MA FILM - ifs internationale filmschule köln

Successful work in today’s film and media landscape requires contemporary renewal. Perspective, content and aesthetic forms must be re-examined with the aim of challenging and enriching audiences through socially relevant topics and innovative ideas for audiovisual experiences.

Co-creation, cooperation and innovation

The newly conceived Master’s program Film is based on cooperation between students from diverse disciplines who work on rethinking the medium of film in correlation to current social issues and explore new narrative forms. The starting point for this is the idea that collective experience through practical experimentation enriches both the learning process and the production process, the result of which is more than the sum of its parts. Co-creative work can release an energy that amplifies, even multiplies, the potential of individual artistic input. This is where the new degree program comes in and offers filmmakers the opportunity to expand their previously individually acquired subject-specific competences with an integral and substantial understanding of film.

Social relevance

Furthermore, the focus is on the question of why and for whom a film is “created”. In an ever-changing socio-political climate, it is important to consider questions of representation, as these are inextricably linked to questions of representational aesthetics. What narratives are centered, marginalised or erased and why? How, for example, do critical questions of diversity expand aesthetic sensibilities but also possibilities? As Jean-Luc Godard aptly summed up: “It’s not about making political films, it’s about making films politically.”

Exploration and development of one’s own visual language

Another aspect of the study lies in the exploration of the grammatical signs of the visual semantics of moving images and their narrative structure. This includes questions of narrative form, compositional questions – the demands of our time often decide the question of the rhythm of a particular scene. This should enable students to analyse how different techniques create a characteristic aesthetic and help them find a way to their own film language.

The program

On the way to a comprehensive final project, the students will work together in a team to identify current and socially relevant material and analyse it in terms of craft. They will learn to interpret the aesthetic stylistic devices used, try out co-creative forms of material development, explore new creative paths and try themselves out in practical acting workshops – if necessary also away from classic role distributions. Students and lecturers will critically examine the media landscape and its funding models in Europe and think about new forms of production possibilities (green producing, no-budget systems, etc.). Students will experiment with different formats that expand their senses, whether they provide additional perspectives on the actual world, interpret reality with documentary forms or create completely unreal, fictional narratives.

In this way, the study program offers space for an individual and collective, as well as artistic, field of research in preparation for an industry that is facing increasingly complex framework conditions and must respond more intensely to this with new working methods and structures.

Target group and requirements

The German-language degree program is aimed at young filmmakers from audiovisual creative fields (such as directing, producing, cinematography, editing, sound design, screenwriting, production design) with a strong team spirit, interest in co-creative working methods, artistic research and socially relevant topics.

The prerequisite for participation in this Master’s program is a Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent or higher degree in the field of audiovisual media as well as at least one year of relevant professional experience.

Degree: Master of Arts (M.A.)
Duration: 2 years (4 semesters, full-time)
Admission: every other year
Start of program: September 2023
Language: German

Our study programs are academically accredited by the accreditation agency AQAS – Agentur für Qualitätssicherung durch Akkreditierung von Studiengängen e. V.. The MA Film is currently in the accreditation process.

Further information: https://www.aqas.de

OVERVIEW

Content

Semester 1

Professional practice 1: Development and classification of artistic questions
Methodology 1: Design Thinking, Co-creation
Project 1: Brainstorming

The course starts with an examination of the medium of film in terms of current trends in content and form, followed by practical seminars in which tools and workflows from the disciplines of directing, production, cinematography, editing and sound design are taught and tested, which are relevant for co-creative filmmaking, among other things. Here, the artistic work process is interlocked between the work areas in order to structure and organise the joint artistic responsibility for a project. In class, the students also deal with design thinking and its possible applications for the development of cinematic works. In exchange with the lecturers, they also define socially relevant topics/subjects that can be worked on in the course of the four-semester program. The joint work on a cinematic prototype in the second half of the first semester offers the opportunity to try out the methods taught in the subject and methods seminars and to review the gained insights.

