Studying film in Italy can combine artistic and cultural study with hands-on production, depending on the school and program. The options below range from English-taught, non-degree film-school programs to Italian-taught bachelor’s and master’s programs in cinema, media, and the performing arts.
Students should compare the type of credential, language of instruction, curriculum, duration, and practical opportunities before applying. Let’s take a look at the top schools in Italy for film.
Top Film Schools in Italy
1. Rome International Film School
- Study Program
- Programs Offered: One-Year, One-Semester, 10-Week, Summer, Masterclass, Online, and Acting Programs | Medium of Instruction: English
Rome International Film School is an English-language film school in Rome offering practical programs in film, television, and new media. Its current options include a one-year hands-on filmmaking program, semester programs, a 10-week filmmaking program, a summer program, masterclasses, periodic online courses, and an intensive acting program.
The one-year curriculum includes directing, screenwriting, cinematography, editing, acting for directors, short-film studies, sound, and production design. Students develop and complete their own films and work on their classmates’ productions. The school’s facilities include classrooms, studio and editing spaces, a production office, editing stations, cameras, and lighting, grip, and sound equipment.
2. New York Film Academy – Florence
- Study Program
- Programs Offered: One-Year Certificate Programs, Semester Programs and Exchanges, Short-Term Workshops, and Youth Summer Camps | Medium of Instruction: English
New York Film Academy’s Florence campus offers English-taught programs in filmmaking and acting. Its current options include one-year certificate programs, semester programs and exchanges, short-term workshops, and youth summer camps.
The campus occupies a historic building in Florence that was reconstructed on the ruins of an ancient Roman amphitheater. It has modern instructional spaces, an editing room, a filming studio, cameras, and production equipment. Filmmaking students write, direct, shoot, and edit their own projects as part of NYFA’s hands-on training model.
3. Sapienza University of Rome
Sapienza University of Rome was founded in 1303 by Pope Boniface VIII and is one of the world’s oldest universities. Its current film-related offerings include the three-year bachelor’s program in Theater, Film and Media and the two-year master’s program in Media Production Studies and Performing Arts. Both programs are taught in Italian and delivered in person.
The programs are offered through the Department of History, Anthropology, Religion, Arts and Performing Arts. The bachelor’s study plan includes subjects such as film history, television history, the economics of cinema and media, contemporary cinema, and screenwriting. The master’s program covers media production and the performing arts, including study relating to cinema and new media. These are multidisciplinary university degrees rather than production-only filmmaking programs.
4. University of Turin
Founded in 1404, the University of Turin offers a three-year, 180-credit bachelor’s program in Music, Performing Arts, Cinema and New Media and a two-year, 120-credit master’s program in Cinema, Theatre, Music and Media. Both programs are taught in Italian.
The curricula combine historical and theoretical study with applied activities. Current course materials include work in areas such as screenwriting, documentary cinema, directing approaches, and the analysis and design of audiovisual and performing-arts productions. Students should consult the study plan for their intended intake year because individual courses and workshops may change.
5. University of Milan
The University of Milan is a public university with almost 60,000 students. The program listed here, Music, Cultures, Media, Performance, is a two-year, 120-ECTS master’s program taught in Italian. It is not a combined bachelor’s-and-master’s filmmaking pathway.
The interdisciplinary program includes film-related options such as Theories of Moving Image, Cinema and Cultural Studies, Film Production and Media Industries, and film workshops or internships. Its scope is broader than practical filmmaking and also covers music, performance, media, cinema theory, cultural analysis, and related professional contexts.
Italy offers several routes into film-related study, from intensive filmmaking certificates to bachelor’s and master’s degrees in cinema, media, and the performing arts. Review each institution’s official program page before applying, as course offerings, dates, fees, and admission procedures may change.
We hope this article has presented you with useful options for pursuing a film education in Italy. If you are interested, check out the Italy Page and Available Programs for International Students in Europe.
