Every year, around the world, many movies, TV series, commercials, and instructional videos are produced. Major cities in the United States of America like Hollywood and New York City are home to numerous studios and a constant stream of production.
Although there are other hubs for artistic creativity throughout the world, Europe currently stands out as the best.
Currently, many of the top film schools are located in Europe, These top film schools in Europe provide degree programs that are some of the best and most prestigious in the world and can teach any aspiring filmmaker the fundamentals of the industry.
The United States of America (USA) and Europe are the locations of numerous well-regarded film schools where you can study theatrical arts, digital filmmaking, video production, TV and film production, and video production.
This article features the best film schools in Europe that provide the best education for industry enthusiasts.
Is Filmmaking a Good Career?
To do well in filmmaking, you have to be extraordinarily talented. You have to have the knowledge of Cinema, you have to keep making independent studies and build a portfolio.
You have to keep your contacts right and work like there’s no money at all. So you see, so much has to be put in to succeed.
As a filmmaker, you will work with creative minds. You will learn a lot as regards human psychology and you will be forced to develop out-of-the-box thinking. All apart from the glamour and fun, it is a hell of hard work involved.
Therefore, before opting in to the career or before attending any of the film schools in Europe, you must make sure that you are mentally prepared and once you start getting it right, everything starts falling in place.
What is the Highest Paying Job in Film?
- Executive Producer
- Director
- Screenwriter
- Editor
Executive Producer
The executive producer controls the whole project. A lot of times they start out as film production assistants or script readers.
Others start making small movies and build up to bigger ones, although that requires having a budget.
The average annual salary for a film producer is $109,860, but that doesn’t take into account other earnings.
Director
The director usually works out how to visually present the film. They instruct actors and then help the editor.
Directors are paid about the same as producers and generally, they start out by working on smaller projects.
Screenwriter
Screenwriters make a lot of money. They start writing as journalists in other media. Many journalists wear multiple hats and do all kinds of other writing while trying to get in the door.
Editor
The editor takes what might be hundreds of hours of footage and pieces scenes together into a movie. They put a lot of time into the production.
Ways to Get a Job in the Film Industry
- Use Your Personal Network
- Join Online Groups and Forums
- Volunteer
- Make Your Own Films
- Intern
- Reach Out Locally
- Get Experience On Set
- Use Online Job Sites
- Gain Non-Film Work Experience
Use Your Personal Network
Networking is a very big part of the movie industry. It is all about teamwork and a lot of times actors will look into their personal network to find who fits the positions they need.
To leverage your personal network, you must build one. Get to know more and more people in the industry.
Join Online Groups and Forums
Social media and other online groups are where you might find what you are looking for. Through google also, you might find other websites that listed some of the best groups and forums to join.
Volunteer
It is typical to begin helping out on short films and low-budget sets and then working your way up to larger productions.
Volunteering is a smart and quick way to get hands-on experience.
Make Your Own Films
Making your own films is another pathway to getting into the movie industry. It gives you the chance to take charge and do what you want without climbing that ladder up.
The films you make can even serve as portfolio pieces.
Intern
Most studios and networks offer internships. The internship programs they offer span a diverse range of fields, from creative development to casting.
A lot of these internships are paid for and that allows you to learn, gain experience, and earn money all at once.
Reach Out Locally
Reaching out to local film production and media companies is also a good way to gain experience and find job opportunities.
You will be able to gain more well-rounded and practical production training from smaller companies.
Get Experience On Set
While you’re in any of the film schools in Europe, search out student film sets to work on.
Or on the weekends, research the shoots happening around your city that you can help out on. Working as a production assistant on local shoots is a great way to get experience on set.
Use Online Job Sites
You can find entry-level film jobs on platforms like indeed and LinkedIn. There are other sites that have fil-related job beards also.
The List of Best Film Schools In Europe
In this section, we will be looking at different prestigious cinema schools and universities in Europe.
Please note that we have not arranged this list in the order of the best. They are simply the most prestigious schools in Europe where you can choose to obtain your music degree.
Valand Academy, Sweden
The film programs are part of the Valand Academy, University of Gothenburg. The school’s vision is to educate filmmakers who express themselves in a personal film language and who are well aware of what their approach is with regard to artistic expression and artistic research.