Semester 2

Professional practice 2: Visualization, cooperation
Methodology 2: Systemic Thinking, cooperative project development
Project 2: Previsualisation

The second semester is the beginning of the development of the two final projects, which are to be realised by the end of the degree program. Parallel to this, the content-related examination of the medium of film is continued through seminars with the professors and selected guest lecturers. Initially, 3-5 topics are developed and pre-visualised in small teams during the semester. Appropriate advanced pre-visualisation tools are taught in practical seminars, which are then placed in the middle of the semester. The goal is to make complex artistic ideas and designs from the creative areas of filmmaking an experience for everybody that they can work with. The themes developed in the first third of the semester are reflected on and reviewed in practical seminars so that they can be revised in the project phase. The theory of systemic thinking is presented and discussed in preparation for the project development.

Semester 3

Professional practice 3: Artistic research and analysis
Methodology 3: Audience Design, social responsibility
Project 3: Implementation

The students choose two of the already developed and pre-visualised film topics and dedicate themselves to their realisation in the third and fourth semester. The aim here will be to bring together and implement the theoretical and practical knowledge from the first two semesters in the practical cinematic creative process.

Audience design, marketing strategies and market orientation are taught in order to define specific target groups and to develop one’s own creative approaches to target group definition. Market-relevant narrative forms are analysed and introduced into artistic research.

Semester 4

Master thesis: project finalization, presentation & reflection

In the last semester, the finalisation of the two degree projects takes place in the cooperative process of assembly. A central aspect here is the reflection on one’s own work, taking into account all previously analysed aspects with regard to creation, production and marketing. In addition, the students jointly develop adequate exploitation and marketing strategies for their film projects. The final stage of the program is the project presentation and the Master’s colloquium, in which the students present their work and justify their collective and individual creative decisions. In a final presentation, the new graduates present their projects to the media industry to receive further feedback and to further expand their professional network.

For a more detailed overview of the curriculum see degree structure. (Only available in German language)
Here you can find the examination regulations. (Only available in German language)

This is what the MA Film at ifs offers:

Hands-on experience and taught core competencies, opening up a wide range of career paths

Development and realisation of a final project as well as a cinematic prototype and pre-visualisations in co-creative processes.
Expanding of the expertise within and beyond one’s own field by providing comprehensive knowledge from the disciplines of directing, creative producing, cinematography, picture editing and sound design in relation to co-creative artistic work.
Exploration and application of co-creative, iterative methods such as Design Thinking and Systemic Thinking.
Teaching advanced previsualisation techniques.
Deepening knowledge of exploitation methods for audiovisual productions as well as analysing and testing forward-looking trends in these areas (e.g. audience design).

Industry connection, pitches and networking

Interweaving in subject studies and projects with the other degree programs and professional training programs of the ifs/ internal cross-program pitch and project presentation events / peer teaching as appropriate.
Participation in selected festivals/networking events up to individual »Matchmaking« between filmmakers and potential employers or creative partners.

Artistic research and social responsibility

Students learn to identify socially, politically and ecologically relevant topics and to reflect on and discuss them within the framework of the project. At the beginning of the program, each group defines a socially relevant topic together with the subject professor, which serves as a guideline and stimulus for the project work throughout the entire degree program.
Working on a personal artistic question.

Studying in Germany’s Buzzing Media Hub

Cologne, a city with a 2000 year heritage, is a buzzing media hub. A third of Germany’s TV programs is produced in Cologne. Key TV and radio stations, numerous renowned film and TV production companies, and more than 70 print and digital publishing companies are based in the city, drawing a creative and artistic crowd. In addition, a large and still growing number of exciting international productions are made in Cologne and NRW.
The ifs is located in the creative and media quarter Schanzenstraße in Cologne-Mülheim – next door to TV production companies, studio facilities, publishing houses, a radio station and the municipal theater.

Structure

Focus:
Cooperative, co-creative filmmaking // Socially relevant projects.

Duration:
2 years (4 semestesr)

Degree:
Master of Arts (M.A.), 120 ECTS

Residency:
The first three semesters each consist of a total of six weeks of attendance time and approx. 11-12 weeks of project time (usually self-study).

Target Group:
Filmmakers from audiovisual creative fields (e.g. directing, producing, cinematography, screenwriting, production design or editing) with a strong team spirit, interest in innovative co-creative working methods, artistic research and experimentation and at least one year of relevant professional experience.

