A film school is a general word for any educational institution for teaching moviemaking, including, but not merely, theory, writing for the screen, and production.

Normally, hands on technical training is incorporated as a portion of the curriculum, like learning how to use cameras, light meters and other types of movie equipment. various film schools are a part of existing universities and colleges, often in art or communication departments. Some of them are private and not tied to colleges, for example technical schools furnishing associate degrees.

Several disagreements have raged for years on the relative importance of film school in allowing a person to enter the film business. naturally, there are example of both, as famous directors George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola graduated from well known film schools, on the other hand Quentin Tarantino had no formal film training.

The rapid rise of independent film makers and digital video have modified this debate slightly, due to the fact that any individual with a few thousand dollars can shoot their own film (and some people have done it relatively successfully) with minimal formal knowledge of the film industry. Hence, it may be argued that the prices of attending a film school can now be better spent on making a film.

Others argue that film school is important because it allows students to network and connect with others interested in the film business, as well as with individuals who might eventually offer them jobs in the industry.