When one of favourite filmmakers, Agneska Holland, said that film schools should be open to mature students as well as young ones, she could have been talking about me. After years of telling myself not to, I finally applied to film school late in life. I had been following PFS for several years and this was my only application. I did not really expect to be admitted; I was surprised when I was. Such a big change at this stage of my life was a risk, but I decided to take it. That was three years ago and I have never regretted it.
AT PFS I was thrilled to be part of a vibrant group of writers, directors, cinematographers and actors all of whom were passionate about the same thing as me: cinema. These were two extremely busy years, full of creative projects, collaboration, writing, thought provoking academic conversations and lectures, and the technical aspects of filmmaking. We were introduced to - and expected to work on - the entire spectrum of filmmaking - script writing to editing and post production, including sound and sound design. We also acted in student projects. We were challenged to direct both our scripts and those written by others. And of course, we watched, analysed and dissected dozens of films offered in our classes, learning from both the great ones and the bad. As someone who had longed for such a long time to go to film school, I was not sure what to expect, but I got more than I imagined.
PFS benefits from having an international body of teachers and students. As students, w benefit considerably from this diversity and range of perspectives. Prague is a stunning capital, full of cinematic Czech cityscapes that are amenable to a variety of film genres. Because the Czech language is difficult for students, PFS has programme staff available to help students negotiate filming permissions with local authorities, should they be necessary. They are also have a helpful student advisory service to guide students, some of whom come from far. And PFS offers guidance to the lucky graduates who make competitive films, ready for the competitive and often quite complex festival circuit.
The package offered by Prague Film School produces competitive graduates for the film industry. I can recommended it thoroughly.
What was your funniest moment?
My funniest moment was pitching my first year diploma film to two teachers, one of whom laughed thoroughly, and the other who looked at me in silent bemusement. I did not go on to make that film, but I still plan to, one day.
The second funniest moment was when my Indian friend and I sang karaoke together at our final party before he left Prague to return home. We were completely out of tune. It was more of a screech than a song. He makes very funny films, but he cannot sing to save his life. It was so bad, it was beautiful.
