Overview
The National Film and Television School (NFTS) is a postgraduate conservatory in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, approximately 25 miles west of central London. Founded in 1971 on the site of the former Beaconsfield Studios (built in 1921), the NFTS trains students across the full range of filmmaking disciplines in a collaborative, production-driven environment. The school has campuses in Beaconsfield (main), Leeds, Wales, and Scotland.
The NFTS is one of only two film schools globally to consistently appear in The Hollywood Reporter's top international film schools list. Alumni have won 14 Oscars and over 165 BAFTAs. According to the school's corporate plan, 85% of UK film and 90% of High-End TV spend involves an NFTS graduate in some capacity.
In September 2025, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) confirmed GBP 10 million toward a GBP 21 million expansion of the Beaconsfield site. The expansion adds 25,000 sq ft of teaching space, a new apprenticeship centre, and up to 12 accessible student bedrooms, with courses planned in games, virtual production, immersive storytelling, AI, and expanded apprenticeship provision. Applications are now free, with no application fees required for any NFTS course. Review the NFTS course changes for 2025/2026 for full details.
Programs Offered
Starting in 2025/2026, the NFTS restructured its qualifications:
- Two-year MFA programs (formerly two-year MAs) - the flagship conservatory programs, starting in January each year. These include Directing Fiction, Directing Documentary, Cinematography, Composing for Film and Television, Editing, Sound Design, Production Design, Producing, Animation, Games Design and Development, and Visual Effects.
- One-year MA programs (formerly Postgraduate Diplomas) - specialist programs starting in January and September. These include Digital Effects, Screenwriting, Script Supervision, Production Accounting, and others.
- Short courses and certificates - intensive programs in specific disciplines including Virtual Production.
The school offers more specialist behind-the-camera courses than any other UK film school, spanning core crafts like cinematography and editing alongside highly specialised fields including Script Supervision and Production Accounting.
Admission requires either a relevant undergraduate degree or demonstrable professional experience (typically 3-4 years). Cohorts are intentionally small: 8 to 12 students per discipline, ensuring close mentorship and generous equipment access. Some MFA courses require a short selection workshop (3-5 days, costing GBP 70-150) following interview. Directing Fiction requires a 4-week Foundation Course before the main program begins.
Acceptance Rate
The NFTS does not publish an official acceptance rate. Self-reported data from FilmSchool.org suggests an overall rate of approximately 23% across all programs, based on 108 logged applications with 25 admitted. However, this figure is drawn from a small, self-selected sample and may not reflect the true rate.
The school's own FAQ states that MFA courses enroll approximately 10 students per year, while MA and Diploma courses take 12 to 16. With 2 intakes per year across more than 20 specialist programs, the total annual intake is small relative to application volume. The NFTS does not publish total application numbers, making an official rate impossible to calculate. Applicants should assume the rate is competitive, particularly for Directing Fiction and Cinematography, which receive the highest application volumes.
Tuition and Fees (2026)
The NFTS charges different rates for home (UK/Irish nationals and EU/EEA nationals with settled status) and international students. All production costs are included in course fees, including use of facilities and equipment.
Selected MFA Program Fees (January 2026 intake)
| Program | Home Tuition (per year) | International Tuition (per year) |
|---|---|---|
| Directing Fiction (2 years) | GBP 15,450 | GBP 27,000 |
| Composing for Film and Television (2 years) | GBP 15,450 | GBP 27,000 |
Selected MFA Program Fees (January 2027 intake)
| Program | Home Tuition (per year) | International Tuition (per year) |
|---|---|---|
| Cinematography (2 years) | GBP 15,950 | GBP 27,600 |
| Directing Documentary (2 years) | GBP 15,950 | GBP 27,600 |
Fees are updated yearly toward the end of June. A non-refundable deposit of GBP 500 is required on confirmation of a place. The NFTS offers scholarships to UK citizens resident in the UK for at least 3 years. UK/Irish students on their first Master's can apply for a UK government Postgraduate Master's Loan of up to GBP 12,858 (split across 2 years for MFA programs, at GBP 6,429 per year). International students who complete an MA or MFA are eligible for the UK Graduate Visa, allowing them to stay and work in the UK for at least 2 years after finishing.
Facilities and Equipment
The NFTS operates like a professional studio, with industry-rivaling equipment and facilities. Students do not pay extra for production costs or materials. Key facilities include:
- Main Stage - 7,000 sq ft, originally built in 1921 as part of Beaconsfield Studios, fully refurbished to industry standards
- Sky 4K Television Studio - state-of-the-art UHD TV galleries with HDR monitoring, facilitating large-scale multi-camera television productions. Also houses the LED Volume wall for virtual production (installed 2021)
- Three Dolby Atmos certified dubbing theatres - equipped with Avid, Dolby, and ProTools equipment
- Three cinemas - used for rushes, work-in-progress screenings, curriculum screenings, and masterclasses
- 50+ top-of-the-range cameras - including ARRI Alexa XT and Alexa Mini, plus 16mm and 35mm film cameras
- Four full-scale film stages including the Main Stage
- Post-production facilities - editing suites, colour grading suites with Resolve, Baselight, and Nucoda, motion and performance capture facilities
- Animation studios - dedicated workstations with latest design and animation software
- Recording studio - industry-standard live music and sound-to-picture recording
The school maintains close links with Panavision, Panalux, ARRI, and Avid, giving students access to the same equipment used in professional production. Professional rigging and technical staff are available to help students build any set imaginable. Past student productions have transformed stages into a space station, a submarine, a flooded hospital, and a Wild West homestead.
