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Prague Film School


About

Prague Film School (PFS) is an international film school located in Prague, Czechia. PFS is the preferred choice for aspiring artists, filmmakers, and actors seeking to forge careers in the film industry. The school provides a comprehensive, hands-on curriculum that involves each student in up to 30 film productions annually. Course options include semester, one-year, and two-year diploma courses, as well as summer programs. The primary language of instruction is English. Prague Film School specializes in teaching the styles of European art-house and American independent cinema.

Prague Film School (PFS) is an international film school located in Prague, Czechia. PFS is the preferred choice for aspiring artists, filmmakers, and actors seeking to forge careers in the film industry. The school provides a comprehensive, hands-on curriculum that involves each student in up to 30 film productions annually. Course options include semester, one-year, and two-year diploma courses, as well as summer programs. The primary language of instruction is English.

Prague Film School specializes in teaching the styles of European art-house and American independent cinema. Students commence their education with training and practice in all core areas of film disciplines, later choosing to specialize in film directing, cinematography, screenwriting, documentary filmmaking, post-production, or film acting. Our graduates possess the expertise and skills necessary to operate as independent filmmakers and embark on successful careers in the film industry.

Studying at PFS offers a series of advantages: Our international faculty integrates European art-house with American independent cinemas and comprises professional filmmakers and experienced teachers. The school promotes liberalism, encouraging students to develop their unique styles without interfering with their artistic choices. PFS boasts an international student body, with 90-100 students per year representing 30-35 countries. The school provides a liberal and cosmopolitan creative environment. Students typically possess a strong background in film or media, either academically or professionally, with approximately 40% holding university degrees. PFS provides practical, industry-level training with around 400 short films shot annually. Each student writes, directs, and produces 4-5 films and participates in up to 25 other productions.

Our high-end facilities include Arri Alexa, RED Epic, Blackmagic, and Sony cameras, as well as shooting studios and post-production facilities equipped with Avid Media Composer and Da Vinci color grading. The program is intensive, featuring 24-28 hours of classes per week and 30-40 days on a film set per semester. Located in Prague, a cosmopolitan city with intimacy and medieval beauty, it is also a major European film center and home to one of Europe's largest and oldest film studios.

Student Profile

Prague Film School is open to applicants of all ages, nationalities, and backgrounds. Applicants are evaluated based on merit and creative potential.

Production experience is not a requisite for getting admitted, but of course welcomed. Students applying to Prague Film School come from a wide spectrum of backgrounds, from the professional filmmaker to the initiate.

Applicant Categories at Prague Film School:

  1. Advanced filmmakers who may have already completed degree filmmaking programs back home and who have already made festival-level or professional film products
  2. Theater actors, acting conservatory graduates without formal training or experience in acting for film
  3. Intermediate applicants who have significant production experience as autodidacts or work in a film-related area but who have received little to no formal training
  4. Applicants with a background in cinema theory, acting, media studies, journalism, and humanities who have not yet had any production experience but who demonstrate a history of interest in film.

We welcome applications from motivated, independent, and hardworking individuals. Students are in class for 6-8 hours per day and are also busy with homework, shooting, and writing scripts. During production periods, which constitute 20-30 days per semester, shooting may last up to 12-14 hours/daily. Studies are very intensive and demanding and require a high level of personal discipline.

Acceptance Notification

Students are notified about acceptance within 10 - 21 days from the designated application deadline. Students applying from non-European or North American countries are encouraged to apply at least 4 months before the start of their desired programs to ensure student visas are issued in time.

Submitting Applications

All application materials can be submitted via the Internet. Applicants are advised, however, to check by telephone to make sure that the application was received.

Students applying to semester or year programs are requested to respond to two essay questions on the application form and to provide a sample creative portfolio. Semester and year students are also encouraged to provide two letters of recommendation.

Application Deadlines & Forms

Apply for 2024-2026 year programs, semester programs, and summer workshops.

Application deadline for year & semester courses starting September 2024: March 17, 2024

Application deadlines for summer workshops: Applications are reviewed weekly.

Berlinale 2024
Congratulations to PFS alumni Raam Reddy and Doron Tempert, whose second feature film together The Fable, is part of the official selection of the Berlin International Film Festival 2024.

International Film Festival Rotterdam 2024
Three films involving are our alumni are selected at the 53rd International Film Festival Rotterdam. The fiction short film Leela, written by PFS alumna Alina Gufran, the documentary short film Isblink, shot by Christine Leuhusen; and the debut feature film 78 Days, written and directed by Emilija Gašić

Netflix Top TV Shows
The Netflix mini-series Bodies, directed by Haolu Wang, is ranking 1st worldwide on its week of release.

Tallinn Black Nights, 2023
Karlovy Vary IFF Eastern Promises Industry Program, 2022
Le syndrome de l’eté sans fin (Endless Summer Syndrome), the debut feature film written and directed by Kaveh Daneshmand, and co-produced by Cedric Larvoire and Eva Larvoire (all Prague Film School alumni) is having its world premiere at the 27th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF). The project also won the Karlovy Vary Eastern Promises (Work in Progress) award in 2022.

