Why Study at Vancouver Film School?

  • Programs: Vancouver Film School offers 15 post-secondary programs that deliver industry-standard techniques and applicable skills. Around 1,000 students get enrolled each year, of which around 47% are international students. Explore! Programs at VFS.
  • Admission Requirement: As an international student, to get admission to Vancouver Film School you must have graduated from high school, or be at least 19 years of age, have a study permit, and a minimum IELTS score of 6.0.
  • Placements: The art school is known for placements in the biggest companies in the media industry including Disney, HBO, Google, Netflix, EA Sports, Dreamworks, Pixar, Warner Bros Pictures, and Paramount Pictures, among others.
  • Alumni Success: 200 students have graduated from VFS in the past 6 and a half years and 133 graduates have worked on 97 feature films with a total box office exceeding 9 billion dollars.

Highlights

Type of University Private
Number of Seats 1000
Percentage of International Students 47%
Annual Acceptance Rate 84%
Basic Tuition Fee for International Students CAD 30,500 - CAD 53,250
Official Website https://vfs.edu

Vancouver Film School Campus and Accommodation

VFS has 8 campuses offering entertainment arts education to over 1000 students. The campuses are located around Downtown Vancouver, comprising six buildings. Students at VSF receive expert guidance throughout their curriculum from award-winning industry professionals.

  • The campuses are equipped with all the academic necessities such as workshops, production spaces, film sets, theatres, studios, screening rooms, green screen rooms, motion and performance capture facilities, computer labs, etc.
  • Student services such as orientation, health insurance, banking, social networking, student counselling, etc. are offered.
  • Student events are organised aimed at education, career development, and inspiration for students.
  • ESL Tutoring is offered to help students understand and communicate using technical terms and gain fluency in the English language

Vancouver Film School Accommodation

Although VFS does not offer residential facilities, the campus is located in the middle of the busy city of Vancouver, so off-campus housing close to the campus should be easy to find.

Students can also contact the Housing Coordinator at VFS to access their network of landlords in Vancouver to help in the search for affordable and convenient accommodations. Students who are younger than 19 cannot legally sign tenant agreements, and as such, they must stay with a custodian.

Vancouver Film School Programs

VFS is a global leader in entertainment arts education, offering 15 on-year long post-secondary programs, including Film Production, 3D Animation & Visual Effects, Classical Animation, Acting for Film & Television, etc.

Vancouver Film School offers programs for a four-month long Acting Essentials course and a six-month long Digital Character Animation. Some of the courses are mentioned below with their fees:

Program Tuition (in CAD) Requirements
3D Animation & Visual Effects VFS Education 53,750 A visual art portfolio OR Successful completion of the VFS Foundation Visual Art & Design program
Acting for Film & Television VFS Education 30,500 Demonstrated postsecondary acting experience and a recorded audition that meets Department standards. OR Successful completion of VFS Acting Essentials program and an invitation from the Acting Faculty
Classical Animation 30,750 A visual art portfolio of your work OR Successful completion of the VFS Foundation Visual Art & Design program
VR/AR Design & Development 33,000 A portfolio of your digital and visual work OR Successful completion of the VFS Foundation Visual Art & Design and/or 3D Animation & Visual Effects, Game Design, and Digital Design programs
Makeup Design for Film & Television 46,750 A letter of intent AND your portfolio OR Successful completion of the VFS Foundation Visual Art & Design program
Game Design 49,750 Successful completion of the VFS Foundation Visual Art & Design program OR A synopsis of a game that you are passionate about creating

Vancouver Film School Application Process

All international students are expected to be conversant enough in English in order to succeed in any VFS program. They are also required to understand technical terms to be able to participate in presentations and in-depth discussions.

How to Apply?

Application Portal: University’s portal
Application fee: CAD 100
Admission Requirements:

  • Official transcripts
  • Government identification proving the applicant’s birth date.
  • Letter of Recommendation
  • Financial plan
  • Health insurance
  • English Language Proficiency Score

English Language Requirements

Standard Tests Minimum scores for level 1 Minimum scores for level 2
IELTS 6.0 6.5
TOEFL iBT 68 80
TOEFL PBT 520 550
PTE 52 - 57 58 - 64
Duolingo Test 95 - 100 105 or higher

Vancouver Film School Cost of Attendance

While choosing to study abroad, international applicants need to have sufficient financial planning. The tables are given below cover certain expected expenses that should give them the necessary information to prepare a budget:

VFS Program International Tuition Fees (in CAD)
Production 53,250
Writing 28,250
Acting 30,500

Living Expenses

Expense Cost
Medical coverage 2.00/day per person.
Housing 650 - 2100
Food 200 - 300

Also Check: Cost of living in Canada

Vancouver Film School Scholarship

Most of the financial aid options are available for Canadian citizens or permanent residents only. However, some of the scholarships that international students can be eligible for are:

  • Frank Palmer Creative Design Scholarship: Students who are considered the most creative can receive this scholarship waiving the full tuition fees, offering personal mentorship and additional partial scholarship funding upto CAD 250,000
  • Emily Bett Rickards - Acting Scholarship: Students applying for Film and Television, and Acting Essential programs can apply for this scholarship, waiving the full tuition fees for 2 students, and upto CAD 250,000 additional scholarship funding to students in need.

Vancouver Film School Alumni

VFS has been the home of one of the most successful and award-winning Alumni networks for over 30 years in the Film School Industry. The institution has played a pivotal role in kickstarting the careers of several highly successful artists in the world of entertainment and media arts.

Notable Alumni

  • Emily Bett Rickards- Award-winning Canadian actor
  • Neill Blomkamp- Film director, producer, screenwriter, and animator.
  • Jewel Staite- Actor
  • Sara Canning- Award-winning Canadian actor
  • Kevin Smith- Filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, and podcaster.

Vancouver Film School Placements

The university cultivates special relationships with pivotal firms in the fields of animation, filmmaking, and so on in order to stay in tune with the needs of industry and their students. Following are the leading cooperates which are partnered with Vancouver Film School:

  • Autodesk
  • Adobe Systems
  • NVIDIA
  • Unity

Vancouver Film School offers programs specifically designed to give students both theory and practical experience-based knowledge of the entertainment arts industry.

With a high acceptance rate and an exceptionally high percentage of international students, international applicants might find VFS to be the ideal venue to start their journey into the industry. Additionally, the highly valuable industry partnerships and worldwide reputation make VFS a global leader in the industry.

FAQs

Ques. Can international students receive financial aid from VFS?

Ans. Financial aid offered by the Canadian government is reserved for domestic students and permanent residents. International students are eligible for several of the scholarships offered by the VFS.

Ques. What are the exam qualifications for VFS?

Ans. There are no specific exam qualifications for admission at BSF. VSF uses program-specific documents such as visual art portfolios, work samples, etc. sent by the applicants as basis for selection. There are minimum exam requirements for English proficiency tests that international students form non-English speaking countries need to qualify for.

Ques. Do I need to meet the minimum score requirements for English proficiency?

Ans. Generally, students need to meet English proficiency test score requirements. VFS does provide conditional admission to international students if they fail to score the minimum scores required. In such cases, English as a second language programs are offered by the institute to help students improve their English language skills, and communicate using technical terms.

Ques. Does VFS offer on-campus residence?

Ans. No, although there is no on-campus residential facility at VFS, there are a number of off-campus residential options around the campus in Vancouver. The Housing Coordinator helps students get in touch with the network of landlords.