Basic Facts
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Year of Foundation:
1945
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Year of Receiving CILECT Full Membership:
1955
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Year of Receiving Last State Accreditation:
1945
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Agency (-ies) Who Awarded the State Accreditation:
Ministry of Education Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic
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Name of Director (Rector, Dean, Head of School):
David Čeněk
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Address:
Smetanovo Nábřeží 2, 116 65 Praha 1
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Country:
Czechia
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Website:
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Points of Contact
CILECT Contact Person:Dean: David ČeněkTelephone:+420 734 654 181Email:david.cenek@famu.czCILECT Contact Person:Administrator of FAMU International: Anna ŠlajováTelephone:+420 234 244 365Email:erasmus.incoming@famu.czCILECT Contact Person:Festival Coordinator: Vít SchmarcTelephone:+420 234 244 370Email:vit.schmarc@famu.cz
Mission & Strategy
The Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU) is one of the three faculties of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (DAMU, FAMU, HAMU) and the fifth oldest film school in Europe. Its students’ films win recognition with dozens of awards at film festivals around the world every year. FAMU’s study programmes combine both practical and theoretical approaches, thanks to which students acquire a comprehensive set of skills and knowledge needed to work in all professions of film, television, photography and new media.
FAMU is a founding member of the International Association of Film and Television Schools (CILECT), European League of Institutes of the Arts (ELIA), European Grouping of Film and Television Schools (GEECT) and European Film Academy, and an institutional member of the Czech Society for Film Studies (CEFS). FAMU plays an important role in involving its teachers and researchers in international professional organisations, and collaborates with Czech Television as well as international television companies. FAMU is also an institutional member of the Association for Film and Audiovisual Education.
FAMU students can use the classic film technology (16mm and 35mm) as well as modern digital scanning and post-production equipment.
FAMU has six accredited study programmes and twelve departments, which teach 12 programs in Czech and four programmes in English. The departments are: Department of Directing; Department of Documentary Film; Department of Cinematography; Department of Editing; Department of Photography; Department of Sound; Department of Animated Film; Department of Scriptwriting and Dramaturgy; Center for Audiovisual Studies; FAMU International; Department of Game Design.
Degree Areas
Animated Film
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Degree Awarded
BFA/MFA
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Training Type
Full-Time
Tuition Fees
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Residents
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Non-Residents
Number of Students
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Applicants (Male/Female/Other)
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Enrolled Students (Male/Female/Other)
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Students Total (Male/Female/Other)
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International Students incl. in Total (Male/Female/Other)
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Graduates incl. in Total (Male/Female/Other)
Admission Requirements
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Portfolio & Interview
No information
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Agreements with Foreign Governments
No information
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High Institution Matriculation
No information
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Recognized Prior Expertise
No information
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Talent Entrance Exams
No information
Language of Studies
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Language of Studies
Czech
Student Practical Work Obligations
Graduation Obligations per Student
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Practical Work
No information
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Written Thesis
No information
Budget Parameters
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Total Amount from School`s Budget Allocated to Production Annually
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Average Graduation Practical Work Budget per student
Directing – fiction
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Degree Awarded
Czech BFA/MFA, English MFA
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Training Type
Full-Time
Tuition Fees
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Residents
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Non-Residents
Number of Students
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Applicants (Male/Female/Other)
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Enrolled Students (Male/Female/Other)
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Students Total (Male/Female/Other)
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International Students incl. in Total (Male/Female/Other)
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Graduates incl. in Total (Male/Female/Other)
Admission Requirements
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Portfolio & Interview
No information
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Agreements with Foreign Governments
No information
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High Institution Matriculation
No information
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Recognized Prior Expertise
No information
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Talent Entrance Exams
No information
Language of Studies
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Language of Studies
Czech/English
Student Practical Work Obligations
Graduation Obligations per Student
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Practical Work
No information
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Written Thesis
No information
Budget Parameters
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Total Amount from School`s Budget Allocated to Production Annually
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Average Graduation Practical Work Budget per student
Directing – documentary film
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Degree Awarded
BFA/MFA
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Training Type
Full-Time
Tuition Fees
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Residents
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Non-Residents
Number of Students
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Applicants (Male/Female/Other)
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Enrolled Students (Male/Female/Other)
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Students Total (Male/Female/Other)
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International Students incl. in Total (Male/Female/Other)
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Graduates incl. in Total (Male/Female/Other)
Admission Requirements
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Portfolio & Interview
No information
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Agreements with Foreign Governments
No information
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High Institution Matriculation
No information
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Recognized Prior Expertise
No information
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Talent Entrance Exams