Group Size:
max. 12 students

Workload:
The MA Film is a four-semester full-time Master’s program with 120 ECTS. In the first three semesters, students must be present for 6 weeks per semester (with lectures usually taking place five days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or 5 p.m.), as well as approx. 11-12 weeks of project time (usually self-study or teamwork plus project counselling). During the attendance time, the students take part in seminars, workshops and individual subject-specific and methodological advice with the supervising professors and external lecturers. Attendance is compulsory for the courses in these phases. The project time/own study time serves to deepen and expand the students’ own subject knowledge and the conception, implementation and reflection of the co-creative approach to the joint project. During these phases, it is up to the students to organise their working and learning processes independently. The students agree on the goals for the project work together with their supervisors. During the fourth semester, which is dedicated to the Master’s project, attendance is compulsory for about 2 weeks, plus oral examinations and a project presentation.

Lecturers

The students are mainly mentored by the newly established professorship for »Filmic Storytelling in a Social Context« (name and info about the person will be published in the next weeks).
This professorship has been taken over by the renowned filmmaker Ciro Cappellari.

The MA FILM was conceived, among others, by the ifs professors Prof. André Bendocchi Alves (Editing Picture & Sound), Prof. Peter Herrmann (Creative Producing) and Prof. Hajo Schomerus ( Director of Photography), who will also teach, mainly in the specialized practical seminars.

In addition to the permanent lecturers, the ifs plans to use renowned lecturers from the national and international media industry as well as from academia and research in the MA FILM, who on the one hand will impart their own experience and expertise, but on the other hand also guarantee the possibility of early individual networking for the students.

Statements

It is time to make films that change the rules of storytelling imposed by the market and adapt them to the current discourse. We can only do this by questioning our role as creative creators. We have to ask ourselves what stories we want or need to tell and why. How can we expand and enrich our storytelling techniques? How can we understand the creation of a film not only as the work of a single author, but as a shared collaborative practice?
For me, these are the core questions for rethinking film in a forward-looking way. And perhaps it is also due to the current times to break with individualism and to understand ourselves as artists who are involved in collectives…
Prof. Ciro Cappellari, designated professor for the Master’s program Film

Innovation comes through research. Cooperative applied research means an exponential number of possibilities. In our MA Film, we want to discover and promote new ways of filmmaking through these opportunities. In this way, we can enrich the industry and move it forward – through new ways and new perspectives.
Su Nicholls-Gärtner, ifs Head of Studies

The development of innovative materials and narrative forms only becomes possible through bundled creativity; the full, resourceful potential unfolds through co-creative work in the group, which is the focus of this master’s program. Students are given the opportunity to deepen their skills by exploring and shaping the evolution of materials and narrative forms in the co-creative process.
Prof. André Bendocchi-Alves, Editing Picture & Sound

We are in the midst of an epochal change in the film industry. Triggered by the digitalization of distribution channels, accelerated by the corona pandemic, new models of cooperative working in the development and realization of films are coming to the fore. The ifs places these new forms at the centre of the MA Film. In this way, the change in the industry becomes an opportunity, because the aim is to mobilise more creative energies for film.
Prof. Peter Herrmann, Creative Producing

In recent years, the creative processes in film production (both in the fictional forms and in the increasingly diverse hybrid and non-fictional forms) have changed, and with them the way we are involved, for example as cameramen / camerawomen and cinematographers: Digital possibilities, significantly changed technical conditions, different, more complex dramaturgies and the self-evident expectation to work creatively in different group constellations. The stories are not formed in a linear process, the cinematographer is challenged in the development of the material, in the production thinking, in the post-production – just like the other participants. Comprehensive previsualizations that are comprehensible to all are expected.
These changes have long since arrived in the industry, but they are often met with trial and error in the ongoing production process. The Master’s program FILM at the ifs will provide a structured and well-founded framework for making relevant films in the future. Our society, all of us, need careful and reflected meaningful narration more than ever.
Prof. Hajo Schomerus, fictional and non-fictional cinematography

APPLICATION

The MA Film admits new students every other year for the winter semester. Admission is structured as a two-step process starting with written documents (first round) followed by interviews and writing tasks for shortlisted applicants (second round).

