Seventy years of film history and ten years of university status. Today, we celebrate the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF. Founded in 1954, this is Germany’s oldest and largest film school. In 2014, it became the first German film school to achieve university status.
The Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF stands as a vibrant hub for independent research, teaching, and artistic exploration. It offers ten courses that span nearly the entire spectrum of filmmaking careers. You’ll find students immersed in studies like animation, cinematography, digital media culture, and film directing. It also provides courses in scriptwriting, editing, sound design, and production.
But the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF is more than just classrooms and studios. It actively engages with the public through diverse cultural activities. Imagine attending public lectures, film screenings followed by discussions, exhibits, and plays. The university also hosts open houses and the famous International Student Film Festival “sehsüchte” every spring. The university building is a glass-concrete-and-steel palace. It is a popular site for outside events in the Media City Babelsberg.
Notably, students and alumni of the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF have garnered prestigious film awards. These include Student Academy Awards like Student Oscars, the German Short Film Award, and the German Television Award.
The university’s history is as captivating as the films it fosters. It began as the German Academy of Film Art in Babelsberg Palace in 1954. In 1969, it was renamed the Film and Television Academy of the GDR. The institution was named after director Konrad Wolf in 1985.
After German reunification, the university was taken over by the state of Brandenburg in 1990. A new teaching and studio building was inaugurated in October 2000. This further cemented its role in the planned European film center within Babelsberg’s renowned film city.
The Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF maintains national and international affiliations. It has departments like the Institute for Artistic Research and the Potsdam Film Museum. The university is also linked to the Erich Pommer Institute and the Institute for Career Research and Business Planning in Media.
Many movies have been filmed at the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF over the years. These include Netto, And Along Come Tourists, and Combat Girls. The university continues to foster emerging talent and contribute to the world of cinema. The Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF remains a vital institution for film education and innovation.