No information
Language of Studies
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Language of Studies
Czech
Student Practical Work Obligations
Graduation Obligations per Student
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Practical Work
No information
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Written Thesis
No information
Budget Parameters
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Total Amount from School`s Budget Allocated to Production Annually
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Average Graduation Practical Work Budget per student
Cinematography
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Degree Awarded
Czech BFA/MFA, English MFA
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Training Type
Full-Time
Tuition Fees
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Residents
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Non-Residents
Number of Students
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Applicants (Male/Female/Other)
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Enrolled Students (Male/Female/Other)
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Students Total (Male/Female/Other)
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International Students incl. in Total (Male/Female/Other)
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Graduates incl. in Total (Male/Female/Other)
Admission Requirements
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Portfolio & Interview
No information
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Agreements with Foreign Governments
No information
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High Institution Matriculation
No information
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Recognized Prior Expertise
No information
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Talent Entrance Exams
No information
Language of Studies
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Language of Studies
Czech/English
Student Practical Work Obligations
Graduation Obligations per Student
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Practical Work
No information
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Written Thesis
No information
Budget Parameters
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Total Amount from School`s Budget Allocated to Production Annually
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Average Graduation Practical Work Budget per student
Photography
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Degree Awarded
Czech BFA/MFA, English MFA
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Training Type
Full-Time
Tuition Fees
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Residents
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Non-Residents
Number of Students
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Applicants (Male/Female/Other)
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Enrolled Students (Male/Female/Other)
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Students Total (Male/Female/Other)
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International Students incl. in Total (Male/Female/Other)
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Graduates incl. in Total (Male/Female/Other)
Admission Requirements
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Portfolio & Interview
No information
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Agreements with Foreign Governments
No information
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High Institution Matriculation
No information
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Recognized Prior Expertise
No information
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Talent Entrance Exams
No information
Language of Studies
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Language of Studies
Czech/English
Student Practical Work Obligations
Graduation Obligations per Student
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Practical Work
No information
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Written Thesis
No information
Budget Parameters
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Total Amount from School`s Budget Allocated to Production Annually
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Average Graduation Practical Work Budget per student
Screenwriting and Dramaturgy
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Degree Awarded
BFA/MFA
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Training Type
Full-Time
Tuition Fees
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Residents
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Non-Residents
Number of Students
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Applicants (Male/Female/Other)
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Enrolled Students (Male/Female/Other)
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Students Total (Male/Female/Other)
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International Students incl. in Total (Male/Female/Other)
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Graduates incl. in Total (Male/Female/Other)
Admission Requirements
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Portfolio & Interview
No information
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Agreements with Foreign Governments
No information
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High Institution Matriculation
No information
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Recognized Prior Expertise
No information
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Talent Entrance Exams
No information
Language of Studies
-
Language of Studies
Czech
Student Practical Work Obligations
Graduation Obligations per Student
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Practical Work
No information
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Written Thesis
No information
Budget Parameters
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Total Amount from School`s Budget Allocated to Production Annually
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Average Graduation Practical Work Budget per student
Sound Production
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Degree Awarded
BFA/MFA
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Training Type
Full-Time
Tuition Fees
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Residents
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Non-Residents
Number of Students
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Applicants (Male/Female/Other)
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Enrolled Students (Male/Female/Other)
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Students Total (Male/Female/Other)
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International Students incl. in Total (Male/Female/Other)
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Graduates incl. in Total (Male/Female/Other)
Admission Requirements
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Portfolio & Interview
No information
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Agreements with Foreign Governments
No information
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High Institution Matriculation
No information
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Recognized Prior Expertise
No information
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Talent Entrance Exams
No information
Language of Studies
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Language of Studies
Czech
Student Practical Work Obligations
Graduation Obligations per Student
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Practical Work
No information
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Written Thesis
No information
Budget Parameters
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Total Amount from School`s Budget Allocated to Production Annually
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Average Graduation Practical Work Budget per student
