Title: Professor
Education: MFA, USC
Areas of Specialization: Producing, Directing
Program Track: Film
Phone: 310-338-7532
E-mail Address: dzirpola@lmu.edu

Full Professor Don Zirpola at LMU is an award winning professional in the entertainment industry for over thirty years as a director, writer, and editor working for many companies including Universal, PBS and ABC TV. His work has garnered many awards in documentaries, short film and commercials. As a producer, he is currently in pre-production on his third international feature where he is involved in international co-productions in Asia and Europe and South America. His latest efforts are in new media creation and distribution where he where he holds workshops, presentations and lectures at home and abroad.

Don is also the enduring Director of the prestigious Universal Summer Producing and Directing Workshop Program at USC attracting students worldwide with notable student successes that have garnered many international awards from Oscars, Emmy’s and world festivals.

He was actively involved in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Student Academy Awards for over 15 years as the Western Regional Coordinator. He continues to give professional workshops on international producing, directing, and advanced production and served on juries in countries on almost every continent.

He received a Rockefeller Foundation Grant to support his work along with his colleagues in international distance media education. Don served over the years developing programs to national and international prominence as chair and acting director of the School of Film and Television at LMU and has held office as the President of the University Film and Video Association in the US, served as the Dean of a new Television and Film school he designed for the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He currently serves as the President of CILECT - the international professional association of the film and Television schools headquartered in Brussels representing 178 schools in 56 countries.
Don is committed to storytelling, the audience and students both at home and internationally.

Specialties: Producing, Internet Programs- mergers /acquisitions, International Professional workshops.