Top 9 Best Film Schools In The World (2023)

Film schools are an excellent means to get to know the art of making films. They provide a variety of classes for all levels and kinds of students who want to enter the field of filmmaking. They offer courses that are designed to teach cinematography, editing, audio, design creation, screenwriting, and so on.

Although many talented filmmakers have achieved success without attending film schools, some individuals thrive in a formal learning environment. Some people want to be told precisely the steps to take and what they need to complete something. However, most people go to film school to benefit from networking and making connections. The American Film Institute is the best film school in the world.

Top 9 Best Film Schools In The World

1. American Film Institute, Los Angeles

AFI Conservatory is a five-term Master of Fine Arts program that covers six areas including Cinematography, Direction, Editing, Producing, Production, Design, and Screenwriting. Typically, the Conservatory accepts undergraduates, referred to as Fellows each year for most disciplines.

Each discipline’s curriculum runs for two years. Notable Alumni of the school comprise David Lynch, John Cassavetes, and Darren Aronofsky. The American Film Institute is regarded as one of the best film schools in the world.

2. UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television, Los Angeles

The UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television (UCLA TFT) is one of 11 schools of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). It’s located within Los Angeles, California. Its founding was revolutionary because this was the very first time that a major university had merged theater, film, and television into one department.

The school’s assets include the Geffen Playhouse and the UCLA Film & Television Archive which is the largest archive of a university of its kind anywhere in the world. The Archive is among the most extensive collections of media content that exist in the United States second only to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

The Archive houses more than 220,000 motion pictures, TV titles, and more than 27 million footage of newsreel. Notable Alumni of the school include Francis Ford Coppola, Tim Robbins, and Gore Verbinski.

3. USC School of Cinematic Arts, Los Angeles

The USC School of Cinematic Arts is a private film academy at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California, USA. The school offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs that cover screenwriting, production, critical studies, animation, digital & traditional arts, interactive games, and media.

It is the longest-running and biggest of its kind located in the United States. It was established in 1929 as an association together with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and has been recognized as one of the best film schools in the world on numerous occasions. Notable Alumni of the school comprise George Lucas, Ron Howard, and Jon Landau.

4. New York University Film School, New York

The New York University Tisch School of Arts also known in the media as Tisch or TSOA serves as a center for study in the media and performing arts. It was established on the 17th of August 1965. Tisch offers a schooling place for students, artists, cinematographers, and creative entrepreneurs.

The school blends the technical instruction of a professional institution with the academic resources of a large research university, allowing students to be immersed in the disciplines they are aspiring to study. Located on 721 Broadway, Manhattan, NYC, Tisch School of Arts was established to offer conservatory education in film and theatre as part of an academic research university.

The school also has other departments, including the department of theatre, dance, and cinema studies. The school was named Tisch School of Arts in honor of the generosity of the Tisch family. Notable Alumni of the school comprise Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, and Oliver Stone.

5. National Film & Television School, London

The National Film and Television School (NFTS) is a film school that was established in 1971. It is located in Beaconsfield Studios, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, and was ranked among the best film schools in the world. The students’ community produces approximately a hundred films each year and offers courses that are more than 90% practical and different from the courses offered by different UK film schools.

Beaconsfield Studios comprises film & television stages, animation & editing suites, audio post-production facilities, a recording studio for music, and a dubbing theater equipped with world-class digital equipment that is comparable to the ones employed in the television and film industry.

The National Film & Television School is the only film academy in the UK that has its television and film studios. The school is believed to be one of the leading centers of excellence in film and television education. Some notable Alumni of the school comprise Nick Park, Lynne Ramsey, and Roger Deakins.

6. La Femis, Paris

La Femis is also known as Ecole Nationale Superieure des Metiers de l’Image et du Son, is the French state film school. The school is an integral part of PSL Research University, a Paris-based, world-class federal research university that is made up of highly selected science, art, and humanities-focused higher institutions that are among the most prestigious in France.

FEMIS is an acronym for Fondation Europeenne pours Les Metiers de l’Image et du Son. The film school offers classes that are a blend of artistic research as well as professional development and technical education.

The alumni of the school have won three of the most prestigious film awards including the Cannes Film Festival’s Golden Palm, Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion, and Berlin International Film Festival’s Golden Bear, 10 times making it one of the best films schools in the world. It is ahead of Beijing Film Academy and the Tisch School of Arts in getting those three prizes. Some notable Alumni of the school comprise Francois Ozon, Noemie Lvovsky, and Celine Sciamma.

7. Academy of Performing Arts’ Film and TV School, Prague

The Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, FAMU is among the longest-running film school around the globe. The school located in Prague, Czech Republic, FAMU was established in 1946 and was one of three branches within the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. It is also one of the best film schools in the world.

The language of instruction in the majority of the programs offered at FAMU is Czech However, FAMU also offers programs in English including the summer workshops, Special Productions, and MFA programs. The school has a Studio which is a post-production facility that is well-equipped with sound stages as well as TV studios that are constantly upgraded with technologies for executing student work.

Every autumn, FAMU organizes the FAMU Festival, which is a showcase of the students’ work along with a program of cultural events and visits by famous filmmakers. Some notable Alumni of the school comprise Milos Forman, Emir Kusturica, and Agnieszka Holland.

8. Beijing Film Academy, Beijing

Beijing Film Academy abbreviated BFA is a state-run coeducational higher education institution located in Beijing, China. It is also the most prestigious tertiary institution that is specialized in film and television training and production across Asia. The academy has gained an international reputation for its accomplishments in the field of film production.

The Screenwriting Department was one of the first departments established at the academy in 1951. In recognition of its popularity, BFA established the Performance Institute in June 1956. Its Department of Sound Recording was officially established in 1959 however, in 1960 the BFA’s Department of Sound Recording and the School of Engineering were joined together. Notable Alumni of the school comprise Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, and Tian Zhuangzhuang.

9. London Film School, London

The London Film School (LFS) is a non-profit film school located in a former brewery within Covent Garden, London, and close to the hub for industry in the UK film industry that is located in Soho. The LFS was established on the 26th of September 1956, through Gilmore Roberts as the London School of Film Technique in Brixton and then moved into Charlotte Street, becoming The London Film School under the guidance of principal Bob Dunbar.

The school offers MA-level programs with a focus on Filmmaking and Screenwriting. In conjunction with the University of Exeter, the school offers a unique MA in International Film Business and a Ph.D. in Film by Practice. The school also offers a growing variety of part-time professional training courses within its LFS Workshops banner. It is renowned as one of the best film schools in the world.

LFS is the one film conservatoire for graduates specifically established as an international community with 75% of its students as foreign students. LFS is one of the three UK Creative Film Academy Centres of Excellence. Some notable Alumni of the school comprise Mike Leigh, Duncan Jones, and Danny Huston.