The application guideline and promotional video for the BFA (BIFF Film Academy), which is the first Film Studies degree program in Korea to be designed and operated by a film festival, were released on the BFA's official website.

The Busan International Film Festival unveiled the official website for the BFA, a global Film Studies degree program, which was first announced last month. The application guidelines and the promo video uploaded on the website provides a preview of the official admissions application process for the program, signaling that the program has taken off in earnest.

[BFA's Unique Academic Program]

The BFA degree program was established with the goal of fostering global film professionals under the motto: "Education for Film, Education through Film." From its developmental stages, the BFA's degree program began with the contemplation by global film professionals of the most effective film education for students who are dreaming of becoming filmmakers. Based on such contemplation, every class was designed systematically. Three degrees – Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate –were established. The undergraduate program includes filmmaking and media acting majors, while the graduate program trains film production and film theory majors. The doctorate program focuses on film theory. The filmmaking major provides a diversity of courses in professional film education, from overall film production, which includes directing and technical education, to practical field trainings in conjunction with the Busan International Film Festival's project. The Film Theory major provides an advanced theory education on the arts, which includes the study of both the film and culture industries with focus on acquiring practical and independent critical thinking abilities through case studies analyses; fostering a deeper understanding and insight about cinema and the world through studies of Asian humanities subjects, and presenting a new methodology based on an understanding of cinema and the world. For the undergraduate program, a Media Acting major was established to help students adjust to production locations through a co-production workshop with the Filmmaking majors.

[Excellent Faculty - a Hands-on Coaching System with Korean Master Directors]

The Busan International Film Festival selected the faculty by recruiting the best directors in Korea and the best veteran theory specialists from Asia in order to create an educational program that concentrates on field and practice, the two primary tracks of film education. With the BFA faculty, students can experience the cinematic worldview of master directors, create meaningful connections with them, and receive direct coaching through the newly added mentoring system, which has been incorporated into the project-based, co-production practice provided by BFA. Through this process, students can have a variety of substantial experiences that will serve as a foundation for becoming a professional filmmaker. Apart from the core curriculum, diverse educational opportunities, such as master classes with film production specialists or renowned filmmakers, will be available to all students.

[Accepting Applications]

The application guidelines are distributed through BFA's official website (bfa.biff.kr). The overall information on the program, such as the program overview, the degrees offered, the admission guidelines, and the curriculum can be found on the website.
A foundation program (online courses) is offered for students preparing for undergraduate admission, and it is currently accepting applications as well. The foundation program is a preliminary education that includes Korean language and basic education on film studies. Anyone who intends to enter the BFA undergraduate program can apply for the foundation program.