Montage
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Degree Awarded
Czech BFA/MFA, English MFA
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Training Type
Full-Time
Tuition Fees
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Residents
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Non-Residents
Number of Students
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Applicants (Male/Female/Other)
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Enrolled Students (Male/Female/Other)
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Students Total (Male/Female/Other)
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International Students incl. in Total (Male/Female/Other)
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Graduates incl. in Total (Male/Female/Other)
Admission Requirements
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Portfolio & Interview
No information
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Agreements with Foreign Governments
No information
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High Institution Matriculation
No information
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Recognized Prior Expertise
No information
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Talent Entrance Exams
No information
Language of Studies
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Language of Studies
Czech/English
Student Practical Work Obligations
Graduation Obligations per Student
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Practical Work
No information
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Written Thesis
No information
Budget Parameters
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Total Amount from School`s Budget Allocated to Production Annually
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Average Graduation Practical Work Budget per student
Game Design
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Degree Awarded
MFA
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Training Type
Full-Time
Tuition Fees
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Residents
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Non-Residents
Number of Students
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Applicants (Male/Female/Other)
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Enrolled Students (Male/Female/Other)
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Students Total (Male/Female/Other)
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International Students incl. in Total (Male/Female/Other)
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Graduates incl. in Total (Male/Female/Other)
Admission Requirements
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Portfolio & Interview
No information
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Agreements with Foreign Governments
No information
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High Institution Matriculation
No information
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Recognized Prior Expertise
No information
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Talent Entrance Exams
No information
Language of Studies
-
Language of Studies
Czech
Student Practical Work Obligations
Graduation Obligations per Student
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Practical Work
No information
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Written Thesis
No information
Budget Parameters
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Total Amount from School`s Budget Allocated to Production Annually
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Average Graduation Practical Work Budget per student
Producing
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Degree Awarded
BFA/MFA
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Training Type
Full-Time
Tuition Fees
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Residents
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Non-Residents
Number of Students
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Applicants (Male/Female/Other)
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Enrolled Students (Male/Female/Other)
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Students Total (Male/Female/Other)
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International Students incl. in Total (Male/Female/Other)
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Graduates incl. in Total (Male/Female/Other)
Admission Requirements
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Portfolio & Interview
No information
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Agreements with Foreign Governments
No information
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High Institution Matriculation
No information
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Recognized Prior Expertise
No information
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Talent Entrance Exams
No information
Language of Studies
-
Language of Studies
Czech
Student Practical Work Obligations
Graduation Obligations per Student
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Practical Work
No information
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Written Thesis
No information
Budget Parameters
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Total Amount from School`s Budget Allocated to Production Annually
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Average Graduation Practical Work Budget per student
Audiovisual Studies
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Degree Awarded
BFA/MFA
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Training Type
Full-Time
Tuition Fees
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Residents
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Non-Residents
Number of Students
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Applicants (Male/Female/Other)
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Enrolled Students (Male/Female/Other)
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Students Total (Male/Female/Other)
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International Students incl. in Total (Male/Female/Other)
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Graduates incl. in Total (Male/Female/Other)
Admission Requirements
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Portfolio & Interview
No information
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Agreements with Foreign Governments
No information
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High Institution Matriculation
No information
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Recognized Prior Expertise
No information
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Talent Entrance Exams
No information
Language of Studies
-
Language of Studies
Czech
Student Practical Work Obligations
Graduation Obligations per Student
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Practical Work
No information
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Written Thesis
No information
Budget Parameters
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Total Amount from School`s Budget Allocated to Production Annually
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Average Graduation Practical Work Budget per student
Key Teaching Staff
Jitka Hejtmanová
Jitka Hejtmanová studied journalism and media theory at Charles University in Prague and, later on, photography at FAMU. She has worked as a journalist, editor and photographer. During her PhD studies at FAMU, she took over the care of incoming Erasmus exchange students (2006) and, since 2008, has worked at the FAMU International Department. She took her maternity leave in 2016 while serving as the Deputy Head of the Department, and in 2021 she won the tendering procedure for the Head of the Department position. She defended her position in June 2024 and became the Head of Department for the next four years.
