Apply – Blackburn Film Academy

Half term academies with the BFA and NFTS
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Full time level 2 and level 3 courses

🎬 APPLICATIONS CURRENTLY CLOSED 🎬

🎬 Applications for this October’s Blackburn Film Academy are now closed.

Thank you to everyone who applied! Please check your emails if you applied to see if you were successful.

Are you aged 14 to 19 and living in Blackburn with Darwen? Do you dream of working in film?

The Blackburn Film Academy at Blackburn College, in collaboration with the world-renowned National Film and Television School (NFTS), offered young creatives the chance to learn from the best in the business.

📅 Dates: Monday 27th – Friday 31st October

This October half term, we’ll once again open our doors to aspiring young filmmakers. Over the course of an exciting week, participants will take part in hands-on masterclasses and training sessions where they’ll plan, shoot, and edit their very own music video – guided by award-winning industry professionals.

In recent sessions, our participants created a series of short documentaries in partnership with Blackburn Rovers Football Club, marking the 30th anniversary of their historic Premier League win. Previous training weeks in February and April saw young talents produce original short films using our film studios and editing suites, mentored by expert Directors, Producers, and Cinematographers from both BFA and NFTS.

Each week is led by a professional crew, overseen by the Development Manager from the NFTS and the Director of the Blackburn Film Academy.

🎥 This is an incredible opportunity to gain real experience, build your portfolio, and work with the UK’s leading film educators.

Meet the Crew

Director of Photography – Jenni Suitiala

Charlene Jones – Director

Beth Roland – Assistant Director

Director of the Blackburn Film Academy – Rich McKenny

Director of Photography – Jenni Suitiala

Jenni Suitiala is a Finnish director of photography based in the UK shooting narrative film as well as documentary. After studying cinematography in her home country she relocated to the UK in 2010 and worked her way up in the lighting department in TV dramas and features (Judy, Peaky Blinders, Dad’s Army, Utopia). Her films have screened on Oscar and Bafta qualifying festivals (Aesthetica, Iris Prize, Leeds International Festival) as well as Channel 4. She’s a member of illuminatrix rising and Bafta Connect.

IMDB

Beth Roland – Assistant Director

Beth Rowland is a self-taught writer and director with experience in both film and television. She is a member of BAFTA Connect and Directors UK, as well as an alumni of Warner Brothers x Waterloo Road Directors, Screen Yorkshire’s ‘FLEX’ (2021-22), and BFI ‘Scratch Me’ (2020-21).

In 2018, she was mentored by director Shane Meadows, who subsequently served as Executive Producer for her BFI-backed short film ‘Bury the Dogs’. ‘Bury the Dogs’ film premiered internationally at Clermont-Ferrand in 2024. Produced by BIFA-nominated Hollie Bryan (Cosmosquare Films), it has been showcased at BAFTA and BIFA qualifying festivals, including Norwich and Bolton, where it was nominated for Best Made Up North.

Director of the Blackburn Film Academy – Rich McKenny

Rich is and experienced live television camera operator and sports photographer. He has 12 years of experience working in film education that has seen numerous students go on to win awards and forge exciting careers in all departments of the film and television industry.

He started the Blackburn Film Academy (BFA) as a means to bring exciting filmmaking opportunities to the young people of Blackburn with Darwen and inspire them to pursue a career that might at first seem out of their reach.

Working out of Blackburn College’s amazing film studio and edit suites, with the support of Blackburn with Darwen Council and our friends at the National Film and Television School has allowed the BFA to deliver unbelievable training and experiences for the young people of our region.