Kabul University Cinema Department

Overview

The Cinema Department at Kabul University is the only academic institution in Afghanistan dedicated to film education. Founded in 1985 within the Faculty of Fine Arts, it offers undergraduate-level training in filmmaking, screenwriting, and film theory. The department charges no tuition, admitting students through the national Kankor entrance examination. Cohort sizes stay small due to limited equipment and faculty resources.

Kabul University itself was founded in 1931 and is the oldest university in Afghanistan. The Faculty of Fine Arts began as an Arts Department in 1967 and became a full faculty in 1985 with departments of Painting, Sculpture, Graphic Arts, and the new Theatre and Cinema department.

Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, the department faces severe constraints. Women cannot attend universities in Afghanistan, eliminating half the potential student body. Content restrictions, equipment shortages, and faculty departures compound the challenges. Despite these conditions, the Cinema Department continues to operate as the only institution in the country where Afghan students can study filmmaking at the university level. Harvard University's Film Study Center has maintained relationships with department faculty.

History

Tertiary fine arts training in Afghanistan began in 1967 with an Arts Department at Kabul University. In 1985, this department became a full Faculty of Fine Arts, and a Department of Theatre and Cinema opened that same year. The Ministry of Information and Culture provided institutional support during the Soviet-backed government period.

After 2002, following the fall of the Taliban's first regime, the Cinema Department reopened. In 2004, a Dramatic Arts Centre was established with international funding. Around 2006, the Theatre and Cinema department split into two separate departments. Samiullah Nabipour, one of the founders, served as department head for 6 years and founded the Kabul Student Film Festival, the first student film festival in Afghanistan.

Programs Offered

• BA in Cinema - a 4-year undergraduate program covering directing, screenwriting, cinematography, editing, and film theory. Students produce short films as part of their coursework and graduation requirements.
• The department also offers coursework in film criticism, Afghan cinema history, and documentary filmmaking.

The Cinema Department is part of a Faculty of Fine Arts that includes 8 departments: Cinema, Theatre, Playwright and Screenwriting, Photography, Graphic Design, Painting, Islamic Art, and Music. The BA in Cinema is the only program of its kind in Afghanistan, making it the most competitive film program in the country by default.

Notable Alumni and What They've Made

Alumni of the Cinema Department work across Afghan cinema and television. Many have returned to their home regions to build filmmaking careers and train the next generation.

• Siddiq Barmak - Director of Osama (2003), the first film shot entirely in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban. Osama won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film and screened at Cannes. Barmak's The Stranger (1987) is studied as a foundational Afghan short film.
• Qasem Hossaini - Cinema Department graduate who directed Death to the Camera (2011), part of the Community Supported Film collection The Fruit of Our Labor. Also directed My Teacher is a Shopkeeper through the Ateliers Varan documentary workshop.
• Graduates have produced short films screened at the Kabul Student Film Festival and at international festivals including Berlinale Talent Campus and Venice.

Acceptance Rate

Kabul University does not publish a formal acceptance rate for the Cinema Department. Admission depends on the national Kankor examination scores. The department admits a limited number of students each year, with cohort sizes kept small due to equipment and facility constraints. No third-party data on acceptance rates is available. The BA in Cinema is effectively the most competitive film program in Afghanistan because it is the only one.

Standout Faculty

• Samiullah Nabipour - Co-founder of the Cinema Department, professor at Kabul University for 14 years, department head for 6 years, and dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts for 2 years. Author of 2 treatises and 6 research articles on Afghan cinema. Founder of the Kabul Student Film Festival, serving as president for 3 terms. Received recognition from President Ashraf Ghani on 2 occasions. Currently a fellow at Harvard University's Film Study Center.
• Sayed Zubair Hashimi - Educator in the Cinema Department for 9 years, member of the Scientific Council of the Faculty of Arts for 4 years. Writer for the television series The Third Line (24 episodes, Tolo TV) and the radio drama Friendship Farm (44 episodes, Roya Film). Founder of Peshraw Cultural and Educational Organization. Mentor for student screenplays and short films focused on social issues in Afghan society.

Tuition / Aid Reality

Kabul University charges no tuition. As a public university funded by the Afghan government, the Cinema Department is free for admitted students. Admission is based solely on the national Kankor examination.

There are no merit scholarships, need-based aid programs, or federal loan structures comparable to Western universities. The department relies on government funding, which the current Taliban administration has deprioritized for arts education. International supporters have attempted to provide equipment through online educational platforms. Harvard's Film Study Center maintains relationships with faculty, supporting their work through remote collaboration.

Students must cover their own living expenses, transportation, and personal production costs for student films. The department does not provide production budgets for student work.

Facilities and Equipment

The Cinema Department operates with minimal resources compared to international film schools. Available facilities include:

• Basic cinematographic equipment for student productions
• Classroom and screening spaces within the Faculty of Fine Arts building
• The Theatre Department Auditorium, refurbished in 2004 with international support

Equipment has been gathered through university funding, international donations, and institutional partnerships. The department lacks the camera, lighting, and post-production infrastructure found at film schools in other countries. Student films are typically produced on limited budgets using available equipment.

Student Film Examples

Student films from the Cinema Department have screened at the Kabul Student Film Festival, which Nabipour founded as the first student film festival in Afghanistan. Specific named student films are not widely documented in international festival databases.

The Harvard Film Study Center hosted an event titled "The Power of Short Film in Afghan Cinema" where Nabipour and Hashimi presented student films alongside Siddiq Barmak's The Stranger (1987). Community Supported Film trained 10 Afghan filmmakers in documentary production in 2010, including Cinema Department graduates who made short documentaries for the collection The Fruit of Our Labor.

What Filmmakers Should Know

The Cinema Department at Kabul University is the only option for university-level film education within Afghanistan. It charges no tuition and admits students through the national Kankor examination. However, prospective students should understand the severe limitations. Equipment and facilities are minimal compared to any international film school. The current political situation restricts artistic freedom and content creation. Women are banned from attending universities in Afghanistan. Career opportunities within Afghanistan's film industry are extremely limited under the current regime.

For Afghan students who have left the country, the department's alumni and faculty network remains active through international connections. Students with the option to study abroad should compare this program with film schools in neighboring countries such as FAMU in Prague or film schools in Iran, India, and South Korea. The key trade-off: free tuition and cultural relevance versus severely limited resources and restricted artistic freedom.

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See Also

For comparing film school ROI against self-taught paths, see Film School vs Self-Taught. To estimate total education costs including living expenses, use the Indie Film Budget Calculator. For industry placement rates at top film schools, see Best Industry Placement Rates.