What Students Should Know
The NFTS is strictly postgraduate. There are no undergraduate programs. The collaborative model mirrors professional production: directing students work alongside cinematographers, editors, sound designers, and producers, replicating real crew structures. This approach is central to the school's identity.
The Beaconsfield location is not in London. Students accustomed to urban environments may find the location isolating, but the proximity to Pinewood Studios and other production facilities in the area provides direct access to the British film production infrastructure. The school does not provide general student accommodation, though the expansion will add 12 accessible bedrooms for disabled students.
The school has two intakes per year: MFA courses commence in January, and MA and Diploma courses commence in both January and September. The NFTS has a strong commitment to diversity, with 1 in 4 recent graduates from ethnic minority backgrounds. The school also formalised support for the London Screen Academy, delivering NFTS alumni masterclasses in 2024-25.
Student work regularly premieres at major festivals including Cannes, Sundance, TIFF, the BAFTA Student Awards, and the Student Academy Awards. The 2024 graduate showcase included work in competition at Cannes and double BAFTA wins for Best Short Film and Best Short Animation.
Student Film Examples
NFTS graduation films have won BAFTAs in back-to-back years:
- *Rock, Paper, Scissors* (2024 graduation film, directed by Franz Bohm): Won BAFTA Best British Short Film 2025. A 20-minute war thriller based on the true story of a 17-year-old Ukrainian civilian, shot in the UK with a budget of GBP 20,000.
- *Wander to Wonder* (by NFTS graduate Nina Gantz): Won BAFTA Best Short Animation 2025. Created almost entirely by NFTS alumni.
- *Crab Day* (2024): Won BAFTA Best Short Animation 2024.
- *Jellyfish and Lobster* (2024): Won BAFTA Best British Short Film 2024.
- *Do Not Feed the Pigeons* (2022): Won BAFTA Best Short Animation 2022.
- *A Love Story* (by Anushka Naanayakkara): BAFTA-winning short animation produced at the NFTS, using felt puppets to tell a story of toxic love and self-discovery.
Four NFTS student films secured 50% of BAFTA nominations across the British Short Animation and British Short Film categories in 2025. Graduation films are produced with equal budgets, equal shooting time, and shared access to equipment and facilities.
Notable Alumni
NFTS alumni have won 14 Oscars and over 165 BAFTAs across all disciplines:
- Roger Deakins - two-time Oscar-winning cinematographer (1917, Blade Runner 2049, No Country for Old Men, Skyfall). 12-time Oscar nominee.
- David Yates - director of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films. BAFTA-winning director.
- Nick Park - Oscar-winning animator, creator of Wallace and Gromit.
- Lynne Ramsay - BAFTA-winning director (You Were Never Really Here, We Need to Talk About Kevin).
- Laurie Nunn - creator of the Netflix global hit Sex Education.
- Dario Marianelli - Oscar-winning composer (Atonement).
- Tarn Willers - sound designer, Oscar winner for The Zone of Interest.
- Molly Manning Walker - BAFTA-nominated cinematographer (How to Have Sex).
- Shirley O'Connor - producer (Earth Mama).
- Nick Broomfield - documentary filmmaker (Whitney: Can I Be Me, Kurt and Courtney).
Standout Faculty
The NFTS teaches through working industry professionals rather than full-time academics. Key faculty include:
- Oliver Stapleton BSC - Co-Head of Cinematography. Working DP with credits across film and television. Has taught at the NFTS since the 1970s.
- Stuart Harris BSC - Co-Head of Cinematography. Award-winning cinematographer of Wetherby and over 4,500 commercials and music videos, including Pink Floyd's "High Hopes."
- Brian Tufano BSC - Former Head of Cinematography (2003 to 2016). Cinematographer of Trainspotting, Billy Elliot, and Kidulthood. Seven of the eight female members of the BSC are NFTS alumni from his tenure.
- Peter Dale - Head of Directing Documentary. Formerly Head of Documentaries at the BBC.
- Sandra Hebron - Head of Screen Arts and Course Leader for Film Studies, Programming and Curation. Former Artistic Director of the London Film Festival.
- Visiting tutors include double Oscar-winner Chris Menges BSC ASC, Dick Pope BSC, Seamus McGarvey BSC, and Robbie Ryan BSC ISC, who run intensive lighting workshops with student crews.
Watch
See Also
For understanding the UK film industry landscape, see International Film Markets. To explore cinematography tools, use the Depth of Field Calculator. For audio delivery standards for broadcast and streaming, use the LUFS Calculator. For planning production budgets, use the Production Budget Calculator.
