Since 1969, the BFA Film Production program at UBC has provided courses and workshops for students who have become industry leaders, screening their work at internationally-recognized film festivals including Cannes, Berlinale, SXSW, Sundance, TIFF, IDFA and Hot Docs
Program Overview
The Film Production program has two accreditation streams: the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and a Diploma in Film Production. BFA Film Production students go through four years of concentrated studies compared to three years in the Diploma stream.
Curriculum
Students will learn theory and techniques of motion picture production with options to study more deeply in areas of documentary filmmaking, alternative cinema, screenwriting and producing. Additionally, students are expected to work collaboratively and create their own short films in their final year.
The department will have production equipment and post-production platforms available for our students, however, accepted students should have their own consumer-level camera and computer with an editing platform.
Due to the immersive and hands-on design of the program, students must be prepared to cover the costs of their productions required in certain classes. Specific costs for each production are dependent on the complexity of each students’ project. However, students must contribute a minimum of $2500 to their FIPR 333 project and $3500 for FIPR 433.
Rogers Communications Award in Film Production (for Black and Indigenous Students)
Awards totalling $3,000 annually have been made available through the Rogers Multicultural Film Endowment Fund for domestic Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Production students who are First Nations, Inuit, or Métis, or who identify as Black, entering the program directly from secondary school or transferring from another post-secondary institution. Students will be academically qualified, and demonstrated artistic and creative interests. Applications will open for the award in March, 2024.
If you are applying for the Rogers Communication Award in Film Production please submit a PDF statement of no more than 300 words about your background and how you meet the award criteria along with your program application.
Admissions
Students applying directly from secondary school or transferring from another institution to the BFA Film Production program must complete the online UBC application by January 15 as well as submit the supplemental materials to our department by 11:59pm PDT February 3. Please note that the Film Production program will not accept any late applications.
If you are applying directly from secondary school or transferring from another institution, you must list the Bachelor of Fine Arts Film Production program as your first or second choice degree program in the online UBC application.
The BFA Film Production program accepts transfers into their second year from UBC and other post-secondary institutions. Transfers are not accepted into the third or fourth years of the program.
Please note, the Film Production program requires a minimum commitment of three years for completion.
Students from UBC Vancouver who are enrolled in another faculty or enrolled at UBC Okanagan must apply to transfer to the UBC Faculty of Arts by January 15, prior to completing the Film Production supplemental application.
For current UBC Vancouver students in the Faculty of Arts interested in transferring into the program, you do not need to complete the online UBC application but must submit the supplemental application material by 11:59pm PST February 3. We also recommend completing the required first year courses for BFA Film Production students:
- CINE 100 or FIPR 101
THFL 100 is restricted to BFA students within the department, so this requirement is waived for second year transfer students.
For students applying from other post-secondary institutions who are interested in seeing how their courses might transfer to UBC Vancouver, refer to the the online course transfer guide for British Columbia. Film Production courses completed at other post-secondary institutions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
If you have particular questions regarding Film course credits, you can contact the Academic Administrator, Mia Faircloth.
BFA Film Production Submission Process:
1. SELF-PORTRAIT VIDEO (1-2 min max)
Provide a 1-2 minute creative self-portrait where you show and tell us about yourself and what's important to you.
We encourage you to share information that we cannot get from other aspects of your portfolio submission. Your video should be in your own voice, in your own format, and not a reiteration of why you want to be admitted to UBC’s film program. Be creative and have fun! What you choose to say and how you say it is up to you.
We will not be judging the production value of this film. We encourage applicants to use what is readily available to them (i.e. cellphones or computers). We are not looking for polished/edited videos. This short video allows you to show and tell us something more about you than we would learn from the rest of your application.
FORMAT: Submit a link to the video via URL on Vimeo, YouTube or other platforms. Please note these should be easily accessible to us, so provide any login details and/or passwords.
2. SHORT FILM or VIDEO (3 min max)
Note: As of 2023, the new maximum length is 3 minutes. Please include a link to your film or video, ideally a complete work. This should be a film/video in which you were a key creative (i.e. the director, writer, editor, or cinematographer), and which you believe best represents you creatively. We will accept a scene from a longer film, but these should not be cut into a trailer or a reel, but shown as they are presented as they were in the film itself. Maximum length is 3 minutes.
Please note:
- Scenes should not be cut into a trailer or reel, but shown as they are presented in the film itself.
- Longer films, clips or projects will not be reviewed.
- No music videos.
- No travel vlogs or travel videos, unless there is a storyline.
- We strongly discourage you from submitting co-directed or co-written projects, however if you choose to submit a co-created work, you must clearly state your specific contribution to the project.
FORMAT: Please provide an online link. These should be easily accessible to us, so make sure the video does not need to be downloaded, and please provide any login details and/or passwords with your link. Be sure to test your video prior to submission.
3. BACKGROUND STATEMENT ON VIDEOS (250 words max)
Please provide pertinent information, including the credits for the film, and anything else you would feel would be interesting to share with us. This might be things such as where you made the film, or why you made it. You can also include here elements you think worked well, and features you would like to improve.
FORMAT: Half page max (250 words), double spaced, 12-point font
Save as a PDF and name the file: LastName_FirstName_Statement
4. ONE-PAGE RESUME
We want to get to know more about your background and how you’ve spent your time. You can include:
- Social and/or community work
- Creative and filmmaking projects
- Extracurricular activities
- Outside employment, whether it’s paid, voluntary, or family responsibilities
- Anything else you spend a significant amount of free time on
Must also include:
- your full name
- home address
- date of birth
FORMAT: One page. Save as a PDF and name the file: LastName_FirstName_Resume
PLEASE NOTE: For all Creative Submissions, the exact credits must be specified. Please send the requested items only; no substitutions, variations, or extra materials. Failure to comply with these guidelines will be grounds for automatic disqualification.
