UNIVERSITY OF THEATRE AND FILM ARTS BUDAPEST
The University of Theatre and Film Arts Budapest (SZFE) is the oldest art institution of higher education in Hungary that educates theoretical and practical professionals in the fields of theatre, film and television. The history of the institution goes back to 1865 when the actor training in Hungary began and the School of Acting opened its gates. On January 1st, 2000, the institution was awarded the title of University.
The institution celebrated the 150th anniversary of its foundation in academic year 2015/2016, the results of a hundred and fifty years of work, which earned unprecedented honour, rank and prestige both at home and in the world. Oscar-winning artists like Mihály Kertész, Vilmos Zsigmond, István Szabó and Géza Röhrig also studied at SZFE. The great director, Béla Tarr or Mari Törőcsik who won the Grand Prize in Cannes were also among our students. Over the past decades, the majority of today’s prestigious Hungarian actors and directors got a diploma at this institution.
The teachers of SZFE are active artists, creative professionals of art theory and the most respected figures in their profession. The exceptionally gifted students are selected carefully from thirty times more applicants each year. In small groups, using practice-oriented skills development trainings, the Hungarian art tradition is inherited from the masters to the students, while fresh creative energy constantly renews the artistic practice. The most influential living representatives of theatre, film and television all studied at the University, and they make the University a future-shaping, significant participant of the Hungarian cultural identity.
The University of Theatre and Film Arts Budapest has 5 institutes – departments:
Institute of Theatre Arts
Institute of Film and Media
Institute of Art Theory and Mediation
Department of PhD in Arts and DLA of Arts
Department of Adult Education and Training
Our university courses include Acting, Stage Directing, Dramaturgy, Applied Theatre, Motion Picture Studies (with specializations in Editing, Directing, Sound Directing, Cameraman, Production and Dramaturgy), Production Design, Documentary Filmmaking, and Composing for Theatre and Motion Picture (in cooperation with Liszt Academy). Dance and movement have an important role in our curriculum and for the first time in academic year 2008/2009 we launched a 5-year degree program for Choreographer-Director for Physical Theatre.
We have a Joint Master’s program called DocNomads together with universities from Lisbon and Brussels and a new Joint Master program for cinematographers called Viewfinder in collaboration with universities from Ireland and Estonia. We launched our current DLA program in 2000 and our PhD in Arts program in 2015.
The University has more than 30 bilateral agreements and sends students for exchange programs and internships to prominent British, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Lithuanian, and French theatres, workshops, numerous film production companies and television channels. The University also hosts students primarily from Belgium, Portugal, Lithuania, Norway, France, Ireland and Romania.
