Australian Film, Television And Radio School

Ever since starting in 1973 as a move of the Commonwealth government with a purpose of promoting Australia's cultural activity, the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (abbrev. as AFTRS) has transformed into the most advanced higher learning center for film, radio, television and digital media in Oceania.

The driving force behind Australian Film, Television and Radio School's success is perhaps is founding mission. That is to advance Australia's media art industries by the development of those skills and knowledge residing within talented individuals and undertaking cutting edge research. And through enough, it's only within a decade when Australian Film, Television and Radio School have become a distinguished reference in filmmaking studies.

The Australian Film, Television and Radio School was purposely built in North Ryde, a lavish suburb north of Sydney, with all its facilities and equipment placed in their designated places purely by design. That's how the institution has become so efficient. The school's departments are diverse and accurate, segmented according to a field of expertise. The departments include cinematography, editing, screen composition, design, producing, screen studies, digital media, radio, screen writing, directing, screen business, sound, documentary, and television.

Because the Australian Film, Television and Radio School is generally aimed to enhance the interest of Australian films, their full time student programs are available only to Australian citizens and/ or permanent citizens. Their short courses programs though are available to foreign students. These programs would include everything not covered by the full time student programs. The programs for short courses are seminars, workshops, forums, master classes, and advancement courses. Normally short range courses would take a half-day for seminars to a few months of intensive hands-on workshop programs and courses.

There had been several notable personalities that emerged from The Australian Film, Television and Radio School. This would include Andrew Lesnie who won the Cinematography Oscar for his work in The Fellowship of the Ring, though he was also in the credits on another Peter Jackson film King Kong. Another Cinematography Oscar Awardee is Dion Beebe for his work on the Memoirs of a Geisha, though he had some work done in other movies including Collateral, Chicago and Miami Vice. Some other distinguished personalities include Sejong Park, a BAFTA Award Animator, Mario Andreacchio, Dave Wright, a famous radio personality in Australia, and Jane Campion who was credited with her 1996 feature film Portrait of a Lady.