14 Years At The Pinnacle! NFTS Named Top Global Film School by The Hollywood Reporter

The National Film and Television School (NFTS) proudly celebrates its inclusion in The Hollywood Reporter’s Top 15 Global Film Schools list for an incredible 14th consecutive year. This significant milestone underscores our unwavering commitment to excellence in training for the film, television and games industries offering state-of-the-art facilities, exceptional teaching and unrivalled industry connections.

Other renowned international schools featured on the list include the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, La Fémis and London Film School, the only other UK film school included in the list.

The Hollywood Reporter hailed the NFTS for “fortifying its reputation as one of Britain’s most prestigious institutions” and celebrated the School’s double win at the 2024 BAFTAs for graduate films Jellyfish and Lobster and Crab Day and success at Cannes with animation Bunnyhood winning at La Cinef. The prestigious industry bible also highlighted the newly established The Crown Scholarship programme, funded by a once-in-a-lifetime auction with Bonhams and Left Bank Pictures, raising £1 million to support 100 students attending the NFTS over the next 20 years.

NFTS Director Jon Wardle commented: “Being featured in The Hollywood Reporter’s list for the 14th year is an incredible honour. This accolade reflects the relentless dedication and hard work of our students and staff. It reaffirms NFTS’s commitment to excellence and our ability to adapt and thrive in a rapidly evolving industry. We are continually pushing boundaries and leading the way in film, television and games innovation."

Fourteen years of recognition highlight not just consistency but growth and adaptation within the incredibly varied entertainment landscape. NFTS alumni have gone on to achieve remarkable success in many areas of the creative sector, serving as a testament to the quality of education and training provided by the School. Read on to find out more!
 

14 Fascinating Facts About the National Film and Television School

1. Location, Location, Location! Nestled in Buckinghamshire, NFTS is surrounded by iconic film locations and major studios like Pinewood, Shepperton, Shinfield, Leavesden and Bray. We also run a portfolio of renowned short courses across the UK in Scotland, Leeds, and Wales.

2. The School’s HQ was developed on the site of what was a functioning film studio, Beaconsfield Studios - our main stage is part of the original building and is 100 years old (but has since been fully refurbished of course!) The NFTS is expanding and plans to add an additional 25,000 sq. ft of cutting-edge new teaching space, innovative new courses, accessible student accommodation and a new apprenticeship centre.

Aerial shot of Beaconsfield Studios in the 1930s


3. Beloved animations like Wallace and Gromit, Peppa Pig, and The Rubbish World of Dave Spud all have close ties to NFTS. The rocket in Wallace and Gromit's A Grand Day Out is said to be inspired by the School’s emergency sprinkler system tank - can you spot the resemblance?

4. You can study games at one of the world’s best film schools! We now offer two games design and development pathways, an award winning, practical in-person, 2 year MA and a 6 month online indie games certificate…we would add it to our name but it would make it a bit too long! #nationalfilmtelevisionandgamesschool

5. Our expansive 13,000m² site offers 18 dedicated shooting spaces for students, ensuring there's always action on set. Whether it's a thrilling scene or a quiet moment, you can bet there's a camera rolling somewhere!

Students on set on the NFTS Main Stage

6. Our credits tell the story! 85% of UK broadcaster spend on high end television and two thirds of all Netflix productions have at least one NFTS graduate in a key role. The School partners with some of the biggest names in the industry to provide our training, making the transition into work as seamless as possible for our graduates.

7. The National Film and Television School is committed to making our world-leading training accessible to all, regardless of financial circumstances. Did you know that the NFTS offers more than £1 million in scholarship and bursary funding annually, demonstrating our commitment to supporting British students? Don't let financial barriers hinder your potential, funding offered by the School has paved the way for a huge number of success stories!

8. NFTS alumni have won a staggering 15 Oscars and over 165 BAFTAs over the past 50 years!

9. We have our very own BAFTA for Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema - the only UK educational institution to receive this prestigious award!

10. All production costs are met by the School…what exactly does that mean? When you start your training with us, you won’t be required to spend any of your own money on the films and projects you work on here. The School provides budgets for the productions, creating a level playing field for all.

11. The School runs an outreach programme that is designed to engage, inform and inspire the next generation of potential creative talent. Access NFTS hosts a wide variety of events across the UK throughout the year to show the incredible career paths available in film, television and games.

12. Take a peek at the back of some of the plush red chairs in our 150 seater Ossie Morris cinema and you might find a shiny gold plaque dedicated to iconic members of the industry, supporters and close friends of the NFTS. Names include director Denis Villaneuve (Dune), Pinewood Studios, producer Beryl Vertue (Sherlock) and cinematographer Alan Hume (Star Wars: Return of the Jedi).

13. Two NFTS graduation films, Crab Day and Jellyfish and Lobster were each awarded BAFTAs in the British Short Animation and British Short Film categories in 2024, a huge achievement so recently after graduating from the National Film and Television School and exceptionally early on in their filmmaking careers. The award also stands as a historic accomplishment for the School itself, which last won both short film categories at the 43rd British Academy Film Awards in 1990 with Nick Park's A Grand Day Out and Peter Hewitt's The Candy Show.

14. The National Film and Television School is proud to have over 60 alumni credited with making The Crown a global success story. Their collective talents in sound design, VFX, composition, art direction, editing, model making and beyond have woven magic across all six series, which is why the School was named beneficiary of a once-in-a-lifetime auction of over 450 costumes, sets, and props from the award-winning series, thanks to Left Bank Pictures, Netflix and Bonhams.

We hope you learned something new from our list! The National Film and Television School thanks to The Hollywood Reporter for consistently including us in this prestigious ranking. A huge shout-out to our incredible staff, whose dedication ensures our training remains world-class. Their hard work keeps us at the forefront of behind the scenes training, making NFTS a standout institution year after year.

Passionate about film, television and games? Apply to the NFTS to join a legacy of innovation and excellence. Visit our website to learn more and start your journey today! nfts.co.uk/places-available