CineQuest, 2023
Warsaw Film Festival, 2022
Ran Li wins the “New Vision Award – Best Feature Film” award at the prestigious CineQuest with her debut film Till Love Do Us Part. The film, which was shot in both China and Czech Republic also had its world premiere at the Warsaw Film Festival.

Locarno Film Festival, 2023
TIFF Official Selection, 2023
Aylin Gökmen gets her documentary short film Ever Since, I Have Been Flying selected in two prestigious international film festivals.

Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, 2023

Giovanni Fumu (director/co-writer), Maximilian Selim (co-writer/producer) and Kimbo Kim (producer), all alumni of PFS, receive the Audience Award for their feature film Abroad. The film’s lead actor, Jang Seongbeom, also receive the Best Actor Prize.

Tallinn Black Nights, 2022

Marescotti Ruspoli’s debut feature film Amusia wins the Audience Award at the 26th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF). Bravo!

International Adana Golden Boll Film Festival, 2022

Ziya Demirel wins Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay for the feature film Ela with Hilmi and Ali at the 29th International Adana Golden Boll Film Festival. The film also received prizes for Most Promising Actor (Denizhan Akbaba) and Best Actress (Ece Yüksel). Ela with Hilmi and Ali also received the FIPRESCI Prize at the Istanbul International Film Festival earlier that year.

India National Film Awards, 2022

Shalini Ushadevi wins Best Screenplay for the feature film Soorarai Pottru (Praise the Brave) at the 68th National Film Awards along with four other awards including Best Feature Film.

Sundance Film Festival, 2021
Locarno Film Festival, 2020
Aylin Gökmen gets her documentary short film Spirits and Rocks: an Azorean Myth selected in two prestigious international film festivals.

Academy Awards, 2020
The short film A Sister, shot by Juliette van Dormael is nominated in the category of Best Live Action Short Film.

Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, 2020
Engin Erden’s short film Octopus accepted into Official Selection

Miami Film Festival, 2020
Congratulations to Aeden O’Connor Agurcia for winning the Audience Award at the 37th Miami Film Festival with his feature debut 90 Minutes.

    Martyna Daniel (2012-2013)

    I think the time I spent in Prague was the happiest year of my life so far… I was involved in so many shoots, learned a lot, and met incredibly interesting people. This school is exactly what I always dreamed about, a creative environment where your ideas no matter what they are are respected and criticized in a healthy atmosphere. I have now started a film production company with friends that I met at school. Friends that now became my co-workers and family…

    Anirudh Punj (2013-2014)

    Best School I’ve Ever Been To! PERIOD

    Xander Turian (2017-2019)

    My time at Prague Film School is probably the best investment I have made in my personal development and career as an actor. The skills that I learned in class, the contacts that I made through acting in the student film projects, the extracurricular opportunities given to me, and the support given to me from the faculty both during and after my studies have been immeasurably valuable to creating the foundation upon which I have managed to build a successful career as a working screen actor and coach.

    Matthieu Holleville (2016-2018)

    A wonderful team of teachers and staff right in the center of Prague.

    Frederico Velez (2018-2019)

    It’s a fantastic program and an amazing school. The amount of equipment that we have at our disposal and the supporting teaching to back it up is a great combination.

    Maurice Murage (2017)

    I had an amazing time during the Summer Workshop. The lecturers are very professional and the entire atmosphere of the school is just amazing. I would highly recommend PFS for any enthusiastic filmmakers.

    Nizah Elias (2017)

    The summer program here is intensive. But I know more about film now than I ever have. It’s really good if you’re trying to get your basis of filmmaking right and it goes up to a moderately intermediate level. Not only do you make your short film you get to work on other projects and it gives you a great practical experience. People of all ages and from different parts of the world. I highly recommend PFS.

    Camera equipment

    Arri Alexa, RED Epic Dragon, Arri SR3 Film Camera, Blackmagic Ursa Mini Pro 4.6k, Blackmagic Pocket 6K, Sony 4K XDCam. Zeiss CP2 lenses, Arriflex super 35 mm and super 16 mm format cinema lenses, Angenieux zoom lenses and Nikon full-frame primes. Tiffen, Schneider and Haida filters. Wireless Video transmitters, Wireless Follow Focus and other accessories.

    Grip

    Sachtler and Manfrotto 100mm & 150mm tripods. Dollies, GFM mini jib, camera sliders, Dana dollies, handheld rigs.

    Lights

    Lighting kits include Dedolights (100W 12V), Dedolight HMIs (200/400/575W), RGB LED Panels & Tubes, Quarzbeams (800W 220V), Desisti / Arri Fresnels (650W 220V), Kinoflo softlights (daylight/tungsten, 2-4 tubes, 220V), Arri HMIs (575W, 1200W, 1200W PAR, 2500W, 4000W), flags, scrims, color correction and effect gels, C-stands, Wind Up stands and other equipment.

    Sound

    For sound production, students work with Sennheiser Shotgun, Cardioid, Omni mics or wireless lavalier microphones, MixPre 6 or Zoom F6 mixers, Tentacles and other accessories.

    • Prague 1

      Pstrossova 19, Prague 1, Czech Republic, 110 00, Prague 1

    Prague Film School