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Sydney Film School is a private film school based in Waterloo, New South Wales. Originally founded in 2004 by industry professionals and film lecturers from the University of Sydney, in 2019 the school changed ownership as part of an amalgamation with the Sydney Acting School.
The Sydney Film School, Australia, was established in August 2004 by a group of founding partners including Mark Allen, John Buckmaster, Ben Ferris, Phillip Handy, Leslie Oliver, Uracha Oliver, John Saunders, Joe Skrzynski, Emile Sherman and Willie Weinstein. Many of the founders were award-winning filmmakers who had previously been teaching together at the University of Sydney’s UBS Film School. With industry representatives and international professionals, the team established the new school as a private institution. It was officially launched on 3 February 2005 by the Premier of the State of NSW and Minister for the Arts, the Hon Bob Carr. The Founding Director was Ben Ferris (2004-18).
The school’s campus was located for many years at 82 Cope Street, Waterloo. In the decade following its establishment, the school gained a reputation as one of the top film schools in Australia and the world, attracting a high number of international students. In turn, this built a wide-ranging network of alumni creative professionals throughout the world.
As of February, 2012, seventy-eight Sydney Film School produced films had screened at one-hundred-and-six international film festivals worldwide with thirty-four first place wins.
Sydney Film School was notable as one of the last schools in Australia and around the world still teaching cinematography and editing on 16mm film simultaneously to digital cameras and non-linear editing.
In 2019 Sydney Film School changed ownership as part of an amalgamation with Sydney Acting School (formerly known as International Screen Academy) at Waterloo Studios. This amalgamation took place after the school had moved into the Academy’s Young Street campus from its Cope Street campus. Although the Sydney Film School name, brand and course structure live on, the original founders and staff are no longer involved with the current school.
Sydney Film School offers 1-Year Diploma, 1-Year Advanced Diploma and Certificate III in Screen and Media. Our courses are intensive, hands-on programs where students learn through production. You learn the theory of filmmaking and then apply it by making films. Lots of them. You create your own vision for your films, while also crewing your fellow filmmakers’ projects.
Our Mentors are experts at delivering instruction, and working professionals. They understand what it’s like to start out and how to guide you towards a career in the film and television industry. At the heart of our teaching philosophy is our desire for students to find their unique vision. It’s reflected in our program right through to our logo. We want you to show an audience how you see the world. At the same time we prepare you with the craft skills essential to engage in opportunities in film and television production.
Sydney Film School is based at Waterloo Studios, a working production facility. Waterloo Studios is a purpose built film and television studio that houses state of the art equipment for students. In fact, our equipment rivals many production houses and our sound stage is one of the best in the country. From editing bays to screening rooms, rehearsal spaces to sound suites, we have everything available to walk in with and idea and walk out with a completed professional project.
Filmmaking is the symbiotic relationship between the visionary and the team to create the vision. In many institutions, access to actors is limited or not available at all. Sydney Film School shares the Waterloo Studios facility with Sydney Actors School, one of the leading acting programs in the country. Sydney Film School students build working relationships with the acting students with the intent to create great film and television programs. This collaborative environment enables all students to understand the important relationship between filmmakers and actors and makes for a great environment to build lasting friendships and future professional collaborations.
We are always looking for better ways to deliver programs, looking for how the industry is changing, how we can equip our students to meet those changes and most of all, encourage you to create a future in the film and television industry that is exciting and thriving. We look for a special kind of student that dreams big and wants to learn how to achieve that filmmaking dream. Because we are a boutique institution with limited enrolments, we can be flexible to meet the rapidly changing industry the world over. Our goal is to produce high calibre filmmakers who have a vision of their future. We believe in dreaming big and know that dedication, encouragement and industry relevant training is the key. We want to work with students who want to courageously find their vision and project it to the world.
