Cinema & Media Arts - Production
BFA
Ready to turn your creative vision into reality? In our Cinema & Media Arts – Production (BFA) program, you’ll learn the art of filmmaking from every angle, whether it’s directing, cinematography, editing or sound design. Dive into the world of storytelling, creating projects that inspire, entertain and make a difference. With the support of experienced faculty and access to top-notch facilities, this program sets you up for an exciting career in film, TV, digital media and beyond.
Program Overview
York University’s Film Production program, the oldest in Canada, combines hands-on filmmaking with deep critical insight. Students begin with core film production and screenwriting courses, then specialize in areas such as directing, cinematography, editing, sound design, production management and production design. From day one, you'll work alongside professionals and gain experience with industry-standard gear in our on-campus facilities and at the York Motion Media Studio at the award-winning Cinespace Film Studios Toronto.
You'll learn the art of collaboration by working in film crews and gain on-set experience, building lasting creative networks, and taking advantage of field placement opportunities. Courses in film history and cinema theory strengthen your ability to analyze and contextualize cinema, empowering you to create meaningful work rooted in a strong understanding of the past and present of cinema. Graduates leave the program ready to pursue careers across the film, television and media industries.
Sample Courses
As a Film Production student you can take courses like:
- Directing Actors for the Screen
- Documentary Workshop
- Fiction Workshop
- Introduction to Filmmaking
- Screenwriting Fundamentals
- Cinematography
- Editing
- Sound
Career Possibilities
As a Film Production student you can become:
- Film Director
- Cinematographer
- Producer
- Lighting or sound designer
- Film editor
Degree Level
Undergraduate
Degrees Offered
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
Department
Cinema and Media Arts
Duration
4 years
Evaluation process
Questionnaire, Portfolio, Interview
Entry Options
Fall or Summer
Next Steps
We’re excited that you’re considering applying to York University's School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD). Check out our step-by-step guide to submitting an application.
Student & Alumni Testimonials
What stands out for me from York was the attention and support we received as students. Our program created a safe space to experiment and develop our voices as filmmakers. That freedom to take risks and refine our perspective was formative, and it’s wonderful to see alumni from the program now spreading their wings in a big way. Read our feature on Jack’s journey.
Jack Weisman (BFA ’15)
Director, Cinematographer & Producer
Grand Jury Prize Winner, 2026 Sundance Film Festival
What stands out about my time at York is the relationships. We made many close friends that we continue to work with to this day. It’s important to work with collaborators you trust and who believe in your work, and those relationships can take years to develop. It becomes harder to form those bonds as you grow older. York was like this primordial soup where many of those initial creative connections began. Read our feature on Gabriela’s journey.
Gabriela Osio Vanden (BFA ’16)
Director, Cinematographer & Producer
Grand Jury Prize Winner, 2026 Sundance Film Festival
I love how the program balances hands-on learning with theory. As much as you’re writing and exploring ideas, you’re also refining technical skills and learning how to work behind the camera as part of a crew. We had opportunities to visit YUMMS at Cinespace Studios and talk to industry professionals and TV writers. It’s a very driven and collaborative environment where everyone wants you to succeed.
Daniela, third-year Film Production student
The media industries are constantly evolving, so you have to reinvent yourself to stay relevant. I credit the depth of my York education for giving me the perspective to understand new challenges and the agility to tackle them.
Michael Emberley (BFA Film Production, ’00)
Award-winning television editor
While studying at AMPD, my film professor Tereza Barta once told me my script was terrible, and it was maybe the best thing she could have done. It helped me realize how important criticism is if you ever want your work to get better.
Dusty Mancinelli (BFA ’07)
Screenwriter, Director and Producer. Several films shown at TIFF, including a feature film in 2025, with work also featured at Sundance, Berlinale and BFI London, earning recognition and awards worldwide.
The people we met that have since become collaborators is undoubtedly the most valuable thing. We met our Director of Photography at AMPD, and he has shot every one of our films since we began working together. As a young filmmaker, I had no idea what my voice was or what I had to say that was at all interesting or unique. Professor John Greyson was instrumental in guiding me towards finding the stories inside me and exploring what I had that was distinctive.
Madeleine Sims-Fewer (BFA ’08)
Actor, Director and Screenwriter. Several films shown at TIFF, including a feature film in 2025, following recognition at festivals such as Sundance and Berlinale.
From amazing professors to the fellow classmates who I continue to collaborate with to this day, my experience and friendships at York have been very important in my journey.
