M.F.A.
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Natalia Leite
Written by	Leah McKendrick
Produced by	Mike Manning Leah McKendrick Shintaro Shimosawa
Starring	Francesca Eastwood Clifton Collins Jr. Leah McKendrick Peter Vack David Huynh Marlon Young David Sullivan Michael Welch Mike Manning
Cinematography	Aaron Kovalchik
Edited by	Phil Bucci
Music by	Sonya Belousova
Production companies	GTE Productions Syncretic Entertainment Villainess Productions
Distributed by	Dark Sky Films
Release dates	March 13, 2017 (2017-03-13) (SXSW) October 13, 2017 (2017-10-13) (United States)
Running time	93 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Language	English

M.F.A. is a 2017 American thriller film directed by Natalia Leite and written by Leah McKendrick. The film stars Francesca Eastwood, Clifton Collins Jr., Leah McKendrick, Peter Vack, David Huynh, Marlon Young, David Sullivan, Michael Welch and Mike Manning. The film was released on October 13, 2017, by Dark Sky Films.

Plot

Noelle, an introvert California fine arts graduate student, accepts an invitation to a party by a handsome classmate she has a crush on, only to be lured into his room where he rapes her. The following night Noelle confronts her rapist and in a moment of rage, accidentally kills him. But, much to her surprise, an unexpected surge of inspiration will gradually fuel both her stagnant artistic expression and her thirst for revenge on those who have assaulted women. Now, Noelle becomes a pitiless vigilante who uses her newly-found sex-appeal to serve her cause.

Cast

• Francesca Eastwood as Noelle
• Clifton Collins Jr. as Kennedy
• Leah McKendrick as Skye
• Peter Vack as Luke
• David Huynh as Shane
• Marlon Young as Professor Rudd
• David Sullivan as Cavanaugh
• Michael Welch as Mason
• Mike Manning as Jeremiah
• Andrew Caldwell as Ryder
• Kyler Pettis as Conor

Release

The film premiered at South by Southwest on March 13, 2017.^[1][2] On June 8, 2017, Dark Sky Films acquired distribution rights to the film.^[3] The film was released on October 13, 2017, by Dark Sky Films.^[4]

Critical reception

Rotten Tomatoes reported an 80% approval rating, based on 25 reviews, with an average score of 6.8/10.^[5]

The Hollywood Reporter staff said the film was "less a pulse-pounding thriller than a conversation starter about injustice and vigilantism."^[6] Leah Pickett of the Chicago Reader praised Francesca Eastwood's performance, calling it "magnetic and convincing", but criticizing the character's "implausibly quick switch from wallflower to assassin."^[7]