The Georgia Film Academy (GFA) announces a record-setting enrollment to train Georgians to work in fields throughout the full spectrum of the film, television and entertainment arts industries. As the state’s first-of-its-kind, cutting-edge entertainment arts conservatory, the GFA quickly pivoted at the onset of the pandemic, to provide students a hands-on hybrid of in-person and online education.
“A GFA education is the quickest and most cost-effective way to enter the state’s $10 billion film and entertainment industry,” said GFA executive director, Jeffrey Stepakoff. “We provide real world experience in a relatively short period of time at a low tuition cost with a guaranteed internship.”
Created in 2015 to put Georgians to work in all aspects of the state’s explosive film industry, the GFA has grown to include a fast-growing Esports program as well as the first-ever professional Master of Fine Arts in Film, Television and Digital Media program for Georgia filmmakers and content creators, in collaboration with the University of Georgia and film industry center, Trilith. Through this master’s program, the state is building a content creation industry here to rival that of Hollywood.
“The GFA and has become a revolutionary, new kind of film school, which leads to jobs in Georgia’s film and entertainment industry,” said Stepakoff.
Since its pilot program, which launched with 193 students in 2016, the GFA has expanded to thousands of students of all ages enrolled from 24 partner institutions throughout the state. Students who complete the program have the opportunity to be placed in on-set internships, enabling them to attain professional experience and make the real-world connections they need to secure jobs in the state’s film industry.
In addition, the GFA offered the first-ever free Covid Compliance Course, taken by over 12 thousand people working in film around the world. Today, there are nearly 40 active film and television shows shooting in the state.
About the Georgia Film Academy:
The Georgia Film Academy (GFA) is a collaboration of the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia created by state leadership to meet education and workforce needs for high demand careers in Georgia’s film and creative industries.
Founded in 2015, the GFA higher education program offers rigorous professional training and leads to union-covered film and television production craft internships and placement in creative industries, apprenticeships and jobs.
Classes are offered for college credit through 22 University System of Georgia and Technical College System of Georgia partner institutions. Students can take film and entertainment-oriented arts, craft and career coursework through continuing education programs at several partner institutions and/or directly through the GFA as professional education. The GFA also offers training to high school teachers in GFA-developed courses, which serve as DOE-approved English Language Arts and Theater standards.
