Film Art
Master of Fine Arts in Film Art
The MFA in Film Art, offered jointly by Paris College of Art (PCA) and Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) at The University of Edinburgh, brings together the resources of two leading European art schools and the rich cultural contexts of Paris and Edinburgh.
This two-year program is designed for emerging filmmakers eager to push the boundaries of moving images—treating film not only as a medium of storytelling, but also as a space for artistic experimentation and critical inquiry.
Students spend their first year at ECA in Edinburgh, where the emphasis is on artistic research, conceptualization and critical dialogue. In October, they travel to Paris for a Workshop Week at PCA, where they meet faculty and staff, explore the facilities, and immerse themselves in the city’s creative energy. The second year takes place at PCA in Paris, with a focus on production and post-production, offering direct engagement with the European film industry and international festival circuits. A highlight of the program includes a field trip to an International European Film Festival, giving students the chance to engage with the industry.
Studio classes such as Cinema Lab and Permanent Cinema are complemented by theory-based courses like Poetics of Cinema, providing both the conceptual foundation and technical mastery needed to create independent, original films with industry-standard equipment.
Workshops, seminars, and public screenings connect students with established film professionals (such as director Laszlo Nemes, cinematographer Agnès Godard, director Camilo Restrepo or editor Claire Atherton) while the cohort-based structure fosters collaboration, feedback, and collective growth. By the end of the program, graduates are prepared to navigate today’s evolving screen cultures as independent filmmakers, ready to present their work in festivals, galleries, and innovative platforms for moving images.
Two Great Schools
The MFA in Film Art program between Paris College of Art and the Edinburgh College of Art at the University of Edinburgh combines the expertise and reputations of both institutions while providing an education at the highest international standard within a global academic framework.
Two Amazing Locations
In this MFA program, you will:
- Spend your first year in Edinburgh focusing on artistic research, film development, and critical dialogue, then move to Paris for your second year to concentrate on production, post-production, and professional engagement
- Attend international networking opportunities like a field trip to the Rotterdam Film Festival, building connections within the global film community.
A Unique Film Curriculum
The MFA in Film Art emphasizes learning through experimentation, collaboration, and dialogue. Students are encouraged to challenge cinematic conventions, take risks with form and content, and discover their own voice as filmmakers. Technical mastery is developed alongside conceptual exploration, ensuring that each project is both rigorously crafted and resonant within today’s diverse screen cultures.
MFA Curriculum
Year One ECA
fall
Cinema Lab 1
Cinema Lab 1 supports students to develop foundational technical skills and contextualize their practice while establishing or reinforcing a critically informed and collaborative grounding in film art. The course explores key disciplines and processes in film, situating them in relation to the creative industries and society more broadly. Students will be challenged to expand their
reference points, reflect on core ideas relevant to contemporary filmmaking and engage with new artistic research methods.
Permanent Cinema
Permanent Cinema supports students to develop a critical understanding of filmmaking by engaging with film viewing as an active part of their film practice. With the screenings of selected films, students will explore the medium’s parameters, possibilities, and limits, while unfolding the conditions of its experience.
Film Arts Electives
The following are indicative courses that we usually recommend for MFA students, but you may also select electives from any subject area at ECA or the wider University of Edinburgh, subject to availability.
Contemporary Artists’ Film and Video
Media and Culture
Film Medicine
Audio Crafting
Music on Screen
Art and Digital Culture
Design for Interactive Media
Introduction to Community Arts Practice: Modes, Methods and Meanings
Theorising Contemporary Art
Surfaces & Screens
spring
Film Art (Thesis Project) Development
This course guides students through the formation of a major film art project, emphasizing the initial conceptual development, logistical preparation and creative research processes. The course gives students opportunities to focus ideas through collective discussion, trial artistic research methods that will underpin their work and present plans for their project to tutors and peers during a formal pitch.
Poetics of Cinema
This course explores cinema as a vehicle for poetic expression, building directly on the deconstruction of cinematic elements in the Permanent Cinema course in semester 1. Students analyze key works that emphasize sensorial experience, examining specific techniques in haptic visuality, rhythmic editing, and sonority. Through a portfolio of reflective and practical exercises, students develop a sophisticated critical vocabulary for understanding the sensorial dimensions of film art, extending their exploration of cinema’s fundamental elements from semester 1 into more complex poetic applications.
Year Two PCA
fall
Film Art (Thesis Project) Exploration
This course revolves around the creation of a student’s significant research-informed film art project as well as the documentation of their practical processes. Putting previous preparation into action, students will complete the initial exploration phases of their creative work through practical engagement in narrative, experimental, installation, interactive or other artistic forms of filmmaking.
Elective
The following are specifically recommended for students in the proposed MFA but students may select electives from any graduate program at PCA
French 1-4
Students take a placement test to be placed into one of three levels of French language: introductory, intermediate and advanced. The fourth and most advanced level is a liberal studies course in French. Classes meet twice a week and propose a combination of written and oral exercises designed to strengthen vocabulary, grammar, written and oral expression. These language courses use dialogues, oral and written exercises, short compositions, and literary texts to establish a firm foundation in the language. Students approach everyday life situations in French, while learning the fundamentals of grammar and the complexity of conversation and the written word. The intermediate and advanced courses serve as a more sophisticated introduction to French culture and lifestyle, and as a means of consolidating grammar and vocabulary.
