acting for film courses

intensive, conservatory style curriculum

The Prague Film School Acting for Film Program offers an intensive, conservatory style curriculum instructing both the art and the craft of acting for the camera. While the vast majority of acting courses world‑wide train students for theater, it's actually screen acting that offers the bulk of career opportunities. It's also screen acting that allows actors to engage with the largest audiences, across time and geography.

What makes the PFS Acting for Film Program so special?

Focus on Film Acting

While acting courses can be found virtually everywhere, very few offer a live‑and‑breathe total immersion experience aimed at re‑calibrating one's performance for the screen. Film acting requires a different set of skills than theater acting – and Prague Film School guarantees the acquisition of these skills.

Production‑Work Heavy

More than 400 films are shot per year at Prague Film School and actors in the year program participate on as many as 30 productions. Acting for Film students then learn the specific skills that make up the craft of film acting but also leave the program with substantial material for a quality show reel. Actors are also trained in production – writing, operating the camera and editing.

Praxis‑oriented

Students are placed in front of the camera from day one of the course and receive rigorous training in class and on set. Monologue and scene‑work daily develop students' ability to hone their performances for the camera – both habituating students to the specifics related to acting for various shot sizes and blocking arrangements but also developing their skills to be able to deliver believable and compelling performances.

Intensive

The type of student who chooses Prague Film School comes to us because he or she has essentially only one year in terms of time or financial resources to cross from where he or she is in life at the moment into the world of professional filmmaking. We then have only one year to bring these students to a level of competence where they can operate professionally. As such the program is highly squeezed.

Prague and access to roles in big‑budget Hollywood productions

Not only is Prague a beautiful historic location with an active student life, but hundreds of international productions have been shot in the city including Bourne Identity, Casino Royale, Mission: Impossible, Spider‑Man: Far From Home, Carnival Row, and Jojo Rabbit, to name a few. Prague Film School provides access to the top local casting agencies and directors and several students from the Prague Film School Acting for Film program annually land roles in big budget productions coming to town.

International

Students in the course come from all over the world. This both enriches the course with a diverse palette of acting traditions and also provides students an invaluable network of international contacts to access upon graduating.

What does the program offer?

A total immersion in film acting
Daily hands‑on work in front of the camera
A serious, international and professional learning environment
An intensive curriculum that encompasses all aspects of acting
Material for a professional show reel
Acting work in a number of short films
Access to local casting directors, agents and small to big budget film productions
The opportunity to write your own film and star in it

What you will graduate with?

A professional showreel built from your acting work across the program's student productions
On‑set experience across as many as 30 productions during the year program
Audition‑ready footage and self‑tape technique
On‑camera acting skills recalibrated for film, not theater
Contacts with local casting directors, agents, and industry professionals
A polished CV, headshot, and marketing materials ready for professional representation
Confidence performing on a professional film set

How will the program help actors get into the industry?

The department will provide:

Valuable contacts to a network of filmmakers including classmates and faculty at Prague Film School
Career guidance
Effective courses in on‑camera casting technique and actor marketing
Direct links to film productions in Prague
Material for a quality show reel and the ability to edit it one's self
Most importantly, skills

Student careers

The majority of students enroll in the Acting for Film program to launch their careers in film and television. Students get invaluable access to local casting directors as well as to opportunities to audition for professional jobs. The founder of the Acting for Film program, Nancy Bishop, is an Emmy‑nominated casting director and has cast over 100 projects. Nancy Bishop Casting continues to offer Prague Film School students precious access to castings for international productions coming through Prague – and every year several students earn their first credits in major big budget films.

★ Sample Alumni Career Trajectories

Brian Colin Foley (2012) was cast in Bong Joon‑ho’s Snowpiercer, starring Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton and Ed Harris, while studying at PFS. In New York he went on to roles in HBO’s Show Me a Hero, NBC’s The Mysteries of Laura and Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black, and more recently in Law & Order: Organized Crime, East New York and The Best Man: The Final Chapters. In 2020 he made his directorial debut with Chronicles of Gnarnia: The Rex Chadwick Story, a sports mockumentary he also wrote and starred in, which won awards at several festivals including Best Parody Short at the Indie Short Fest. In 2023 he appeared in the true‑crime drama Miranda’s Victim, with Abigail Breslin, Luke Wilson, Ryan Phillippe, Andy Garcia and Donald Sutherland, which opened the 38th Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

Scott Lipman (2017) was cast in National Geographic’s Genius, directed by Ron Howard, while studying at PFS. Several months later he appeared in The Catcher Was a Spy, starring Paul Rudd, Sienna Miller, Paul Giamatti, Jeff Daniels and Guy Pearce. He has since played the recurring role of Frude in HBO Max’s The Sex Lives of College Girls and appeared in NBC’s Night Court (2023). He also writes and directs, including the short film Natural Splendor (2019), in which he also stars.

Xander Turian (2019) was cast in what became a recurring speaking role, as a Puck, on Amazon’s Carnival Row, alongside Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne. He appeared in the first season and returned for the second. After graduating, he came back to Prague to shoot Netflix’s Shadowplay (also released as The Defeated), starring Taylor Kitsch and Michael C. Hall. His other credits include Atlantic Crossing, with Kyle MacLachlan and Sofia Helin, and the 2024 feature The Lies We Tell Ourselves, in which he and Jane Badler play fictionalised versions of themselves.