In addition to her work at FAMU, which keeps her busy to the maximum, she is involved in photography and editorial work.
Jaroslav Brabec
Jaroslav Brabec teaches seminar and practical exercises at the Department of Cinematography with a focus on the theoretical and practical ability to control the dramaturgy of film image colouring, and he also supervises some of the joint exercises with other FAMU departments. Jaroslav Brabec graduated from the Department of Cinematography and has been a teacher there since 1987. For a number of years, he worked as cameraman Jaroslav Kučera’s assistant in both professional practice and in teaching at FAMU. He habilitated as Associate Professor 2006; ten years later, he was appointed Professor. Besides his teaching activities, he also works as a director and cameraman, in particular for Czech Television, and he has also ventured into the realm of theatre directing in several Prague theatres. For decades, he has photographed artists, visual artists in particular, and – being an active diver – taken black and white underwater photos.
Martin Stecker
Martin Stecker is a photographer with a focus on architectural and landscape photography as well as traditional and historic photographic techniques. Currently, he works as the Head of the Department of Photography at FAMU where he leads the Traditional Photography Studio. Martin Stecker works with a number of publishing houses (Academia, Slovart, Albatros and others); he was involved in the preparations for the permanent exhibition of the Sedlčany Municipal Museum and various exhibitions at the National Museum in Prague. His photographs of archaeological finds were part of the Celtic Art exhibition in Tokyo and the travelling exhibition called The Centre of Europe Around 1000 A.D. Martin Stecker is currently working on a long-term project dedicated to Benedictine monasteries.
Alice Růžičková
Alice Růžičková is a film director, dramaturge and teacher. She studied at the Faculty of Science of Charles University in 1984–1991, graduating in Biology Teaching/Mathematics and Specialised Zoology/Entomology, in addition to graduating from FAMU’s Department of Documentary Film. She completed the course titled Projectionist–Mechanic for 35/16mm Film and New Screening Technologies organised by Kinotechnika in Klánovice and worked as a projectionist at the Slovanský dům Multiplex Cinema. Since 1996, she been involved in authorial and experimental film projects along with cinematographer and editor Martin Čihák. She films programmes for Czech TV as well as her own productions. She is a co-author of the film jingles for the RESPECT ethnic music festival held at Prague Castle and the Jihlava IDFF. She publishes essays on authorial approaches to film and interviews with luminaries of Czech documentary and experimental cinema. Since 1999, she has been active at FAMU in various positions – in addition to instruction, she has also worked as the Vice-Dean for Study Affairs and is currently the Head of the Department of Documentary Film.
Marek Vajchr
Marek Vajchr graduated from the Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Bohemian and German Studies. He is an editor of the Revolver Revue in which he publishes his critiques, essays, and translations. Examples of his editorial work include Czech versions of H.-G. Gadamer’s book The Relevance of the Beautiful, Emil Staiger’s Poetika, interpretace, style, and an anthology of Czech underground poetry, U nás ve sklepě. He has authored the fiction books Proml…čitelnost and Jména příběhu as well as the monographs The Invisible Knight, or the Dawn of Imagination and Strašidelné Čechy. Selections of his critiques and essays were released in the tomes titled Vyložené knihy and Honba za smyslem.
Michaela Pavlátová
Michaela Pavlátová is a director and teacher. She has received numerous awards for her animated films, including the César Award, the Jury Award at Annecy, and a Golden Globe nomination for her feature film My Sunny Maad (2021). Her animated short films Tram, Repete and Words, Words, Words received nominations for the Oscar, the Golden Bear at the Berlinale, the Annecy Cristal and other awards. She also directed the feature films Unfaithful Games (2003) and Children of the Night (2008). Since 2015, she has been the Head of the Department of Animated Film at FAMU in Prague.
