London Film School (LFS) is the oldest film school in the UK. For more than 65 years, LFS has been the place for emerging creative talent to hone their craft, find their voice and engage directly with the vibrant UK screen industries. The School offers three full-time MA programmes, a PhD. Film by Practice, and a full calendar of short courses.
The School is celebrated for its commitment to film, innovation and creative freedom, and its reputation for teaching excellence and practical learning. In 2022 London Film School was awarded World-Leading Specialist Provider status by the Office for Students. Located in the heart of London’s Covent Garden, LFS welcomes a student cohort from every corner of the globe, LFS has always been a cultural hub where fresh voices, experiences and perspectives rub shoulders with tradition and history. This diverse range of cultures and film traditions makes for a creative hothouse. A global network, once built, lasts a professional lifetime.
The School is committed to collaborative practice-based learning and produces over 180 films every year, creating a dynamic and intensive film environment. LFS nurture and respect the imagination of students, allowing them to experiment, challenge conventions and explore new modes of storytelling, and to find new ways to connect with audiences. Mastering technical skills is balanced with the creative development of ideas. Students engage with the new challenges facing screen storytellers in an ever-changing landscape and are encouraged to apply that same imagination and experimentation in thinking about new business models, into developing a career as an independent filmmaker.
LFS is deeply connected to local and international screen industries, and its alumni span the globe, working in every part of the film industry. Its students have won every major award in the screen industries, and the School continues to foster and nurture the next generation of filmmakers. The nominations and awards list spans Cannes, Venice, Tribeca, Clermont-Ferrand International Film Festival, The BFI London Film Festival, Edinburgh, Encounters, Oscars, and Sundance. Every role within LFS plays a key part in shaping future creative professionals, impacting the future of the global creative industries.
Within the MA Filmmaking there is no pre-specialisation, students will experience and be provided with a full education in all the craft areas to develop a full understanding of filmmaking and find their filmmaking voice. The experience offered is built around the notion that filmmaking is a collaborative process, not a product of any one individual. Students engage in all disciplines, with their fellow students and staff.
The MA Screenwriting provides a unique opportunity to develop a full-length feature film script, with individual mentoring and guidance from industry mentors. Screenwriting students have opportunities to work with filmmaking students to make several short films across the year.
Understanding digital strategies and new funding models is addressed in the MA International Film Business, a course run in conjunction with the University of Exeter. With modules in international finance, world cinema, and a research trip to a major Film Festival, the course prepares students for careers in programming, exhibition, and distribution in a fast-changing media landscape.
The University of Exeter College of Humanities is able to offer doctoral studentships to fund doctoral study in Film by Practice, as a joint degree with London Film School. These doctoral studentships are tenable for up to three years and cover full tuition fees and a maintenance allowance.
London Film School is a non-profit educational charity with Greg Dyke as its Chairman of the Board and Chris Auty as Director and CEO.
Click here for information about financial support while you study at LFS.
Click here to read more about LFS Alumni.