BFI Film Academy

We are BFI partners and are delivering the UK Regional Network Programme for central London and the Documentary Residential.

BFI Regional Network course for 16-19 year olds:

The course in October 2013 included:

1. 12 workshops over evenings and weekends from October to December 2013.
2. Master classes with high level industry experts including executive producers, locations managers, high level marketing and sales experts, script writers, film critics and 3D experts from films such as The King’s Speech, The Guard, Gosford Park and Fast and Furious 7.
3. Training and support in producing a short 3D film.
4. A trip to professional 3D studios to try out industry standard 3D equipment.
5. A screening of your film at a cinema in London.
6. Help in finding new opportunities after the course.

Documentary Residential for 16-19 year olds:

The course in 2014 will include:

1. An introductory residential weekend with practical training in sound, editing, lighting and editing plus master classes from high level experts at Channel 4, CTVC and The Grierson Trust.
2. A week-long course of practical documentary film-making, master classes and trips.
3. Workshops, Q&A’s and master classes with Oscar and BAFTA winning documentary film-makers, producers, researchers, production managers and financing experts.
4. 6 months’ follow up support after the course to help you find further opportunities, work experience or jobs.
5. Support in producing your own documentary.
6. Screening of your documentary at a cinema in London.
7. Professional feedback on films from CTVC and The Grierson Trust

If you are interested in applying in 2014 please come back to this page in autumn 2014 or visit www.bfi.org.uk/filmacademy for more information.

The BFI course, is an amazing way to meet like mind teenagers that share the same passion about film. you get to do some pretty cool things and work with some industry standard cameras and equipment. the course is constantly changing an each week, we got to meet a range of directors, producers, lawyers and other important job roles. The whole course gives you an extra insight into the film industry. the mix of practical and theory work, which helps to inspire us to go further with this career. Rachael and Alison, really put in a lot of effort to give us as much experience as possible.  They also gave us a chance to gain work experience by getting us work with First Light Film Awards, which helped build connections into this industry.

Josh, participant in Feb 2013

My time with the BFI Film Academy with VividEcho was one of the best courses, if not the best course I have been on! It was fantastic to be surrounded with so many like-minded and talented people who want to have a career in film. I made such great friends on this course and plan to continue to work with them in the future or just go and see great films with them! It was such a well organised course that informed us about all the different sides in film from pre-production, marketing, film criticism, right down to production. We had such exciting masterclasses with such a different range people who work in the industry who not only inspired us but gave us practical advice on how to get our foot into the film industry. I think one of the greatest things about our course were our mentors who were continually supportive, gave us so many opportunities and renewed the faith that working in the film industry is something that can be achieved with hard work and a lot of passion! This course emphasised the fact that we should try things that may not work and take risks. The film industry has always seemed like this exciting industry that only a few people can get to work in. This course helped showed that talented film makers can come from anywhere as long as there are courses like this continuing to invest in young people!

Louise, participant in Feb 2013