Their goal is to strengthen the quality and increase the breadth and diversity in the entire field of the moving image.
This means that they prioritize the development of film as a means of expression in both feature films and documentary films.
In order for work to include visual experiments of artistic excellence as well as filmic projects of the everyday kind, students will be offered an abundance of varying approaches and methods.
VIA University College, Denmark
VIA’s animation degree programs are located at The Animation Workshop, which has more than 20 years of experience – and the brand-new degree program called “Multiplatform Storytelling and Production” will be based in Aarhus.
The storytelling and animation degree programs are founded on a wide network of professionals from all over the world, who carry out the teaching as well as taking part in development work. This ensures a direct connection with the business and the latest tendencies worldwide.
VSMU – Academy of Performing Arts Bratislava, Slovakia
The fundamental objective of their school is the training of high-quality professionals in artistic production, ready to develop within a socio-economic context.
They breed experimentation and research in artistic creation and help their students to adapt to the professional needs of the visual and multimedia arts.
Warsaw Film School, Poland
Warsaw Film School was founded in 2004 by Polish film director, producer, and screenwriter Maciej Ślesicki and one of the country’s most respected actors, Bogusław Linda.
The academy is a unique film institution, one of three in the country to grant BA diplomas.
Based in the capital of Poland, WFS is at the center of a film education hub, which also includes a film-profiled high school, secondary school, vocational college, arthouse cinema, and a production company.
Westerdals Oslo School of Arts, Communication and Technology, Norway
Westerdals Oslo School of Arts, Communication and Technology. Westerdals Oslo ACT offers a unique interdisciplinary learning environment, where students have an opportunity to collaborate widely across various fields.
They believe that the future of communication is in the interaction of creative solutions and technology, and they provide their students with a head start in this new reality.
ZeLIG, Italy
Founded in 1988, ZeLIG School of Documentary, Television and New Media is a non-profit educational center specializing in training in the documentary field. Visit website.
Aalto University
Aalto University offers degree programs in film and television studies and has been in existence in Helsinki, Finland, since 2010.
Finnish is the language of instruction, and students get both classroom and practical experience in their chosen fields. There are bachelor’s and master’s degree programs available in a variety of fields, including cinematography, directing, producing, screenplay, and film editing.
This university has a well-deservedly strong reputation in the global art world and has produced numerous successful and award-winning TV and film professionals.
London Film School
- Tuition Fees: £59,498
London film school is one of the most esteemed film schools in the continent, if not the entire globe, this institution only accepts postgraduates who wish to pursue a Master’s or a Ph.D. in the field of filmmaking.
The London Film School, which has been in existence there since 1966, has an international reach. Each year, only a select few applicants are chosen, and they may be from any country in the world. Students from about 30 different nations make up 60% of the student body.
London film school offers a variety of postgraduate degree programs. There are programs in both screenwriting and filmmaking.
Tuition Fees: £59,498, this Includes a £200 Visa Administration Fee.
The University of television and film Munich
Tuition:
- For bachelor, 1,000 USD/year
- For Masters, 1,000 USD/year
German universities have excelled in the fields of engineering and art. Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film München, also known as the Munich University of Television and Film, was founded in 1966. It is regarded as one of the best film schools worldwide in addition to being a top film school in Germany.
For most semesters, the student-to-teacher ratio is less than 10:1, which is excellent for studying the foundations as well as the more in-depth, specialized information and disciplines. Many graduates have had significant success in cinema and television, even taking home honors like the Oscar.
Tuition fees: Bachelors, 1,000 USD/year For Masters, 1,000 USD/year.
Academy of performing art film and tv school
- Tuition Fees: Average fees of $45,674
One of the top universities in the world, dedicated to filmmaking. The Academy in Prague, Czech Republic, also goes by the name FAMU and offers a range of degrees. It was established in 1946, making it the fifth-oldest film school worldwide.
The institute offer Programs in directing, documentary filmmaking, scriptwriting, dramaturgy, animated film, cinematography, sound design, editing, production, photography, and audiovisual for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels.
