Prague Film School Reviews & Admissions Statistics

I wish I had seen something like this when I was searching. I had contacted some ex students through instagram but I later realized that when students are young and have not lived in Europe such as Indian young students for whom traveling to the heart of Europe is a big change already and can mean "life changing experience" - their advice was not the best to follow. When I moved to Prague and discovered the school, I realized that it is too expensive for what it proposes.
They advertise it as a school where you'll learn the art of european author cinema with the possibility to develop your own unique voice. But the structure of the program doesn't allow you to do that. The sheer number of students that they bring means teachers have to handle a lot of people. Next the program is very fast paced. Project after project after project. The positive side of it would be to do these projects and learn a lot of technical skills and familiarize yourself on being on a set on many sets and work under pressure. Which would be good if your goal was to get a good basic filmmaking understanding. However if you are relocating from a foreign country your expenses will be so much that you wonder if that's really worth that much money. I paid 18.000 EUR for the school + 8.000 EUR for the stay of 8 months. Then 500 EUR per month (4000 EUR for 8 month) you'll need for food. + whatever cost your projects will be which you have to cover yourself (camera equipment is provided). Actors, catering and props are on you. So you are talking about 30.000 -35.000 EUR spending. Which is a lot for a school that doesn't provide you with network nor with time to create a very well polished portfolio film that could really change your career.

When I was coming to this school. I thought I will put this much money to have access to high quality instructors, equipment and come out with a film after all this study that would be worth sending to big film festivals. But the sheer rapid pace, the business attitute of the very way the school is built, the lack of focus on individual students, just to have new groups and new groups come and go, made the whole thing like a great exercise in filmmaking. We did many sets, from this set to the next set, got the taste of that - but that was never my intention to spend 34.000 Euros on with all the relocation cost and hussle. It was simply not worth it. It was quite frustrating to find out mid way that the school is just teaching you filmmaking basics with a ton of hand on experience through infiniately shifting projects.

Another negative point is the school saves money on teachers. They hire their own alumni. I met 5 instructors that are ex students. And they have 15 people max (excluding administration). They also do not give you industry insights, connections, how to make your way through it. If you enter with misty knowledge about how to grow your career in the film industry, you'll exit in mist also, at least that knowledge won't be coming from the school.

So my overall estimation - the school is way too expensive for what it offers.

I don’t usually leave reviews, but I feel this could genuinely help someone. Please note that my review is personal and is based on the semester I spent at this school (I did the semester program). When I was considering film schools, I wish I had found a comment like this. So here’s my honest take. It is important to note that I went to Prague few years ago so things might have changed for the better or the worse. This is a personal opinion and review, my colleagues had different opinions, I've heard people calling the school shit and a scam, and other people calling it the best film school in the world and "a life changing experience". For me, it's somewhere in the middle, not the best and surely not the worst, I do not regret the time I spent there and I learned some important stuff about filmmaking. It's going to be a long review so try to stay with me

The Value of Film School

First, I believe in the idea of attending a film school—any film school. Even if it’s not the best, there’s something unique about being in an environment entirely focused on filmmaking. It’s about the immersion: everyone around you is making films, your classes revolve around cinema, and your daily life is centered on creativity. It’s a space to experiment, make mistakes, and grow. For some, it could even lead to making a career-changing project.

About Prague Film School (PFS)

Now, onto Prague Film School specifically.

Strengths:

• PFS is very practical. They hand you a camera, teach you the basics, and encourage you to go out and shoot. The equipment is decent: Blackmagic cameras at first, and later more professional cinema cameras like Red and now I beleive they have some Alexa Arri series. Some of the teachers are excellent (Not all of course, I had a great camera teacher and a solid directing instructor). It’s ideal if you’re looking to dive into hands-on filmmaking with minimal theoretical distractions.

