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Established in May 1950, the Beijing Film Academy was first named Performance Art Institution of the Film Bureau of the Ministry of Culture. During its first year, 38 students enrolled. For the next five years, the school was renamed thrice – Film School of the Film Bureau of the Ministry of Culture in July 1951, Beijing Film School in March 1953 and finally, Beijing Film Academy on June 1, 1956.
Upon its first establishment, the academy contained 2 schools – the School of Photography and the Animation School with the associated departments and their subsequent specialties. The Screenwriting Department was one of the earliest departments to be established at the academy in 1951.
Gradually, the academy expanded its number of schools and departments. On September 14, 1950, BFA offered its first undergraduate course in performing arts. The course attracted a class of 30 students, many of which were notable figures in film and television. Due to its success, BFA established the Performance Institute in June 1956. In 1952, BFA offered its first programs in sound recording. The Department of Sound Recording was officially founded in 1959. The Department of Sound Recording continued to grow throughout the years. In 1960, BFA’s Department of Sound Recording and the School of Engineering were joined together. BFA began offering a two-year course in film and television production management in September 1955. Although the first class only graduated 28 students, the popularity of the course grew, and a Department of Management was formally established in 1987.
In 1966, the Cultural Revolution brought hardships for schools throughout the Cultural Revolution. Finally, in 1978, the academy allowed new students to apply.
In 1989, the International School of the Academy was set up, along with the Information Research Center in October 1999.
Individual departments have also developed recently. Major development of the screenwriting department was the establishment of a Ph.D. students in Screenwriting were set up in 2004.