REMEMBERING JOHN FREITAS
It is with great sadness that we inform you of the loss of a member of our community.
Our beloved colleague, John Freitas, Part-time Associate Teaching Professor at the School of Media Studies, passed away on February 11, 2022. He taught cinema studies, production and screenwriting courses at The New School for over 25 years, and has served also as Film Program Advisor and Program Coordinator. He taught core classes in film history and theory, and created numerous courses exploring such topics as American and international cinemas of horror, technology and science-fiction, road movies, and the comedies of Ernst Lubitsch & Preston Sturges. He also taught film production, film aesthetics and screenwriting courses at Hofstra University and screenwriting at Pratt Institute.
John also worked as development analyst for Warner Brothers and Sony Pictures, sold screenplays to Dustin Hoffman, Hakalax and Mandrake Productions, Finland, Canal Plus, France, and renowned producer Edward R. Pressman. He was interviewed about various film topics by the NY Daily News, NY Sun, Diversity Inc., MSNBC and Bravo Television. One of his works is the remake of Brian DePalma’s cult film Sisters.
John was a true cinephile, much loved by the students and faculty here. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, colleagues, and students. If you wish to share a memory of John or send condolences to his family, please visit this online memorial page.
For any students feeling the need to talk with someone, there is support available through the following resources:
- Counseling at Student Health Services (SHS), available by virtual telecounseling if you would like to talk. Visit shsportal.newschool.edu to make an appointment.
- Any member of our community can contact our administrative staff at Student Support and Advocacy (SSA). SSA offers virtual support for non-academic challenges and distressing situations and the email address studentsupport@newschool.edu is monitored 24 hours a day to respond to students who need support.