The Saxon Film Academy opened its doors in Görlitz on March 22.
If you are looking for a career behind the camera, the Saxon Film Academy is the right place for you. On March 22, the new educational institution for training and further education for film professions began operations at the Görlitz location during an opening ceremony.
"The ten participants on the first 'Film Production Assistance' course will initially complete a six-week theoretical training course. This willthen be followed by a one to two-month internship at major film productions," explains Bernd Hölsken, coordinator of the Saxon Film Academy. He is convinced that his role and his many contacts in the film industry will provide them with excellent entry-level support. At the end of their training, the participants receive a certificate.
"Thetheoretical part of the training covers topics as diverse as film history, project management, location management, costing, copyright, sustainability - green film, and team development," says Bernd Hölsken. Experienced personalities from the film industry will offer their well-founded specialist knowledge to the course participants in short, coherent blocks of two to five days.
The Saxon Film Academy was established with funding from the Free State of Saxony and the support of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences as the responsible educational institution. The "Film Production Assistance" course is just the beginning. Further courses will follow with a similar scope and concept. The "Equipment Assistance" course starts in mid-May 2022. The "Assistant Lighting & Dollygrip" course will then start in August 2022.
The educational institutions, course participants, lecturers, friends and supporters of the Film Academy and representatives of the film industry came together in the KommWohnen ballroom for the 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 thus to the further economic development of the region. We have lecturers with professional experience who can pass on their tried-and-tested knowledge. And ideally, the practical part can be completed directly at local film productions," says the rector about the launch of the Saxon Film Academy.
Octavian Ursu, Lord Mayor of Görlitz, thanked all those involved in the realization of the Film Academy: "We are very pleased about this new further education offer and see it as a very profitable addition for the film industry and the film location Görlitz alike. We are optimistic that we will be able to offer participants good conditions with the practical relevance of the location and the Görliwood flair."
Following the congratulations from supporters such as the Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, the nearby seminar rooms of the Filmakademie at Jakobstraße 5a were visited. A place that has already made film history with the filming of 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 initiated by several well-known representatives of the film industry who came together in May 2020 to draw attention to the acute shortage of skilled workers in the film industry. The renowned producer of "X Filme" Stefan Arndt had the idea for the film academy in Görlitz. This should enable the film industry to fall back on local people who are familiar with the subject matter, speak the right language and can drive things forward locally with the appropriate local service providers.
Görlitz has made a name for itself as a film city far beyond Europe. In more than 60 years, "Görliwood" has been the backdrop for over 120 film productions. Last year, two more episodes of the TV crime series "Wolfsland" were filmed, David Hasselhoff was in front of the camera in "Ze Network" and the department store on Demianiplatz was the location for the series "Torstraße 1".
The Saxon Film Academy is now accepting applications for the following two courses:
Both courses are similar in scope and concept to the "Film Production Assistance" course.
Further information at www.saechsische-filmakademie.de.