Tomáš Doruška
Tomáš Doruška is an editor, director and producer. He graduated from FAMU in editing. As an editor, he has participated in some 50 projects: feature films, animations and documentaries. He co-produced his short story debut Radhošť (2001), for which he won the FICC award. Since 2006, he has worked as a FAMU teachers and lectured all over Europe. As a director and editor, he made 20 short documentaries and independent films.
Pavel Rejholec
Pavel Rejholec is a sound designer, music composer, and producer. A graduate of the Department of Sound Production at FAMU (1997), he has been the head of the Department since 2011. In 1994, he co-founded the Cinemasound company – the first Dolby digital mixing studio in the Czech Republic; since 2003, he has been the managing director of Soundsquare. As a sound designer, he has been involved in more than 45 feature films and several international projects. He has worked as the dubbing supervisor for Lucasfilm on the second and third Star Wars instalments, and has also worked for Netflix, Dreamworks and 20th Century Fox. He is the holder of eight Czech Lion awards for the best sound (Zátopek, 2021; The Painted Bird, 2019; Masaryk, 2016; In the Shadow, 2012; Kuky se vráci, 2010; Three Seasons in Hell, 2009; Tobruk, 2008; Grandhotel, 2006), and has also received nominations in the same category (Dawn, 2023; Bird Atlas, 2021; The Man with Hare Ears, 2021; Havel, 2020; The Glass Room, 2019 etc.). In 2020, he won the DAFF German Television Academy award for the best sound for the series Das Boot.
Bohdan Sláma
Bohdan Sláma graduated from the Faculty of Civil Engineering at CTU and FAMU. He is a film director, screenwriter, actor and teacher, and the Head of the Department of Directing at FAMU in Prague. He has made several award-winning feature films which have been successful among audiences and critics at both Czech and international film festivals. He is the recipient of several Czech Lions for directing and screenwriting. His films include Wild Bees (2001, first prizes at festivals in Rotterdam and San Francisco), Something Like Happiness (2005, Czech Lion for Best Film, Director, Screenplay, Cinematography, Lead Actress, Supporting Actress and Lead Actor; first prize at the San Sebastian festival), Country Teacher (2008, Czech Lion for the best screenplay and supporting actress; appreciated at the Venice Film Festival), Ice Mother (2017, Czech Lion 2017 for the best film, direction, screenplay), Shadow Country (2020, Czech Lion 2020), Dry Season (2024), and The End of the World (2024).
Martin Blažíček
Martin Blažíček graduated from FAMU, majoring in editing, and received his doctorate for his work on Live Cinema. He focuses on film and video as a living audiovisual form, often using open and performative forms when working with media. The central point of his work is the question of perception, the flicker effect and the emotionality associated with watching media. From the 1990s to the 2000s, he frequently used a combination of traditional film technology and digital media, and in recent years he has been creating his own software tools. In an international context, he performed with a number of musicians in the form of open audiovisual improvisations, including at ZKM Karlsruhe, Diapason Gallery New York, High Zero Baltimore, MAK Vienna, Terrace Gallery London, City Art Gallery Leeds, Live Cinema Festival Rome, PAF Olomouc, OFF Biennale Budapest and others. He was part of the film performance group Mikroloops and the live-coding group Kolektiv. He took part in two performances of the Brno group D’epog (2019–21), one of which he adapted in the form of a medium-length film Series (2023). As a curator, he participated in the multimedia program Roxy/NoD (2007–2008) and Galerie Školská 28 (2010–2012), the New Media Festival, Schmalfilmtage Dresden, Lux London and others. He is the author of studies on Czechoslovak underground cinema of the 1980s, video art and experimental film. He is the co-author of Mapping the Moving Image (NFA/Spector Books, 2023).
