Top Ranked International Film Schools: A Look at the Best International Film Schools
Going International
Going international for film school is a much different thing than looking to the west or east coasts. An international filmmaker is of a different realm. often thinking about the world universally, and working with different cultures and perspectives at all levels. This also requires you to leave the comforts of your domestic setting and really change positions in life, and in education. There are a number of film schools in non-U.S. areas that focus on “international” filmmaking. What this means is that they may have an English centered graduate film programs or ones that bring in people from around the world rather than at just a regional or national level. Here is a look at some of the top international film schools that are educated a new wave of global visionaries. Remember when applying at these top film schools many of the requirements may be different, the degrees may not look and work the same as in U.S. based universities, and the principles of the education may vary.
London Film School
The London Film School is an amazing graduate film school that caters to a host of different types of students, though this is usually a first thought for U.K. based student filmmakers. The London Film School has ushered out notable film alumni like Michael Mann, Mike Leigh, and Duncan Jones, and there are so many professional sponsors fo the film school that you can expect constat industry interaction and contribution. One of the central ways that the London Film School focuses in on an international feel is through its two screen center that allows for constant film screenings. The London Film School does not offer an MFA program but instead a list of MA programs that range from the standard production to screenwriting, production design, editing, directing, and so on. There are also a host of workshops offered, so this is a great option for a current student who wants a little international educational experience without a permanent move.
Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts
The Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts is in Prague, Czech Republic. This is one of the most well established film schools in all of Europe as it is also one of the oldest. The base language here is in Czech, which is why it hails such a strong list of middle to eastern European filmmakers like Milos Forman. This is not absolute since many courses are also taught in English and you can arrange to have a specific English centered education, though some knowledge of Czech is a bonus. The english specific MFA program is titled the Cinema and Digital Media Master’s Programme, and is special in that it really integrates a whole lot of different approaches and technologies.
National Film School of Denmark
The National Film School of Denmark may be a little different of a film school experience. Instead of a regular graduate program it appears as more of an undergradutae with the film program lasting four years. This has a lot of interaction with industry professionals in the western European and Scandanavian countries and has an excellent list of alumni, including director’s like Lars Von Trier and Dagur Kari. The final project, or thesis, is prepared for national broadcast. This is a nice bridge to the professional world that you do not get from other top film schools.
Korea National University of the Arts
The Seoul based Korea National University of the arts is known as one of the top film schools world wide. The School of Film, TV and Multimedia has the benefit of having cross over with the School of Drama and School of Visual Arts, not to mention having an interesting influence from the School of Korean Traditional Arts. There are not as many required courses at the Korea National University of the Arts, which they state is done so “students experience various areas.” They allow for different focuses within it, such as people who want to gear more towards animation or broadcasting.
This post is part of the series: Top Film Graduate Schools
Here are articles that will help you sift through all the film graduate programs and fine the one that is right for you.
