Film and Video Production
In This Article
- A Boots-on-the-Ground Approach
- Preparing Students for an Unpredictable Future
- Eight Years and Counting
For the eighth consecutive year, Toronto Film School has been named one of <a href="https://www.moviemaker.com/” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>MovieMaker Magazine’s 30 Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada for 2026, joining a list that includes world-renowned institutions such as USC, NYU and the AFI Conservatory.
In compiling this year’s list, MovieMaker Editor-in-Chief Tim Molloy noted that in a “famously unpredictable” industry that feels more unpredictable than ever, the right film school can still make all the difference.
“Film schools can help you find your guides, your cadre of collaborators, your process, your favourite camera, and your first job. It will help you make better films, whether you’re releasing them yourself, applying to festivals, building your portfolio or landing jobs, or hustling to take all those approaches at once…” Molloy writes.
“As we say every year, not every school in our top 30 will be the right choice for everyone, but we believe that no matter who you are, where you’re coming from, or what type of work you want to pursue, at least one of the schools on this list will be the right choice for you.”
Toronto Film School was singled out for inclusion by MovieMaker based on a number of factors – one of them being its location in Toronto, the magazine’s No. 1 big city on its latest list of the Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker.
“That means graduates can not only receive an excellent film education, but also find work and internships locally,” Molloy said.
“We consistently welcome TFS to our list because of its focus on proven results, and focus on preparing students for the current state of the industry – the good and challenging, alike. It also stands out for its pragmatic Film and TV Production diploma, which students can complete in just 18 months.”
A Boots-on-the-Ground Approach
MovieMaker‘s write-up further highlighted TFS’s hands-on, no-sugarcoating approach to filmmaking – one the magazine said incubates careers. The school’s Film and TV Production diploma program covers the creative, technical and business sides of film and television in just 18 months, giving students access to top equipment at a downtown studio campus and guidance from working, in-demand filmmakers.
TFS President Andrew Barnsley– a Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning executive producer whose credits include Schitt’s Creek– leads a school that continues to draw on Toronto’s thriving production scene. Students build industry relationships in that community, and as an official partner of the Toronto International Film Festival, TFS gives students and alumni access to TIFF programs and events. The TFS experience also includes producing a demo reel, working with industry-grade equipment, and screening films at the annual TFS FEST event at the TIFF Lightbox theatre.
Preparing Students for an Unpredictable Future
Alongside this year’s list of top film schools, MovieMaker also asked leaders from nine of the featured schools to weigh in on how film schools are preparing students for the future of the industry – one where, as the magazine put it, a low-budget YouTube creator’s film can outperform the latest Star Wars release at the box office, and an internet meme can become a box-office success story in its own right.
Barnsley offered Toronto Film School’s perspective:
“The future of filmmaking has always been dynamic, but that’s also what makes this industry so exciting,” he said. “Rather than preparing students for one specific job, we prepare them to become adaptable storytellers, collaborators, and creative problem-solvers who can evolve alongside the industry.”
Barnsley went on to describe how TFS students move through every stage of the production pipeline – from story development to post-production, distribution and the business of film – while rotating through multiple production roles and building professional portfolios. Read his full thoughts, along with insights from eight other film schools, HERE.
Eight Years and Counting
This marks TFS’s eighth consecutive year on MovieMaker‘s list, following previous recognitions in 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2019.
Read MovieMaker‘s full write-up on Toronto Film School in its 2026 list of the 30 Best Film Schools in the U.S. and Canada HERE!
