Colorado Film School

As of May 15, 2023, a supplemental application through Acceptd is no longer required to register for Colorado Film School classes. The only requirement is to apply to the Community College of Aurora here: https://ccaurora.edu/apply/
Bring Your Vision to Life

The Colorado Film School is the path to putting your dream on the big screen.  Here are just a few reasons why CFS is the smart choice to make:

• We are an internationally recognized school that has been ranked as one of the top film schools in the nation.
• Our instructors are professionals with real-world film industry experience who are invested in giving you the knowledge you need to succeed.
• Our Equipment and Facilities are updated regularly with state of the art industry standard software, cameras, and lighting equipment.
• We offer the highest value film school experience in the world – without breaking the bank: Tuition costs are less than $6000 per year for in-state residents.
• Our curricula is hands-on, offering a practical education that mirrors real-world film sets.  Students have access to equipment and engage in the filmmaking process during the first semester of the program.
• The Colorado Film School offers a variety of emphasis areas: Writing/Directing, Writing/Producing, Screenwriting, Post Production, Cinematography, and Acting/Directing for the Screen in our 75 credit Associates of Applied Science and 51 credit Certificate programs.
• Our innovative software program CFS Greenlight immerses students in industry standards, process, markets and practices as they write, plan, shoot and edit more than 1200 films per year.  Through this environment, CFS students understand film industry inner workings in a way that is unique among film schools, giving our graduates a competitive advantage over even the most highly touted and expensive MFA programs in the world.

Quality Stories told Safely

Our students’ films consistently earn awards at film festivals, both domestic and abroad, including being nominated for BAFTA and Academy Awards in the student category. A diverse faculty of former and working film industry professionals grant their students insight into the current landscape of movie making and offer connections to build working relationships with other professionals in the film community before students have completed the program.  Students are required to go through a rigorous process before and during filming which requires them to:

• Write quality scripts with multiple rounds of feedback and revisions.
• Plan sensible schedules, arrange locations, and request the equipment they need to film efficiently and safely.
• Develop rigorous safety plans and obtain approval from their instructors and the director prior to filming.
• Follow through on the established safety plan and address any concerns that arise before or during filming to ensure that everyone involved is as safe as possible.

We strive to create an inclusive, respectful, and positive climate at the Colorado Film School.  Media has a huge impact on the way people view themselves and each other, and we believe our students have the power to be a force for positive change in the world.  Everyone has the right to be heard and treated with respect, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender and sexual identity, age, socioeconomic status, religion, physical ability, neurodiversity, or any other similarity or difference, whether visible or invisible.  In pursuit of the goal to ensure everyone has a voice and the respect they deserve, we continue to re-examine our practices for ways we can improve.  Some examples of what we have implemented so far:

• Added an Ethnic Studies course to our required general education credits to help students become better storytellers by better understanding the perspective of others.
• Revamped our first year Film Core classes to include a Pre-Production course for all students with culturally-competent script writing as one of its outcomes.
• Revamped the curriculum for our Development of Film Expression class (required for all students as part of the Film Core) to include a selection of films that have more representation for marginalized groups.
• Added three new elective survey courses to our offerings, which examine films made by and about traditionally marginalized groups: Women in Film, The Hollywood Shuffle: Black Cinema, and LGBTQ+ Voices and Representation in Film.
• Founded a student community group led by and for students of color.
• Created two new scholarships: Women in Film, and Marginalized Filmmakers open to students identifying in those groups.
• Welcomed the college’s LGBTQIA+ Task Force to use the CFS Building as a hub for its events.
• Ongoing efforts to match the demographics of our staff and faculty more closely with the demographics of our student body.
• Created and continue to create spaces where students of marginalized populations can express concerns and suggestions safely.

Colorado's Vibrant Community
The Denver metro area offers a rich and varied cultural setting, and our famous mountains and ski resorts are only an hour away. Colorado’s 7,992 creative enterprises employ roughly 186,000 individuals, the fifth largest employment sector in the state. Film and media are the backbone of the creative economy worldwide, and Colorado’s creative sector is growing faster than the nation as a whole. Colorado’s Film Incentive program is small but growing. Three recently incentivized films premiered at Sundance and immediately found cash distribution deals.

We are actively seeking imaginative students who are focused, energetic, ambitious, and eager to hone their professional skills for entry into a highly competitive field.

For technical questions please check out our Help Desk for frequently asked questions.