Some of the most active and celebrated directors of big-budget movies have studied here over the years.
Czech is the primary language of instruction, however,r there are also numerous English language studies available.
Tuition Fees: Average fees of $45,674
Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography
The Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography, formerly known as the Moscow Film School, is one of the top universities in Russia. The world’s oldest film school is there. The current name has been used since 1986.
Students graduate with one of the best educations for all facets of filmmaking because all classes are taught in Russian. The graduates of this institution have all the skills required for a fruitful career.
You must speak Russian fluently to apply and receive any form of education.
La Fémis
- Tuition Fees: $15,334
One of the highest ranking film schools in Europe and the world is La Fémis (Fondation Européenne pour les Métiers de l’Image et du Son), which was founded in Paris in 1943 and reorganized in 1986. Since 1926, studios for motion pictures have been housed in structures on school grounds.
The institution has teaching divisions for production, set design, narrative continuity, image, sound, editing, production, and distribution/exploitation. A master workshop, a production program for advanced instruction, is also available. French is used in teaching students.
Italian national film school
The oldest film school in Western Europe is the Italian National Film School (Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia), which was established in Rome in 1935 and offers acting, screenwriting, production design, animation, set design and costuming, cinematography, sound engineering, production, and editing courses.
Italian is used to instruct students. The Italian National Film School instructs its students using 35mm equipment.
Since there are only 6 spots available per class year, the selection of students is competitive. The results for graduates are excellent, with the employment rate in the film sector being very high.
The institution instructs its students in Italian.
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Since 2004, a public university in Thessaloniki, Greece, has been free to attend for Greek nationals. The only university in Greece with degree programs in film and television is state-sponsored. Greek is spoken in class.
Greece has a long history in the performing arts, and well-trained Greek professionals continue to lead the field. Students can get a bachelor’s degree and are instructed in the fields of film direction, production, writing, cinematography, editing, sound design, and music for films, sets, and costumes, as well as film theory and history.
Media Business School
This institution, which largely teaches Spanish, concentrates on the business end of the film and television industry. It was founded in 1991 and is based in Barcelona, Spain.
It provides a wide range of educational opportunities, including several Masters’s degree programs.
This institution has a strong international reputation and places nearly all of its graduates. European audiovisual management, marketing, and international distribution are a few of the specialties taught.
The Deutsche Film und Fernsehakademie Berlin
In 1966, the school was established. It has a long history of educating innovative and prosperous members of the film business as one of Germany’s first film schools.
Many people still think of “Ich bin ein Berliner” throughout the world, though less so for political reasons these days. Berlin is renowned internationally as a hub for all forms of creative expression.
The school offers filmmaking courses such as directing, scriptwriting, production, and cinematography, which are the emphasis of the school’s professional film industry courses. German is the language of instruction.
The Humanities Institute of Television and Radio Broadcasting (GITR)
Since 1949, GITR has been training people to work as professionals in film, television, and radio in Moscow, Russia. Attendance is open to anyone, but you must be able to read and speak Russian.
From this highly regarded institution with an international reputation, degrees are offered in all fields. Various specialties of work in film, television, and radio are available as bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.
Journalism and screenwriting, directing for film, television, and multimedia, camera operation, sound engineering, and music art, management and producing, stage design for theater, film, and television, and animation are among the programs offered.
Lodz Film School
- Tuition Fees:
- For Bachelors, 15,000 USD/year
- For Masters, 15,000 USD/year
The Film School in Lodz, Poland, another highly regarded institution, was founded in 1948 and is the premier Polish institution for instructing actors, directors, photographers, camera operators, and professionals in television production.
The school offers instruction in acting, directing, photography, animating, photography, editing, screenwriting, and production management for cinema and television.
Students study in the classroom and work on actual film sets as they learn about their chosen careers and get experience.
The Film School of Lodz has educated some of the industry’s most prominent creatives.
Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design, and Technology (IADT)
The institute was established in 1997 and opened a film school in 2003. Film, animation, radio, and the creation of digital media are all studied.
The Institute is an English language school with a sizable international student body on a sizable campus. The school has a good reputation in the international arts community and offers bachelor’s degrees in a variety of fields.