Tereza Czesany Dvořáková
Tereza Czesany Dvořáková graduated from the Department of Production at FAMU (2003) and the Department of Film Studies at FF UK (2002) where she also earned her doctorate (2011). She has more than 20 years of experience in the academic environment, is an assistant professor at KFS FF UK, works or has worked in teaching and research at other universities (FAMU, AMU, DAMU, UTB, IES UK, VŠKK, etc.), and regularly participates in scientific projects and international science conferences. She acts as a member of committees in the assessment of scientific projects (including AMU Excellent, GAUK, etc.). She was the editor of the AMU scientific journal ArteActa (2017–2022). She has authored scientific and popular science studies and publications. In her research, she specializes in production studies, film history, the contemporary Czech film industry, film education and education, and the history of FAMU.
Andrej Sýkora
Andrej Sýkora studied audiovisual art at the Center for Audiovisual Studies at FAMU in Prague, focusing primarily on gallery work straddling the line between game art and contemporary visual art. In his work, he often uses web technologies and interfaces, javascript game engines, databases, and procedural generation of content. He is a member of the NAKI III Digital Games research group focused on the archiving of Czech digital games with a project of research into Czech and Slovak online text role-playing games. Since 2008, he has been professionally engaged in programming web applications and systems. He has co-owned the Ranked developer company since 2017. He also currently works as the lead developer on an as yet unannounced video game set in the comic world created by illustrator Tomáš Motal.
Department of Theory and History of Audiovision
Jindřiška Bláhová is a film historian, educator, journalist, and assistant professor at FAMU where she has been at the helm of the Department for Theory and History of Audiovision since 2023. She also works as the Head of AMU’s Centre for Doctoral Studies and the editor-in-chief of the film magazine Cinepur. Having graduated from Charles University’s Faculty of Social Sciences in journalism and media studies, she earned her doctoral degree at the University of East Anglia in the UK and the Film Studies Department of Charles University’s Faculty of Arts where she worked as an assistant professor in 2014–21. She chairs the Association of Czech Film Critics and is the executive coproducer of the Czech Film Critics’ Awards. In her research and educational activity, she specialises in the history of film festivals, cinema culture of the socialist era, transformation era culture, and history of the American film industry. Her essays were published in the Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Film History, and Post Script. She has authored several book chapters and edited a book on the pre–1989 history of the Karlovy Vary IFF, Proplétání světů. Mezinárodní filmový festival Karlovy Vary v období studené války (NFA 2023), an outcome of a Czech Science Foundation grant project to which she contributed three chapters. She leads FAMU’s Comfort Media research team.
Successful Graduates
Věra Chytilová
Věra Chytilová (2 February 1929 – 12 March 2014) was an avant-garde Czech film director and pioneer of Czech cinema. Banned by the Czechoslovak government in the 1960s, she is best known for her Czech New Wave film, Sedmikrásky (Daisies). Her subsequent films screened at international film festivals, including Vlčí bouda (1987), which screened at the 37th Berlin International Film Festival, A Hoof Here, a Hoof There (1989), which screened at the 16th Moscow International Film Festival, and The Inheritance or Fuckoffguysgoodday (1992), which screened at the 18th Moscow International Film Festival. For her work, she received the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Medal of Merit and the Czech Lion award.
Petr Jarchovský
Petr Jarchovský (born 6 October 1966 in Prague) is a Czech screenwriter, whose writing credits include Big Beat (1993), Cosy Dens (1999), and Divided We Fall (2000). Jarchovský is a frequent and long-term collaborator with director Jan Hřebejk.
Petr Zelenka
Petr Zelenka (born 21 August 1967 in Prague, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech playwright and director of theatre and film. His films have been recognized at international festivals in Moscow and Rotterdam. In 2008, his film Karamazovi was the Czech Republic’s official Oscar submission for Best Foreign Language Film.
Filip Remunda
Filip Remunda (born 1973 in Prague, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech film director, cinematographer and producer. He is best known for co-directing the 2004 documentary comedy Czech Dream (Czech: Český sen).
Jan Svěrák
Jan Svěrák (born 6 February 1965 in Žatec) is a Czech film director. He is the son of screenwriter and actor Zdeněk Svěrák. He studied documentary filmmaking at the FAMU. He and his films have received awards including the Academy Award, Crystal Globe, Golden Globe Award, and Tokyo Grand Prix.