FAQ

What languages are the courses taught in?       

Most of our courses are taught in English, some are taught in German. The course language is indicated in the course description. All of our instructors and staff speak both languages fluently.

What times do the courses begin and end?

Generally, the courses run from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

For whom are the courses designed?

Our courses address a diverse and international target audience and cover current trends in moving images. We offer a wide range of teaching and learning formats that are designed for different requirements and audiences.

They range from introductory courses for true beginners to professional master classes, conferences and seminars specifically tailored to the needs of the industry. Beginners can follow a track in film and media production and development toward a career in the film industry.

Can I get ECTS for the completed course?

We are currently able to award ECTS credits for the courses "Summer Film Camp", "Animation Camp", and "Sweet 16 – Analogue Film Camp". Detailed information about this can be found on the respective program pages for the mentioned courses. An official participation certificate confirms the number of ECTS credits. Please verify with your university whether it recognizes these credits before registering for the course. For all other courses, we issue an participation certificate upon successful completion.

How do I get updates about the program?

To stay tuned, please sign up here for othe FSS Newsletter.

How do I apply?

You can register for our courses online using the registration form. Choose the course you would like to register for, and fill in the input fields. All fields indicated with * are mandatory and must be filled in. Furthermore, please read carefully the general terms and conditions. Registration is only possible when you comply with the general terms and conditions.

What are the admission requirements?

The requirements vary from course to course. In general, no special admission requirements apply. The applicant will be granted access to the course according to the time of successful registration („first come, first served“ principle). A registration is successful once the payment has been transferred to the account of the Film University. In some cases we select participants after an application procedure. Please, find more information about the requirements in the course description.

How much do the courses cost and do you offer any fellowships or grants?

In general, the course costs as indicated. Current costs can be found in the course description. We offer early bird discounts as well as discounts for students. Unfortunately, at the moment we cannot offer any grants or fellowships for our paid programs.

The refugee workshops and trainings for film professionals are free of charge.

Professionals working in higher education can apply for EU staff mobility grants to take part in the summer school. We advise you to inquire about funding options within the relevant body at your institution at an early stage in order to find out if you are eligible.

In case you are considering to apply for a grant at the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research („Bildungsprämie“), please get in touch with us beforehand.

How do I pay for the course?

Upon submission of your chosen courses, you will receive an automatic email confirming your registration, listing the courses you have chosen. If not indicated differently in the course discription you will receive an invoice from us within 5 working days. All payments must be completed in full within 14 days of issuance except in cases where other arrangements have been made.

Please note that right now we are only accepting bank transfers. Payments in cash, with credit card, PayPal or similar payment methods are not possible.

What is covered by the course costs?

The costs include teaching materials as well as use and insurance of technical equipment. The costs do not include travel expenses, accommodation or catering.

What happens if I withdraw from the course after I have paid it?

If an applicant must withdraw from the course before the registration deadline, a 25% course fee will be imposed.  After this date, a reimbursement will not be issued. Any cancellation must be executed in writing either by email or by fax no later than the deadline. In the case of course withdrawal or failure to appear to a course, the applicant will not receive any course documents. Special registration fees mentioned in specific course descriptions are excluded from reimbursement. 

Will the course take place for sure?

A course may be cancelled if the minimum number of participants is not reached by the registration deadline. The applicants will be notified, at the latest, 14 days before the course is scheduled to begin. Fees that have already been paid will be refunded. Any further claims are excluded.

Film production

The Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF holds the right to use the recordings which have been taken by and of the participants in the context of all Filmuni Summer School courses and events in (moving) pictures as well as in sound. The participants, that created the recordings, will remain creator resp. author of the work.

Publishing

After the event, the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF can publish the film with the consent of the participant. Depending on the legal clearance, this link will be publicly available and can be shared or embedded into another website. The participant is not entitled to publish or (un)commercially exploit the work in any other ways (e.g. film festivals, cinema, website).

I am not a EU-citizen. Do I need a visa?

Yes, in most cases, a tourist visa is sufficient for participation in the Film Summer School courses.

Please consult the German consulate in your country to figure out which type of visa you need and which documents must be provided. The German embassy or consulate in the applicant’s country of origin can issue visas. Upon successful registration and full payment of the corresponding course fee(s), the applicant will receive an official invitation through mail and/or email on enquiry. The applicant in question is responsible for finding out if they must apply for a visa to enter Germany. The homepage of the German foreign officecovers further information. It is strongly recommended that the applicant submits the visa application as early as possible due to long processing times in the embassies/consulates. The FSS is in no way responsible for the issuance/acquisition or approval of visas.

Do I need insurance during the summer school courses?

All participants are personally responsible for taking out health insurance during their stay in Potsdam. The technical equipment in use is insured for the duration of the course.

Where do the courses take place?

Most of the courses take place at the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF.

The Film University was founded in 1954 in Babelsberg. It is Germany's largest film school and the only film university. Facilities and technical equipment conform with the latest industry standard. More than 800 students are enrolled in ten Bachelor and twelve Master programmes. The study programmes range from classical film departments like screenwriting, directing, producing, photography and editing to more academic programmes like media science and film culture heritage or the artistic-scientific Master Creative Technologies. The combined approaches -  artistic and academic -lead to new research fields and opens up for innovative ideas. Film University wants to think ahead and to shape the changes in the film industry.

Are the course venues wheelchair accessible?

Yes, all Film University buildings are completely accessible.

Where can I eat?

Next to the Film University you find a supermarket and a drugstore. The cafeteria at the Film University serves a low-price lunch from Monday to Friday.

How do I get to the venue?

By Public Transport

S-Bahn (suburban railway) Berlin – Potsdam: Take the S7 to Griebnitzsee station, then take bus 694 (in the direction of Stern-Center) or 696 (in the direction of Robert-Baberske-Straße) to Stahnsdorfer Straße or alternatively walk from the train station to the Film University, which takes 15 minutes.

Regionalbahn (local train): Take the train R7 from Berlin Hauptbahnhof in the direction of Dessau until you reach the station Medienstadt Babelsberg. Then take bus 696 (in the direction of Bahnhof Griebnitzsee) to Studio Babelsberg station, or walk from the train station to the Film University, which takes 10 minutes.

By Car

Take the A115 motorway, and then take the Potsdam-Babelsberg exit. Travel along the Nutheschnellstrasse (L40) towards the city center. Take the Wetzlarer Straße exit and continue in the direction of Medienstadt (Media City) along August-Bebel-Straße, pass the Babelsberg Studio on your left and then turn left into Marlene-Dietrich-Allee.

How do I find accommodation close to the Film University? What are the attractions and leisure facilities?

Please find more information about accommodation, restaurants and activities on the websites of the Potsdam Tourist Informationand Potsdam Tourist Association

We can also provide a list with housing possibilities nearby, please contact us.