The first flap has fallen!
The Saxon Film Academy opened its doors in Görlitz on March 22.
If you’re looking to pursue a career behind the camera, the Saxon Film Academy is the perfect place for you. On March 22, the new educational institution for training and continuing education in film professions officially opened its doors in Görlitz with a grand opening ceremony.
“The ten participants in the first ‘Film Production Assistant’ course will first complete a six-week theoretical training program. This will be followed by a one- to two-month internship with major film productions,” explains Bernd Hölsken, coordinator of the Saxon Film Academy. He is convinced that, thanks to his role and his extensive contacts in the film industry, the participants will receive good support in getting their careers started. Upon completion of their training, the participants will receive a certificate.
“The theoretical portion of the training covers a wide range of topics, including film history, project management, location management, budgeting, copyright law, sustainability—green film—and team development,” says Bernd Hölsken. Experienced professionals from the film industry will share their in-depth expertise with course participants in short, cohesive blocks lasting two to five days.
The Saxon Film Academy was established with funding from the Free State of Saxony and support from Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences as the responsible educational institution. The “Film Production Assistant” course is just the beginning, as additional courses of similar scope and design will follow. The “Production Design Assistant” course begins in mid-May 2022 . The “Lighting & Dolly Grip Assistant” course will then start in August 2022 .
Educational institutions, course participants, faculty members, friends, and supporters of the Film Academy, as well as representatives from the film industry, gathered in the ballroom at KommWohnen for the grand opening ceremony. They were welcomed by Octavian Ursu, Mayor of Görlitz, and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kratzsch, Rector of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences.
“We see this as an important contribution by our educational institution to securing and expanding professional expertise and, thereby, to the region’s continued economic development. We have experienced instructors who can pass on their practical, field-tested knowledge. And ideally, the practical component can be completed directly on-site during film productions,” said the Rector at the launch of the Saxon Film Academy.
Octavian Ursu, mayor of Görlitz, thanked everyone involved in bringing the Film Academy to life: “We are very pleased about this new continuing education program and see it as a highly beneficial addition for both the film industry and Görlitz as a filming location. We are optimistic that we can offer participants good conditions thanks to the hands-on experience available here and the ‘Görliwood’ atmosphere.”
Following congratulations from supporters such as the Central German Media Fund, attendees toured the Film Academy’s nearby seminar facilities at Jakobstraße 5a—a location that has already made film history as the set for the movie *The Reader*.
Photos: Marcel Schröder
In an article entitled "The new Görlitz Film Academy", MDR Sachsenspiegel reports on the first day of the Saxon Film Academy course. The video can be viewed in the media library until 30.03.22: Link to the media library
The HSZG-Medienspiegel provides an overview of further reporting on the start of the SFA.
The Saxon Film Academy was founded on the initiative of several prominent figures in the film industry, who came together in May 2020 to provide information about the acute shortage of skilled workers in the film industry. Stefan Arndt, the renowned producer of “X Filme,” came up with the idea for the film academy in Görlitz. The academy is intended to enable the film industry to draw on local talent who are familiar with the subject matter, speak the right language, and can move projects forward on the ground with the help of local service providers who know the area well.
Görlitz has made a name for itself as a film city far beyond Europe. In more than 60 years, “Görliwood” has served as the backdrop for over 120 film productions. Last year, two more episodes of the TV crime series “Wolfsland” were filmed; David Hasselhoff appeared in “Ze Network,” and the department store on Demianiplatz served as a filming location for the series “Torstraße 1.”
Effective immediately, the Saxon Film Academy is accepting applications for the following two courses:
- “Props Assistant” begins in mid-May 2022
- "Lighting & Dolly Grip Assistant" begins in August 2022
Both courses are similar in scope and structure to the “Film Production Assistant” course.
For more information, visit www.saechsische-filmakademie.de.
1st floor