Requirements

Academic Requirements
A Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) of at least 180 ECTS credits or a higher degree (e.g. a German Magister or Diplom degree) in the field of audiovisual media from a recognised higher education institution is required for admission to a Master’s program.

In justified exceptional cases, applicants with exceptional artistic talent who lack one or more of these formal requirements may apply to participate in this program as participants in continuing education.

Work Experience
Applicants must have gained relevant practical experience in the field of film and media for at least one year.

Language Skills
Very good knowledge of German and good knowledge of English required: For applicants who did not obtain their university entrance qualification at a German-speaking institution, proof of very good German language skills at the level of the “Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang” (level: DSH-2) is required; the DSH-2 exam can alternatively be replaced by equivalent certificates or proof.

Fees & Financing

Tuition Fees

EU Citizens:
Tuition Fees per Semester: 2,750 euros (including the Student Education Funds)
Semester Fee TH Köln: approx. 300 euros (including VRS semester ticket)
One-time registration fee: 400 euros

Non-EU Citizens:
Tuition Fees per Semester: 3,750 euros (including the Student Education Funds)
Semester Fee TH Köln: approx. 300 euros (including VRS semester ticket)
One-time registration fee: 400 euros

Student Loans

For financial support to cover tuition fees and/or living expenses, students can apply for an interest-free loan from the Friends of the ifs Society from the first semester onwards. The approval of the interest-free loan depends on the financial situation of the applicant and the amount of funds available. Repayment of the loan begins six months after completion of the studies.

Students are generally entitled to BAföG if they are studying for the first time. The responsible Federal Office for Education and Training Support decides on applications for a state student loan or scholarship. A prerequisite for submitting an application is enrollment at the TH Köln, the ifs’ cooperation partner (tuition fees per semester: approx. 300 euros). This scholarship includes all services provided by the TH Köln and the semester fee. Both German and foreign students are eligible to apply. International students can find out about the BAföG regulations relevant to them here.

Another way of financing your studies is to apply for a repayable loan. The following collection of links makes no claim to completeness and is only alphabetically ordered.

Education and Student Loans:

Scholarships

The Friends of the ifs Society awards scholarships to Master’s students with outstanding academic achievements. Beginning in the summer semester of 2022, for the MA Film one tuition fee scholarship may be awarded for a period of three semesters.

In addition to the ifs, numerous German and international study foundations offer scholarships to support tuition fees and living costs during the course of studies.

An overview of the scholarship programs of external foundations can be found at: Fees & Financing

Information for international applicants

In order to make sure that degree certificates obtained abroad meet the admission requirements of the ifs (university entrance qualification), applicants can consult the following database: http://anabin.kmk.org
If your degree does not meet the ifs admission requirements, applicants with particular artistic talent may be invited to take part in a separate admission procedure and complete the program as a continuing education participant.

In order to obtain a residence permit, international students must prove that they have sufficient means of subsistence. The required amount corresponds to the BaföG maximum of 861 € per month.

Citizens of member states of the European Union, the European Economic Area (EEA) – that is Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein – as well as Switzerland have the same access to the labor market as German students and are allowed to work in Germany without prior approval from the German authorities. Students are advised, however, not to work more than 20 hours per week, otherwise social security contributions may have to be paid and, in addition, examination credits relevant to their studies may suffer.

International students from countries which are NOT member states of the EU, the EEA or Switzerland are normally permitted to work 120 full or 240 half days per year if they are in possession of a valid residence permit for Germany. The immigration office will record these provisions in your residence permit. Should you wish to work more days per year, you will need to obtain approval from your immigration office and the German Federal Employment Agency.

FAQS

What is the regular tuition fee per semester?

EU Citizens:
Tuition Fees per Semester: 2,750 euros (including the Student Education Funds)
Optional semester Fee TH Köln: 280,40 euros (including VRS semester ticket)
One-time registration fee: 400 euros

Non-EU Citizens:
Tuition Fees per Semester: 3,750 euros (including the Student Education Funds)
Semester Fee TH Köln: 285,40 euros (including VRS semester ticket)
One-time registration fee: 400 euros

Are there any funding opportunities for the program?
To finance tuition fees and to support living expenses, students may apply to the »Friends of the ifs Society« for interest-free loans and scholarships. Application for student loans is possible after acceptance to the program. The granting of loans is dependent on the economic situation of the applicant and the resources available. Repayment of the loans begins six months after graduation.
In addition, MA students may apply for scholarships honoring outstanding academic achievement. The regulations for these scholarships are currently being updated. You will find more information here soon.

