The ifs internationale filmschule köln is an initiative of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen. It was founded as a non-profit limited liability company and its current partners are the Filmstiftung NRW and the ZDF Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen.
The ifs emerged at the start of 2000 from the successful models of the Schreibschule Köln e.V. and the Filmschule NRW e.V. – with the aim of expanding the education programs on offer.
With the start of the Film Studies program with a specialization in Screenwriting, Directing and Creative Producing in 2002, the ifs internationale filmschule köln transformed itself from a mere further education school for film and TV professionals to a full study and further education institution, serving both those just making their first steps in the film world as well as experienced professionals aiming to acquire further qualifications.
A franchise contract concluded with the University of Applied Sciences in Cologne has made it possible to offer our students an internationally acclaimed academic degree. Through this contract, the ifs Film Studies program has become an accredited Bachelor program the summer of 2004, making the ifs internationale filmschule köln the first publicly funded film school in Germany to offer the international “Bachelor of Arts” degree.
In the summer of 2009, our second Bachelor program »Editing Picture & Sound« commenced – a undergraduate program for picture and sound editing that is unique in its form and structure.
With the start of the winter semester 2012/13 the former »Editing Picture & Sound« program is part of the new Bachelor program »Digital Film Arts« (with specialization in »Editing Picture & Sound« and »Visual Arts«).
In 2010 the third Bachelor program »Director of Photography« was launched.
In 2011 started the first Master program of the ifs, the post-graduate program MA Screenwriting, a collaboration between the ifs internationale filmschule köln in Cologne,
Germany, the School of Media, Music and Performance at the University of Salford in Manchester, UK, and the Tampere Art and Media School at the University of Applied Sciences in Tampere, Finland.