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Not Your Average Freshers Week! NFTS Springboard 2023

It felt like only yesterday they took the leap and submitted applications to their dream courses, and they’ve now wrapped their first official week at The National Film and Television School!

Every year, to welcome our new students, NFTS hosts ‘Springboard Week’, an introductory week of Masterclasses, workshops, film screenings and talks to get students settled in and excited for their time with us.

Springboard 2023

As in previous years, Springboard 2023 aimed to give students a highly concentrated version of life at the NFTS in just one short week. Students got their first experience of our world-renowned Masterclasses and throughout the week were joined by: 

  • Oscar nominated Director, Writer, Producer Alex Garland (Men, Devs)
  • BAFTA nominated Director, Writer, Producer Clio Barnard (The Essex Serpent, Ali & Ava)
  • Primetime Emmy winning Writer/Producer Steven Moffat (Sherlock, The Devil’s Hour, The Time Traveller’s Wife)
  • Oscar winning Director, Writer, Producer Simon Beaufoy (Battle of the Sexes, Slumdog Millionaire)
  • Fiona Lamptey, Director of UK Features at Netflix
  • Charlotte Moore, BBC's Chief Content Officer

Man and woman on stage in front of audience

Students also had the opportunity to watch not one, but two exclusive screenings in our full-size Dolby Atmos ‘Oswald Morris’ cinema, named after the acclaimed cinematographer. On Monday, students took their plush red seats to watch Oscar nominated All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, followed later in the week a screening of BAFTA nominated Blue Jean and a Q&A with the film’s Producer, NFTS Producing MA graduate Hélène Sifre.

The week was also studded with talks and seminars covering some of the values that the School hopes its students can embody in their work. Students were joined by BSC award winning Cinematographer, NFTS Graduate, Diana Olifirova (Heartstopper, Lady Parts), BAFTA-nominated Documentary graduate George Amponsah (Black Power: A British Story of Resistance, The Hard Stop) and multi-award winning Casting Director Shaheen Baig to discuss the critical importance in considering inclusion and representation throughout the filmmaking process.

Panel of speakers on stage

Collaboration is at the heart of what we do here at the National Film and Television School so the students also enjoyed a session with a panel of NFTS graduates who have left the NFTS and continue to work together, most recently on The Long Shadow. BAFTA winning director, Lewis Arnold, MPSE award winning Composer Sarah Warne and RTS Craft & Design Award winning Editor Sacha Szwarc led a Q&A discussing how to successfully and respectfully collaborate at the School and beyond!

The week finished off with students delving into their specific course departments to learn more about what’s in store for them for the next year or two.

We’d like to offer huge congratulations to all the students who were successful in their applications. We can’t wait to see what you make here! 

Keen to have a seat at Springboard 2024?

Visit nfts.co.uk/courses to take a look at our wide range of industry renowned courses.

Applications opening soon!

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