Film Schools in Canada: Your Ticket to Hollywood

Each new Canadian film that gets a nod from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences via a mention on an Oscar short- or long-list is a boon to the industry as a whole, proving that one does not need to leave one’s home and native land to succeed in the world of film. In 2011, it was Quebec director Denis Villeneuve’s Incendies; in 2012, Monsieur Lazhar, by another Quebec director, Philippe Falardeau. As more of our films attract the international attention they deserve, it becomes easier for aspiring filmmakers to take the leap and pursue their dreams by attending film schools in Canada. Fortunately, there are many places where you can take film courses: Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver… Here’s a look at three fields of study offered at film school. Toronto International Film Festival, Sundance, Cannes, look out!rnChoose Your ProgramrnAt film schools in Canada, you can hone a variety of skills, including animation, special effects, and acting. 1. AnimationrnPerhaps you were raised on such Canadian animated fare as Arthur, Caillou or The Raccoons, and it has left you with a burning desire to turn your childhood passion into a career. Enroll in film courses. Montreal animators who did have worked on such exciting projects as the world famous The Triplets of Belleville, which was a French, U.K., U.S., Belgian and Canadian co-production, suggesting that diplomas from film schools in Canada can help graduates secure work on creative projects around the world. 2. Special EffectsrnJames Cameron – the man behind such classics as The Terminator, Titanic and Avatar – was born in Kapuskasing, Ontario. Although he did not attend film school, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver were not yet the booming industry hubs that they are today. (Did you know that the version of Chicago staring Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones, was actually shot in Toronto? Or that Brokeback Mountain, which is set in Wyoming, was actually shot in Alberta? A lot of films that purport to be set in the U.S. were shot on Canadian soil.) 3. ActingrnOpen any entertainment magazine and you will find Canadian actors: Ryan Gosling, Ryan Reynolds, Jessica Paré. There are so many Canadian actors working internationally that it has given risen to a new specialty: accent reduction coaching. Film schools in Canada offer classes in: • voice and body workrn • improvrn • movementrn • singingrn • dialectsrn • navigating the entertainment businessrnThe Future Looks BrightrnWhether you envision a future in Canadian independent films, like Montreal-born director Jacob Tierney’s 2009 film The Trotsky, or in big-name films like the Oscar-winning Sideways, which features Ottawa-born actress Sandra Oh, you can achieve your dreams with a little help from film courses. Montreal World Film Festival, here comes the next generation of filmmakers and movie stars!rnContact the Trebas Institute for more information on their film & television production program.