National Film and Television School
- Tuition Fees: $32,000
For half a century, the National Film and Television School (NFTS) has developed some of Britain and the world’s top creative talent – for which they were honored to receive both the 2018 BAFTA for Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema and the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education.
The NFTS runs more than 30 MA, Diploma and Certificate courses – as well as numerous short courses – across a range of film, television, and games disciplines.
They have more behind-the-camera courses than any other film school, including core craft areas such as directing and cinematography as well as specialist areas such as script supervision and production accounting. Find out more.
Norwegian Film School
In 1997, the Norwegian Film School opened its doors for the first time, and since then the school has graduated more than 350 film students.
Currently, The Norwegian Film School offers a three-year Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, and a two-year Master of Fine Arts degree, as well as a fellowship program in artistic research.
The school has two campuses; the bachelor’s degree program is located in Lillehammer, while the master’s degree program, the fellowship program and the continuing and further education programs are located in Oslo.
The Norwegian Film School aims to develop each student’s capacity for artistic expression and personal reflection on their field of study, as well as have a dynamic and leading position in international film education and contribute to the future development of their field of study. Find out more.
The Complete List of Film Schools in Europe and Their Full Details
- 3iS, France
- Aalto, Finland
- Anica Academy, Italy
- Baltic Film and Media School, Estonia
- Bande À Part, Spain
- Budapest Film Academy, Hungary
- ECAM, The Madrid Film School, Spain
- ENS Louis-Lumière, France
- ESRA Group, France
- FAMU – Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts, Czech Republic
- La Femis, France
- Filmacademy Baden-Württemberg, Germany
- Filmakademie Wien, Austria
- Les Gobelins, France
- HEAD Genève, Switzerland
- IAD, Belgium
- INSAS, Belgium
- ifs internationale filmschule köln, Germany
- Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, Lithuania
- LFS London Film School, United Kingdom
- LUCA School of Arts, Belgium
- Media Business School, Spain
- National Film and Television School, United Kingdom
- The National Film School of Denmark, Denmark
- Prague Film School, Czech Republic
- Regent’s School of Drama, Film & Media, United Kingdom
- RITS Erasmushogeschool, Belgium
- Screen Academy Scotland, A Skillset Film & Media Academy, United Kingdom
- Scuola Holden, Italy
- Stockholm Film School, Sweden
- TAMK University of Applied Sciences, Finland
- University of Westminster, School of Media, Arts and Design, United Kingdom
- Valand Academy, Sweden
- VIA University College, Denmark
- Warsaw Film School, Poland
- ZeLIG, Italy
What Country Is The Best To Study Filmmaking In Europe?
The top-ranked nation for cinema studies is the United Kingdom, which boasts respectable film institutions and alumni who have won accolades.
The University of Sunderland, which also offers several media programs, is one of many low-cost film schools for overseas students where you can learn anything from directing and producing to scriptwriting and editing.
Even the greats can be heard here in guest lectures. And neighboring nations and magnificent castles are only a hop, skip, and jump away.
Where I can study film in Europe?
We have given a complete list of these film schools in Europe above, however, the following are the best film schools in Europe:
- London Film School–Film Program
- University of Television and Film – Munich–Film Program
- Lodz Film School– Film Program
- International Institute for Image and Sound–Film Program
- Paris Sciences et Lettres University – La Femis–Film Program
- Tallinn University–Film Program
- National Film and Television School–Film Program
What are the Study Options after Film Making?
- MA in Film Studies.
- PG Diploma in TV Direction & Script Writing.
- PG Diploma in TV Production.
- MSc in Film Making.
- MSc in Film & TV Production.
- PG Diploma in Cinematography.
- MPA in Film Making.
- MSc in Cinema.
Is a Masters in Film Worth It?
As you already know, filmmaking is a craft that can be learned. By participating in a master’s program, you are forced to work and forced to learn more about the craft.
It helps you gain knowledge in addition to gaining further inspiration as a filmaker.
How Long Does It Take To Get A Degree In Filmmaking?
The typical length of study for a film studies degree is three years. However, some universities provide the choice of a placement year or a year spent abroad, extending the study to four years.