Belfast Film Academy

Belfast Film Academy is a Northern Ireland–based screen training provider delivering practical, production-led film education since 2013. Established with the DIY Film Class, the Academy provides structured training that takes participants from script to screen within a 12-week programme, offering hands-on experience of professional roles, workflows, and on-set practice.

Training delivered by Belfast Film Academy is influenced by ScreenSkills Occupational Standards ensuring that course content reflects current industry roles, responsibilities, and expectations. Participants develop core creative skills, that are relevant to entry-level and early-career positions, including collaboration, communication, health and safety awareness, and professional conduct on set.

The Academy delivers training across multiple levels and formats, supporting skills progression and workforce development within Northern Ireland’s screen sector. Courses include DIY filmmaking, youth film training, documentary production, stop-motion animation, and phone filmmaking. Most courses include practical production days that replicate real production environments and support the development of transferable, role-specific skills aligned with ScreenSkills frameworks.

All training is delivered by industry-active tutors with a minimum of five years’ professional on-set experience, supported by relevant certified education. Belfast Film Academy also operates an in-house "Training the Trainer" programme, ensuring consistency in delivery, inclusive practice, safeguarding, and alignment with ScreenSkills standards.

Belfast Film Academy works in partnership with local charities, community organisations, and industry partners** to deliver socially engaged training that supports Northern Ireland skills priorities. Thse include widening access to the screen industries, supporting underrepresented talent, and developing a locally skilled workforce. These programmes use filmmaking as a tool for skills development, confidence-building, and employability.

The Academy supports continued professional development through clear progression routes, alumni engagement, and signposting to further training incuding local goverment, and ScreenSkills-supported training, local production opportunities, and work experience, including  offering participants industry placements with Lamb Fims. Through this industry-aligned and regionally focused approach, Belfast Film Academy contributes to the development of a sustainable and diverse screen workforce in Northern Ireland.