Norwegian Film School (Den Norske Filmskolen)
Norway's national film school, located in Lillehammer, offering a selective bachelor's program that trains filmmakers for Scandinavia's internationally acclaimed cinema.
Overview
Den Norske Filmskolen (The Norwegian Film School) is Norway's national film school, a department of Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences located in Lillehammer. Established in 1997, the school trains filmmakers across production disciplines through a selective three-year bachelor's program that emphasizes collaborative filmmaking and artistic development.
Norway has a strong tradition of filmmaking, supported by generous government funding through the Norwegian Film Institute and a public broadcasting system that invests in domestic content. Norwegian cinema regularly appears at Cannes, Berlin, and other major festivals, and the country's television productions have achieved international success through streaming platforms.
Lillehammer, a small town in the Norwegian mountains famous for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics, provides a focused, distraction-free environment for filmmaking education. The school's campus includes studios, post-production suites, and screening facilities. The town's natural beauty and seasonal light variations provide diverse production conditions throughout the academic year.
Programs Offered
The three-year bachelor's program offers specializations in:
- Directing -- narrative fiction filmmaking
- Documentary Directing -- nonfiction storytelling
- Screenwriting -- screenplay development
- Cinematography -- camera, lighting, and visual design
- Editing -- editorial craft and post-production
- Sound Design -- production and post-production audio
- Producing -- creative producing and production management
What Students Should Know
The Norwegian Film School teaches in Norwegian, and proficiency is required. The school primarily serves Norwegian students and those from other Scandinavian countries. International students with Norwegian language skills are welcome to apply.
The school admits approximately 24 students per year across all specializations, making it small and selective. The admissions process includes creative assignments, interviews, and portfolio reviews. Competition for places is intense, particularly in directing and cinematography.
As part of a Norwegian public university, the school charges no tuition for Norwegian and EU/EEA students. Non-EU students may face modest fees. Norway's cost of living is among the highest in Europe, though Lillehammer is more affordable than Oslo. The Norwegian student welfare system provides support for housing and living expenses.
The school's graduates enter a small but well-funded industry. The Norwegian Film Institute provides substantial production funding, and the country's quota system ensures domestic content receives significant screen time. This supportive ecosystem means Norwegian filmmakers can build sustainable careers with a combination of state support and international co-production.
Notable Alumni
Norwegian Film School alumni are building careers in Norwegian and Scandinavian cinema. The school's graduates direct feature films, documentaries, and television series funded by the Norwegian Film Institute and Nordic broadcasters, and their work increasingly appears at international festivals.
See Also
For understanding Scandinavian film funding and production, see International Film Markets. To explore cinematography tools, use the Depth of Field Calculator.