Do I need to take an English proficiency test (TOEFL, IELTS etc.)?
no.

Do I need to speak German?
For applicants who did not obtain their university entrance qualification at a German-speaking institution, proof of very good German language skills at the level of the “Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang” (level: DSH-2) is required; the DSH-2 exam can alternatively be replaced by equivalent certificates or proof.

Can I submit the application documents in my native language?
The application documents must be submitted in German language.

Can non-EU students apply?
Yes. Non-EU students are welcome to apply for the MA Film.

Can I submit further documents (e.g. completed scripts or films) in addition to the required application documents?
Yes, additional material can also be submitted (no download-links). However, depending on the volume of material received, we cannot guarantee that the jurors will be able to read the additional material comprehensively.

Can I apply if I hold a German »Magister« degree?
Yes, you can apply with an undergraduate degree equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree with 180 ECTS, which includes the Magister.

Is it possible to apply without a bachelor’s degree?
To earn the Master’s degree, you are required to hold a bachelor’s or equivalent degree. Applicants with outstanding artistic qualification may be allowed to enroll in this program without previous academic experience as participants in continuing education. In this case, no Master’s title is awarded on completion of the program.

Do I have to come to Cologne for the entrance examination? When do the entrance exams take place?
After the pre-selection, candidates who make it to the second round will be invited to an entrance exam, which is expected to take place on-site at ifs at the end of May/beginning of June (in case of pandemic travel and contact restrictions it will take place online). This part of the exam consists of a course-related interview with the admissions committee. In addition, candidates may be sent an assignment to work on with the invitation to the entrance examination, which will also be the subject of the interview.

Do I have to have my BA certificates certified? Do I have to submit a translation of my BA certificates?
Yes, you must submit a certified copy of your undergraduate degree certificates. If your certificates were issued in a language other than German or English, they must be translated into German or English, and the translation must also be certified.

How can I have my diplomas certified?
You can find information on certification on the page of our cooperation partner TH Köln:
https://www.th-koeln.de/mam/downloads/englisch/studies/info_beglaubigung_en.pdf

How much theoretical and practical film experience do I need?
Knowledge of basic dramaturgical models, dramatic storytelling and cinematic forms as well as experience of practical work in a responsible position, on various film projects (these can also be student short film projects) are mandatory for this degree. This will be assessed during the selection process.

Do I need to have work experience?
Yes. Applicants must have gained relevant practical experience in the field of media for at least one year. If you do not have a full year of practical professional experience yet, but expect to have completed a year of experience by September 2021 (i.e. before the beginning of the study program), please indicate this in your application. If you are unsure whether or not the type of experience you have might be deemed relevant, please check with the MA Film dept. (j.jansen(at)filmschule.de).

Will I be able to work during my studies?
This decision is up to you, but please be aware of the fact that the MA Film is a full-time 120 credits Master’s program.
During the first three semesters, attendance of approximately 6 weeks per semester is required (with lectures usually taking place five days per week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or 5 p.m.), as well as approx. 11-12 weeks of project time (usually self-study or teamwork plus project consulting). During the attendance period, students participate in seminars, workshops, and individual professional and methodological consultation with the supervising professors and external lecturers. Attendance is compulsory for the courses in these phases. The project time/own study time serves to deepen and expand the students’ own professional knowledge and to design, implement and reflect on the co-creative approach to the joint project. During these phases, it is up to the students to organize their work and learning processes independently. However, advising sessions and/or team meetings may take place. During the fourth semester, which is dedicated to the Master’s project, there is a compulsory attendance of about 2 weeks, plus oral exams and a project presentation.

How do I find accommodation in Cologne?
Students who are accepted to the program will be provided with a list of useful links.

What’s the cost of living in Cologne?
For an estimation of the average costs of living in Cologne please see here.

Contact

Request info material

Here you can request information material on all ifs programs.