Weaknesses:

• It’s a for-profit school, so the fees are high. The quality of teaching is inconsistent. While some instructors are great, others are less so—and a some are outright bad (I can say that out of the 6 teachers I had, 3 were really bad, but the instructors might have changed). Resources are limited compared to prestigious film schools. There are no big studios or substantial funding for projects. it lacks the prestige and industry connections of schools like FAMU (the renowned Czech national film school), which makes a difference in Europe, where reputation matters. (You should also know that it seems to have a more of an american style film school not a european one)

My Experience

I attended the semester program and produced two short films with almost no budget and tight deadlines. Both were selected for several B-class film festivals, which felt like a big win. (In the semester program you have to make 4 projects, but two of them are basically camera trainings).

However:

• PFS doesn’t guide you toward making the type of polished short film that could change your career or land in top festivals.
• It’s great for learning technical skills and getting a lot of practice in a short time.
• Coming from a theory-heavy Master's program, it was refreshing to dive straight into production, but it lacked the depth of preparation and mentorship that prestigious film schools provide.

(Basically, my friends who went to Colombia, Femis, UCLA, London Film School, had big chances when it came to get their films selected in A class film festivals. Cannes, Toronto, Berlin, Clermont Ferrand,... That's something that usually is not written on the website of any film school but it plays a role.)

What to Expect

International Environment:

• The school is extremely international, with many students from the US and India. This can be good for diversity, but it also leads to some cliques based on nationality and varying levels of seriousennes. In my semester group, many students were less focused, though the year-long program seemed to attract more committed individuals. I would generally advise you to a the sulmmer workshop or the year program, the semester program seems to be somewhere in the middle.

Practical Approach:

• PFS pushes you to work fast, sometimes with unrealistically short deadlines. While this can feel stressful, it teaches you to adapt and deliver under pressure. If you’re interested in cameras or lighting, PFS excels in those areas (or did when I was there).

Limitations:

• The school doesn’t offer financial aid or funding for your projects. There’s little emphasis on building a long-term community or network, especially if you’re not staying in Prague after the program.

Who Is It For?

• Perfect for someone who wants to experiment, learn the basics, and get hands-on experience before committing to a prestigious program or industry job.
• Ideal for technical roles like camera or lighting, where the focus is on learning tools and workflows.
• Not recommended if you’re looking for a reflective, research-heavy education or a polished portfolio film backed by extensive resources.

Final Thoughts

Prague Film School isn’t the best, but it’s not the worst either. It’s practical, focused, and provides a solid introduction to filmmaking. That said, its focus on international students and for-profit nature limits its prestige in Europe and depth as film school. If you’re aiming for top festivals or long-term industry credibility, a more prestigious school or others in your home country might be a better choice. The Czech Film industry is not that huge in case you are planning to stay there.

For me, it was worth it: I learned technical skills, met interesting people, and created short films that opened some doors. But I recognize its limitations. If you have the money and want hands-on practice, PFS could be a good fit. Just know that it’s ultimately what you put into it that matters, it's really that type of school. If you want to make films in your own country, it’s often better to choose a film school there. This way, you can build a local network and community, something I couldn’t fully achieve in Prague, as both my colleagues and I eventually left the city. That said, if attending film school isn’t an option, and you do not have that kind of money, you can still learn and create films independently. However, I’m a firm believer in the value of film schools. There’s something unique about being in an environment where filmmaking is the focus of every conversation, class, and interaction—it pushes you to grow and live immersed in the art of cinema every single day. If you think you have the discipline needed to learn and make stuff on your own, with the help of some people around you, then and only then you maybe do not need film school, since everything you might learn today is online and in books. But not everyone is built that way, most people are not built that way and this is when film school is important; If you are this exception then learn on your own, save that money and put it into making your films. It’s not an average film school like PFS which will change your career. PFS is a nice experience where you will learn some technical stuff, basics of filmmaking, practice what you learn in class and if you are lucky make a nice short film that might be screened outside the classroom. You might meet some interesting people if you are lucky, and spend some magical moments in the beautiful city of Prague.