritingprogram #ourstudentspublish #ourstudentsproduce by @ucrpdlrmfa

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3 months ago

Not even 2 hours into the shop being open today and I looked up to see a group of dear writer friends from my MFA program @ucrpdlrmfa , who journeyed here (some for hours!!) to surprise me! To everyone who talks shit about creative writing MFA programs: it isn’t just a couple years of writing and a degree. It’s friends and community for life. And not just friends, but friends with phenomenal taste in books and bookstores 😎 by @ucrpdlrmfa

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3 months ago

UCR Palm Desert Low-Residency MFA is thrilled to be an official partner of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting!

For full details, check out the link in our bio!

@theacademy #screenwriting #screenwritingmfa #screenwriting program #nichollfellowships #nichollpartner #nichollfellowshipsinscreenwriting #gradschool #masterinscreenwriting by @ucrpdlrmfa

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3 months ago

Huge huge HUGE congratulations to our Spring 2026 graduating class for putting great art out into the world and making our program the kind of family every writer dreams of having. We were all lucky to have you with us for two years, and we know we'll all least be seeing your names on the stage, screen, and shelves very soon!

Thank you to class speaker @jeskybera for giving a speech that was equal parts motivational, tear-jerking, and fun. A reminder to all of us that we're in this field and program for a reason, that we're in it together, and that we all get to bring these experiences and people into the rest of our lives.

Congratulations also to the 500th student to graduate from our MFA, @kevintmorales! 🥳

#thehottestmfa #creativewritingmfa #screenwritingmfa #fictionmfa #lowresidencymfa by @ucrpdlrmfa

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4 months ago

Congratulations to Nancy Chung on a fantastic grad lecture teaching us all about the structure of romance novels and how they've changed over the years!

#thehottestmfa #creativewritingmfa #fictionmfa #lowresidencymfa by @ucrpdlrmfa

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4 months ago

Betty Fall gave an amazing grad lecture on the unique, bizarre, and inventive forms literature can take and how these forms serve the story!

#thehottestmfa #creativewritingmfa #fictionmfa #lowresidencymfa by @ucrpdlrmfa

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4 months ago

Congratulations to professor Elizabeth Crane on the west coast launch of her new book, That May Not Mean What You Think, and re-release of When the Messenger is Hot! by @ucrpdlrmfa

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4 months ago

We can't believe it's already Friday! We're closing out grad lectures today with our final two graduating students and then celebrating the West Coast launch of Elizabeth Crane's new collection That May Not Mean What You Think!

#thehottestmfa #creativewritingmfa #screenwritingmfa #lowresidencymfa #nonfictionmfa by @ucrpdlrmfa

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4 months ago

Snacktown is stocked for the last hurrah of residency! by @ucrpdlrmfa

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4 months ago