Intellectual Property Rights
The I.P. course covers issues related to copyright, patents, contracts and liabilities as they apply to art and design. Students will learn about international laws related to copyright and patents and learn how to protect their intellectual property and the best strategies to adopt in different circumstances.
Professional Practice Workshop Series
Professionals from the Parisian art world will come in to introduce students to their professional practice and engage them in practical exercises preparing them for the job market. This workshop series will look at both the business and practical side of the photographic industry and the importance of understanding today’s driven society. Instructors will be drawn from a broad range of fields: photographers and videographers; galleries, museums, auction houses and private collections; art fairs and international exhibitions; art dealers; curators; historians; journalists and iconographers; artists; etc.
Educational principles in art education
This course will allow students to think about and develop some principles of, and approaches to, teaching, learning, and creating appropriate classroom environments for teaching art and design. They will engage in planning and teaching in different curricular and learning environments. Students will identify the role of diversity and culture in learning, as well of the role of the teacher as decision-maker and facilitator of learning. Additionally, this course provides an introduction to approaches to integration, alternative approaches to managing classroom environments and specific approaches to dealing with students’ behavior. Assessment procedures and how to provide appropriate feedback on performance, competence and knowledge are also introduced in this seminar.
Business of animation
This course will familiarize students with the animation industry in Europe and the United States. Students will learn how to market their skills and their films by creating personalized portfolios, reels, résumés and mailers. Guest lecturers from the industry will discuss the exciting opportunities in the field of animation.
spring
Cinema Lab 2
Cinema Lab 2 will help students situate their films in the wider landscape of the business of film and will help them develop a strategy to successfully distribute their films.
Film Art (Thesis Project) Resolution
This course revolves around the post-production, completion and exhibition of a student’s significant research-informed film art project as well as their reflection on practice. Students will build on creative exploration and filming in a previous course, bringing material together to resolve their project through various editing, sound design and color grading processes leading to the final exhibition of their work.
Faculty
YouTube
Frequently Asked Questions
How is this program cutting edge in contrast to other master’s programs?
The MFA in Film Art is unique in combining artistic research with practical film production across two major cultural centers. Unlike many master’s programs that separate theory and practice, this one treats them as inseparable: students experiment with cinema as an artistic medium while also engaging with industry contexts such as festivals and professional screenings. The cohort-based, lab-style model mirrors contemporary independent film culture, emphasizing collaboration, critical dialogue, and creative risk-taking.
What are the advantages of studying in Edinburgh and Paris?
Students benefit from the strengths of two leading European art schools and the cultural richness of two globally significant cities:
- Edinburgh offers a strong research culture and access to world-class film festivals, providing an environment for developing ideas, writing, and project frameworks.
- Paris is not only a hub for European cinema and visual culture but also one of the top five countries in the world for film production, giving students direct access to a thriving industry, international festivals, and extensive creative networks.
This dual-location structure gives students a transnational perspective, strengthening both their artistic and professional development.
What are the pre-requisites?
Applicants should hold a bachelor’s degree in film, fine arts, media, or a related discipline, or demonstrate equivalent professional experience in film or visual arts. They are expected to present a portfolio of moving image work (such as short films, experimental pieces, or video art) that shows their creative practice and potential. The program is taught in English, so proficiency is required.
How do you know if this program is right for you?
This program is designed for students who want to:
- Explore film as both an artistic practice and a critical tool.
- Work in a collaborative, research-driven environment.
- Gain international experience in two vibrant cultural capitals.
If you are motivated to push the boundaries of cinema, to develop an original artistic voice, and to situate your work within today’s evolving screen cultures, then this MFA is an excellent fit.
What degree can students earn at the completion of this program?
Students who successfully complete the two years of study (year 1 at ECA, year 2 at PCA) will earn a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) awarded jointly by Edinburgh College of Art and Paris College of Art. They receive one diploma, attesting to their successful completion of the entire course of study of the joint two-year program.
If students decide to halt their studies after completing the first year at ECA, they can withdraw from the joint two-year program and are eligible for a postgraduate certificate from ECA, provided they have successfully completed the required first year course of study.
Students who do not successfully complete the first year of study at ECA are not eligible for the second year of study at PCA.
Can I take a break between the first year at ECA and the second year at PCA?
Students who successfully complete their first year of study and then desire to take a gap before continuing in the second year at PCA can request a Leave of Absence for a year. A Leave of Absence can be granted once. Students who wish to take a longer break must petition for an exception.
Students who halt their studies after the first year and earn a postgraduate diploma and then wish to return to the program to complete their second year at PCA after more than a year’s Leave of Absence can be asked to complete the Admissions cycle anew.
What is the tuition rate for this program?
Students pay tuition to ECA at the published ECA rate. Please refer to the Admissions page for additional information.
Will I earn one or two degrees?
Upon successful completion of the degree requirements, you will earn one degree, awarded jointly by the two institutions.