The National Film and Television School began as the National Film School in 1971, the culmination of a major effort by the British film industry and government to create an institution to educate and train talent for the British film industry. The school was established on the site of Beaconsfield Studios, which has a rich history dating back to 1921 when it was built by George Clark Productions.
Colin Young CBE became the founding director in 1971, a position he held for more than two decades. Under his leadership, the school produced alumni including Bill Forsyth, Terence Davies, Julien Temple, Beeban Kidron, and Nick Park. Over its 50+ year history, the NFTS has established itself as not only one of the world’s best film schools but also as a center of excellence for television and games design and development.
In 2018, the school was honored with the BAFTA Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award, and in 2017, it received the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher Education, further cementing its status as a world-class institution.
The NFTS offers a wide range of courses across film, television, and games disciplines. As of 2021, it had over 500 students and approximately 1,500 students annually on its short courses delivered in Beaconsfield and at its hubs in Glasgow, Leeds, and Cardiff.
The school’s facilities are extensive, including film and television stages, animation and production design studios, edit suites, sound post-production facilities, a music recording studio, and four dubbing theaters. In 2017, the school completed an expansion that added a third cinema and a television studio, further enhancing its state-of-the-art facilities.
NFTS student films have been nominated for an Oscar three times in six years, and in 2017, the NFTS graduation film “A Love Story,” directed and co-written by Anushka Naanayakkara, won the British Short Animation BAFTA, marking the fourth consecutive year that NFTS students had received this accolade.
The school’s student films are regularly selected for top film festivals around the world, including Cannes and Annecy Animation Festival, and have won numerous prestigious awards. This consistent recognition highlights the exceptional quality of education and training provided by the NFTS.
The BBC has described the NFTS as the “leading centre of excellence for education in film and television programme making” and noted its relevance to the industry’s present and future needs. British Film Magazine once described it as one of the few schools to come “very, very close” to guaranteeing a job in the film industry.
The school maintains strong connections with the industry, with numerous partnerships and collaborations that provide students with valuable professional experience and networking opportunities. These relationships help ensure that NFTS graduates are well-prepared for successful careers in the competitive film, television, and games industries.
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