National Film and Television School (NFTS)

If you want to be a professional film producer, there is no better entryway into the industry than NFTS in the UK!!

I graduated from MA Producing at NFTS, and it remains one of the best experiences of my life. NFTS doesn't teach filmmaking, it makes films. The school runs like a studio in miniature: ten students per discipline, ten fully funded films a year, with students never putting in a penny of their own money. Classes are led by working producers, not retired ones. The internships at leading production companies built real relationships and, for many of us, jobs after graduation. Tuition is 26.000 GBP, halpf what you need to pay in the US. The most important film school in the UK, and one of the best in the world. NFTS doesn't prepare you for the industry. It puts you in it.

It is not film school anymore. Jon Wardle turned it into woke temple. Tuition fees are enormous. Especially for very poor quality of workshops, lectures, tutors. I did MA course, hoping to be at least "in the club" but I was so wrong. The school cares only about the money. Nothing more. After you pay everything and graduate, they don't care. My friend won quite prestige award with the grad film and suddenly Jon became my friend's best mate for a while. NFTS put my friend's name on every folder, flyer, fb page, etc. But when the hype was gone, he couldn't be bothered to even answer emails.

I'm currently in my first year of a 2 year MA at the NFTS. I saw these relatively negative reviews about the NFTS before I applied, but I can now confidently say that applying to the NFTS is the best choice I made in a long time.

I tried to think for a long time about the cons, but I really couldn't come up with anything else than these two.

The school's reputation is just completely unrivalled by any other UK film school. When going to industry events we are often the only students there, since other schools are just not really as interesting.

The main strength is the quality and variety of courses. Some courses are unique to the NFTS and not given anywhere else in Europe. The education is excellent and leaves nothing to wish for. I'm in a class of 6 people, this makes it possible to get a very personal form of mentoring. The NFTS seems to do everything it can to provide the tools, knowledge and mentoring to make alumni successful, which is mutually beneficial.

I'm sure I forgot a lot of names, but a few of the people we met the past 6 months include Phil Lord, Chris Miller, Louis Theroux, Alex Garland, Paul Greengrass, David Yates and Paweł Pawlikowski. Having the opportunity to ask questions to these people is not only helpful but also inspiring. Since we sign NDA forms at the beginning of the year these guests feel like they are able to talk about things they would normally never share to the public, and some of these insights truly change how you look at the industry.

In terms of employment: I got a really nice part-time job offer at a UK film company in the first 3 months of my study at a networking meeting the NFTS gave us access to. I took this, and am besides this currently doing a 6 month paid internship at a major studio. This makes me very comfortable in stating that I'm not worried about getting work after I graduate.

All in all, I think the school is as good as it gets. Go there, be inspired by all the Bafta awards displayed and the alumni on the walls, and do apply. You won't regret it.