Yong Zong (MFA ’18)
Editor and Filmmaker, with work featured at TIFF in 2025
My professors at York had a lasting impact on my creative practice as a picture editor and filmmaker. I even had the pleasure of their mentorship and feedback on Still Single, premiering at TIFF. Finding the balance between serving the vision of directors and producers, while being a constructive and tenacious creative force, was a balancing act to learn. The study of narrative structure that began in AMPD’s workshops gave me the skills to help find the 90-minute story in 300 hours of raw footage.
Pranay Noel (BFA ’20, MFA ’22)
Editor and Filmmaker, with work featured at TIFF in 2025
I came to film school to find people to make work with. Almost twenty years since graduating, I still work with a large number of York alums. It’s no surprise, since this school tends to attract people seeking more radical ways to make films, and not just formulaic imitations.
Maya Bankovic (BFA ’07)
Award-Winning Cinematographer, with work featured at TIFF in both 2024 and 2025
I had several amazing professors at AMPD who completely changed the way I think about cinema. But perhaps the greatest influence came from my peers. It still amazes me how many talented filmmakers I had the chance to go to school with.
Nicolás Pereda (BFA ’05, MFA ’07)
Director and Screenwriter with films shown at TIFF in both 2024 and 2025, Associate Professor in Film at UBC
My time in York University's CMA program at AMPD was foundational to the way I work and collaborate today. I was drawn to the program because of its hands-on approach and the opportunity to explore a variety of paths within the film and media industry. From day one, I was surrounded by like-minded creatives who challenged and inspired me. One of the things I valued most was the chance to try on many different hats: writing for TV, directing fiction, cinematography, picture editing. Today, I approach filmmaking from a place of community building, and it's this program that taught me how to build and maintain strong professional relationships, something the film industry is built on. I’m especially grateful for the time and feedback my professors gave me on my work. Their encouragement allowed me the freedom to make mistakes and learn from them, which was crucial to my development.
Eric Bizzarri (BFA '17)
Co-Founder and CEO, Future of Film Showcase
Through AMPD, I was able to get an internship and after that my career really exploded. I was hired by the producer of The Witch, and since then I’ve gone to TIFF premieres, walked the red carpet at Cannes, and met people like Sebastian Stan and Cate Blanchett. I’ve worked on movies like The Apprentice and explored many different parts of the film world. I couldn’t have done that without AMPD.
Taylor Crowley (BFA Film Production ’22)
Development Coordinator and Emerging Producer
I chose AMPD because York has the oldest film production program in Canada, so I knew I could trust the quality of the education and the resources offered throughout my four years. One of the biggest advantages is that our professors are deeply connected to the industry and are actively working in the field.
Kush, Fourth-year Production Student
As an undergraduate, I was able to watch films—and eventually tried my hand at making them. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was life changing. Then, as a graduate student, I was given the space to think more deeply about media arts and to make my film The Urge to Run a Lap. AMPD influenced how I think about filmmaking, and how to see images, myself and others.
Lesley Loksi Chan (BFA ‘08, MFA ‘18)
Canadian Artist and Filmmaker
Throughout my program, I found my AMPD peers to be exceptionally talented, collaborative and inspiring, and I had incredible support from the faculty, particularly my final semester adviser Carol Anna McBride, who constantly inspired us students to think we could leverage our creative skills to bring meaningful change once we stepped out into the world.
Bhabna Banerjee (BFA ‘20)
Production
What I really love about this program is the network that you create with your classmates. From first year all the way to fourth year you're with a great group of students that you'll spend time with both in and outside of the classroom. As a Film student, I also really appreciate being able to take courses outside my own discipline.
Chifundo Thangata
Fourth-year Production student
International Student - Kenya
I wouldn’t be the filmmaker I am today without my time at York. It gave me a great balance of theoretical and practical training that made me a more well-rounded filmmaker.
Albert Shin, BFA 2006
The theory and fundamental skills I gained at York for creative movie-making through development and production prepared me for my career. I would suggest that students absorb the experience and learn by forcing mistakes, pushing the limits and networking. As one of my third-year professors said, ‘When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.’
Bill Bannerman (BFA ’83)
Executive Producer, known for The Twilight Saga, The Predator, Masters of the Universe and more.
I was able to screen the rough cuts in class and get feedback from my peers and professors, and if it weren't for the criticism and advice I received, the film wouldn't be what it is.
Abraham D
Current student - Production
My film education at York helped me prepare to work in this industry. In particular, the hands-on experience provided by Professor David Roebuck was invaluable and instilled a deep work ethic in me. Meet like-minded people and never stop dreaming!
