Beijing Film Academy

Beijing Film Academy was founded in 1950 and is among the leading film schools in the world, ranked 101 to 150 in the QS subject rankings for 2026. It teaches screenwriting, directing, acting, animation, cinematography and production across nine schools. Admission is exceptionally competitive. A ranking service reports more than 100,000 applicants a year for 400 to 500 places, which is under 1%. An applicant should treat a place as unlikely and prepare accordingly rather than optimistically. Teaching is in Chinese. The academy's international provision is generally the same programme as the domestic one rather than a separate English-medium track, so HSK will be required, and the practical language demand in a discipline built on script and performance exceeds what a certificate implies. The academy is co-funded by the Beijing municipal government, the National Radio and Television Administration and the Ministry of Education, and teaches at Haidian and Huairou.