New film school has ties with Bollywood

The Bradford College-affiliated film school will work in partnership with Whistling Woods International, a renowned Indian film, television, animation and media arts institute – rated one of the top ten in the world by The Hollywood Reporter.

It is the latest piece in a jigsaw which aims to make Bradford one of the leading film cities in the world. While there were raised eyebrows when Bradford beat every city in the world, Hollywood included, to become Unesco’s first City of Film, the city has argued its case over the past two years. With the addition to the city of a new film school, it underlines the claim it has to the title.

City of Film director, David Wilson, said: “It is one of the links that has been missing so far.

“We have the National Media Museum, a great film heritage, great locations, by having a film school here, we can start looking at the future of film in the city. Hopefully within a few years some of the major British film-makers will have learned their craft in Bradford.”

The British Council is also supporting the new school, which is due take pupils from autumn 2013 and will be based in Bradford College’s old building. The school will run a BA course in film and a course in animation. Students at the new film school will also have the option to study at the Whistling Woods film school campus in Mumbai and work within the biggest film industry in the world – Bollywood, to gain first hand experience.

Mr Wilson added: “This is a great way for the city to live up to our Unesco title with a truly international partnership and help to develop the film-makers of the future”.