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Sydney Film School

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Coordinates: 33°54′04″S 151°12′28″E / 33.901055°S 151.207885°E / -33.901055; 151.207885
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Sydney Film School
Address
Map
242 Young Street, Waterloo

Sydney

Australia
Coordinates33°54′04″S 151°12′28″E / 33.901055°S 151.207885°E / -33.901055; 151.207885
Information
School typeFilm school, selective
Established2004 (2004)
ChairmanSimon Hunter
Age range18+
Websitewww.sydneyfilmschool.edu.au

Sydney Film School is a private film school based in Waterloo, a suburb in Sydney, Australia. It was created to provide practical-based filmmaking training to students, to equip them with the essential tools for a successful career in the film industry.

Sydney Film School is located at Waterloo Studios, a working professional production studio. The Studios house state of the art facilities and equipment, including a Soundstage, Production Offices, Post-Production Edit & Audio Suites, and Rehearsal Studios.

Waterloo Studios won the Tertiary Category of the 2014 Master Builders Association Excellence in Construction Award.[1]

Sydney Film School shares the facilities with Sydney Actors School, a practical-based stage and screen acting school. Film and acting students build relationships and collaborate through the duration of their studies. The studios also partner with international Film and Acting companies and programs, with many using Waterloo Studios’  facilities for their own shoots and productions.

History

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Sydney Film School was established in August 2004[2] 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.[citation needed] Amanda King and Fabio Cavadini were founding faculty members, and taught documentary filmmaking from 2004 until at least 2015.[3]

The school was officially launched on 3 February 2005 by the Premier of the State of NSW and Minister for the Arts, Bob Carr. The Founding Director was Ben Ferris (2004–18).[citation needed]

The school's campus was located for many years at 82 Cope Street, Waterloo, before moving to a new building called Production House, Waterloo Studios.[citation needed]

As of February 2012, 78 films produced by Sydney Film School had screened at 106 international film festivals worldwide, with 34 first place wins[4]

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.[5]

Simon David Hunter is the Executive Chairman of Waterloo Studios Australia and Director of Sydney Film School.[6]

Simon established Waterloo Studios, a purpose built film and TV studio in Sydney Australia that is home to Sydney Film School, Sydney Actors School, Talent Development Project and works with ITV Australia.

Courses and admission

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Sydney Film School offers a one-year Diploma of Screen & Media, and one year Advanced Diploma of Screen & Media. In partnership with Excelsia College, based in Macquarie Park, Sydney Film School also offers a Bachelor of Screen Production.[7]

Students are selected through an interview and pitch presentation process. Prospective students apply at the Sydney Film School website, and then prepare a film/TV pitch to present to the interview panel.

Accolades

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In April 2020, Variety magazine included Sydney Film School in their list of "The Top Film Schools and Educators From Around the Globe".[8]

Some of the accolades afforded to Sydney Film School graduates for their work include:

  • Best Student Documentary Film at Antenna Film Festival: "Ol' Blue Eyes", Matt Cooney[9]
  • Finalist at Bondi Short Film Festival: "Letters Home", Neilesh Verma[10]
  • Industry Advisory Board (IAB) Pitch Competition winner: "Lotus Sonny", Gary Sofarelli[11]
  • Best Comedy Feature & Best Supporting Actress at the American Independent Filmmaker Showcase: "Sick", Nick Danger[14][15][16]
  • Best Direction in a Student Film at 2012 Australian Directors Guild Awards: "The Room", Epiphany Morgan[17]
  • Best Drama at Blue Mountain Film Festival and Audience Award at Sandfly Film Festival: "The Good Neighbour", James Crisp[18]

Sydney Film School Festival

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At the end of each semester, the school organises the Sydney Film School Festival to display the students' work. Previous guest keynote speakers at the Sydney Film School Festival awards ceremony have included: George Miller (July 2005), Tom Zubrycki (July 2006), Phillip Noyce (December 2006), Paul Keating – Former Prime Minister of Australia (July 2007), Gillian Armstrong (December 2007), Bob Connolly (July 2008), Phillip Hearnshaw (December 2008), Bruce Beresford (December 2009), Ray Lawrence (July 2010), Virginia Judge (December 2010), Gretel Killeen (July 2011), Wayne Blair (July 2012), John Duigan (December 2012) and David Jowsey (July 2013).[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ Munoz, Fabricio (9 November 2014). "Reitsma Wins Two 2014 MBA Awards for Construction Excellence". Reitsma Constructions. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Sydney Film School". A Film School of Excellence. Sydney Film School. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
  3. ^ "Documentary". Sydney Film School. Archived from the original on 4 April 2015.
  4. ^ a b "WOW World of Women Film Festival Sydney 2012". Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2013. Australian Creative. Retrieved 22 November 2013
  5. ^ "Sydney Film School Founder and Director Departs".
  6. ^ "Sydney Film School | Staff | SYDNEY FILM SCHOOL". sydneyfilmschool.edu.au. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  7. ^ "Sydney Film School | Courses | SYDNEY FILM SCHOOL". sydneyfilmschool.edu.au. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  8. ^ "Entertainment Education Impact Report: The Top Film Schools and Educators from Around the Globe". 17 April 2020.
  9. ^ [1] SBS Blog. Retrieved 22 November 2013
  10. ^ [2] North Shore Times. Retrieved 22 November 2013
  11. ^ [3] Inside Film. Retrieved 22 November 2013
  12. ^ [4] FilmInk. Retrieved 22 November 2013
  13. ^ [5] Femail. Retrieved 22 November 2013
  14. ^ [6] Inside Film Website. Retrieved 22 November 2013
  15. ^ [7] Urban Cinefile. Retrieved 22 November 2013
  16. ^ "Teen idols". Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013. FilmInk Website. Retrieved 22 November 2013
  17. ^ [8] Inside Film Website. Retrieved 22 November 2013
  18. ^ [9] The Southland Times. Retrieved 22 November 2013
  19. ^ "Portfolio". www.stockholmfilmfest.com. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  20. ^ "VIDEO JUNKEE AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED". www.filmink.com.au. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  21. ^ "Alla vinnare 2017! – Novemberfestivalen". Novemberfestivalen (in Swedish). Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  22. ^ "And the winner is ..." NUFF. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
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