Howard Barish (BFA ’83)
President/Executive Producer - Kandoo Films, an Oscar nominated, Emmy award-winning entertainment company
Program Highlights
Access to state-of-the-art filmmaking technologies and facilities.
Opportunity to produce your own short films and to build a showreel, building the tools you need to showcase your work and develop your career.
Strong mentoring by internationally recognized and productive faculty.
Study film in Canada's cultural capital - Toronto. With hands-on learning that helps you thrive in the competitive film and television industry.
Small class sizes, ranging from 25 students in first-year to 10-15 students in upper years.
More than 50 years of nurturing creative, bold and meaningful work by new generations of filmmakers and scholars.
Learning Outcomes
Share your story, find your vision, build the future
Building a Solid Foundation
- Building a solid foundation with Introduction to Filmmaking, camera work and sound recording, technical aspects of film and video production, screenwriting essentials, and production planning.
- Understand cinema history in a cultural and economic context.
- Recognize cinema as an education in global citizenship.
Determine your specialization
- Determine your specialization through hands-on experience in multiple genres (fiction, documentary, experimental film).
- Acquire in-depth training as a director, cinematographer, sound recordist, production manager or picture & sound editor.
- Apply your learning with outreach into the film and television industry with field trips, internships and guest lectures, providing a doorway to a life of reflective and productive engagement in the industry.
How to Apply
Get Ready to Apply
IMPORTANT DATES
Stay informed about all the key dates and deadlines for applying. Make sure to submit your application by the specified deadline to ensure guaranteed consideration. Note that some programs require a supplementary application, so be sure to check the deadlines for those as well.
TUITION, FEES & FUNDING
Tuition and Fees will be paid to York University. For information on Undergraduate Tuition and Fees, please see the Future Students Website. Entrance Awards, Scholarships and Bursaries are available each year to support your education.
REQUIREMENTS
Our programs are open to students directly from high school, those with previous post-secondary studies, international students, exchange students, and mature applicants.
Get in Touch
Reach out to us for more information on our programs, upcoming events, open houses, and applying to AMPD. We're here to assist you with any questions you may have and to help guide you through the application process.
FAQs
- Yes, they are required to. Screenwriting students will also make films in their first year.
-
Every year approximately 175 undergraduate student works are produced in our department.
-
BFA graduates are known and respected throughout the Canadian industry for their technical and creative proficiency. As active professional filmmakers and media creators, the faculty are involved in the industry, allowing us to bring that experience and understanding into the classroom. The size of the department, its extensive facilities, its broad curriculum, the scale of student productions and perhaps most of all the extraordinary talent and dedication of our student body, all combine to create an accelerated learning experience like no other. York is located in the heart of the GTA, one of Canada’s primary film centres, and our Department is actively involved in the Canadian film, television and media industries. Professionals from all sectors of the industry regularly make their way up to visit our students. Upper level students may participate in a summer internship program that gives them on-the-job experience. For a significant number of students, their internship has led directly to employment with prominent companies in the film and television industry. Every year the Toronto International Film Festival includes York talent, with features and short films produced by alumni, faculty and often also current students. A university is very different from a training program which focuses solely on technical instruction.
York faculty are not only active in the industry but have chosen to work within the university setting because we like to think about what we do. The university experience is about much more than finding a job. At the same time, we believe the all-around experience York offers makes our graduates employable in a wider range of positions. This is demonstrated by the successes of our alumni, who include not only prominent directors, cinematographers, producers and editors, but also industry executives, casting directors, special effects designers etc. Our BA/Cinema and Media Studies graduates have gone on to positions as film critics, publicists, curators, educators, film festival organizers, book and magazine editors, teachers and professors. They have found a variety of jobs in the cultural industries working for film production houses, museums and galleries, in the broadcasting sector (TVO, History Channel, VisionTV, CBC etc) and (in two recent cases) setting up their own publishing company devoted to independent cinema. Some of our students have received prestigious scholarships to go on to graduate school to train as cutting-edge media researchers and film scholars.
-
Screenwriting students take the first year production course. Outside of class they are encouraged to work on the shoots of upper level production students to become more familiar with the production process.
-
Immerse yourself as much as you can in thought and activity related to film and media! Watch films outside the mainstream. Learn about the Canadian film industry and film communities. The students who do best in our admissions process tend to be those who have tested their own interest and discovered that it is a passion.
Need More Information?
If you have any questions or need further information, please don't hesitate to connect with us. Our team is here to help! You can also schedule a visit to see our campus in person.