NYU's Tisch School of the Arts has appointed veteran film producer Peter Saraf as Chair of its Undergraduate Film and Television Department, marking his first return to academia since completing his own theatre degree at Wesleyan University. Saraf, who has more than three decades of industry experience, takes up the post alongside an associate professorship and will continue overseeing his existing production projects while developing new ones. The appointment comes as the film and TV industry faces mounting pressures from budget cuts, contraction and the growing use of AI, with Tisch hoping his practical expertise will help guide students through a challenging landscape.

Saraf has produced more than 35 feature films, four television series and several theatre productions, including Little Miss Sunshine, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, The Farewell and Away We Go. He began his career alongside Jonathan Demme and Edward Saxon before co-founding the production and financing company Big Beach, which he led for nearly two decades. He has also held leadership roles across the industry, including two terms as Vice President of the Producers Guild of America, and will now oversee a department that enrols more than 1,400 students and produces around 6,000 projects annually.