Isabel Stewart (2018), a New Zealand‑born actress, landed roles in National Geographic’s Genius, Ophelia (opposite Daisy Ridley and Naomi Watts) and Taika Waititi’s Oscar‑nominated Jojo Rabbit. During her two years at PFS she was also cast in three Amazon Prime Video productions: The Romanoffs (as Tatiana Romanov), Lore (as Dahlia) and Carnival Row (as Louisa Pembroke). She won Best Actress at PFS, and her Prague credits helped her sign with a London agent, where she is now based. She also played in the queer fantasy feature Playdurizm (2020), produced by PFS alumni at The Lab, which won the Jury Prize for Best Feature at the Lausanne Underground Film & Music Festival.

Anssi Lindstrom (2016), a Finnish actor, was cast directly out of school in Child 44, starring Tom Hardy and Gary Oldman, in which he plays Alexander Pickup. He then signed with his first agent and appeared in NBC’s Crossing Lines and a number of short films. He went on to the Finnish feature King of Hearts (2019) and Disney+’s A Small Light (2023), and in 2026 he plays the Murto Twins in IO Interactive’s video game 007: First Light.

Karin Torbjörnsdóttir (2019), a Swedish‑Icelandic mezzo‑soprano and actress, studied film acting at PFS after a Master’s in Opera at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg and early opera work with the Staatsoper Stuttgart opera studio and the Luzerner Theater. After graduating she was cast in the History Channel’s Knightfall, and she has continued to work in both film and opera. In 2020 she was named Singer of the Year at Iceland’s Gríman Awards for her Cherubino in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro at the Icelandic Opera.

Acting for Film

Year Program

Next open dates

September 3, 2027 - May 20, 2028

Application form

The Prague Film School Acting for Film Program helps actors recalibrate their performances for the screen and provides students the skills to embark on a successful career in film and television. Students rigorously train in on‑camera acting, voice, movement, acting theory and the business of acting. The program makes use of a variety of techniques ranging from Meisner's behaviour‑based method, to technically oriented exercises designed to hone performances for camera.

Special effect make-up at Prague Film School

Program description in brief

Acting for Film

Acting is both an art and a craft. This course will focus on craft, emphasizing the technical demands of screen acting. Students will learn to calibrate their performances specifically for the camera frame, adjusting for close ups and wide shots. Since the camera photographs thought, students will develop an active and varying inner monologue and understand the nuances of acting, thinking and listening with the eyes. A scene study unit will underscore how to break down a scene and play it effectively for camera.

Voice

The vocal chords are a muscle and must be exercised and strengthened. Students will work with a voice coach to expand vocal range, develop vocal control and work with developing select accents. The course also includes singing classes and performances.

Applied Acting Theory

Applied Acting Theory will explore acting techniques applicable to both ensemble work and film. Students will start with basic acting exercises and projects, progressively integrating more complex principles. Students will practice approaches to developing a character and analyzing text. Because film is primarily a naturalistic medium, the main emphasis will be grounded in the teachings of Konstantin Stanislavksi and Meisner. Actors will train in the basics of naturalist acting technique such as pursuing an objective, breaking scenes into beats, playing actions, and overcoming obstacles. Through a rigorous application of Meisner, students will build the foundation for listening and responding truthfully in character.

Improvisation

The skill of improvisation is essential to any actor. Over the course of the year, students are trained in the art of listening to impulse and taking risks, as well as building storylines and developing their imagination. This is a high‑energy class, which culminates with a live performance at the end of the year.

Audition Techniques

Acting skills are of very little use if they can't be put to practice on a professional set. This course will teach actors how to prepare for auditions in a casting studio and how to make a self tape. Actors will learn strategies to tackle cold reading and how to make fast choices in an audition. Actors learn by doing, cooperating with local casting directors on recent scripts, and getting personal feedback on their performances.

The Business of Acting

Students will learn specific marketing strategies and confer about how to navigate their career and attract professional representation. Specifically, actors will learn how to organize a professional CV, choose a winning headshot, organize a successful website and best take advantage of the internet for actor marketing. They will also learn how to produce and edit a professional reel, a film actor's most important asset.

Film Production

It is an imperative part of the training process for actors to work on an actual film set. Therefore, each student will be expected to participate in a number of short films produced by Prague Film School directors. Other legitimate film work that an actor may obtain while in Prague might also be used towards course credit. Students will be encouraged to combine this material with scene work to produce a marketable show reel. This class will also instruct students to use basic editing programs and provide an introduction to screenwriting, namely how to write characters for oneself.

Movement for Stage and Screen

The actor must be physically fit and flexible. Each class day will begin with a strengthening warm‑up regime, preparing students for the physical and vocal aspects of the craft. Units in this class will include yoga, dance, physical acting and stage combat.

Workshops

Throughout the year, students are involved in several workshops that provide further training in various disciplines. These have included such topics as acting for mocap/virtual reality, Shakespeare, make up techniques, to name a few.

Guest Lecturers

Every year we bring inspiring professionals from around the globe to offer students insider information about the film industry. Most notably is Nancy Bishop, the founder of PFS Acting for Film Program, and a CSA, Emmy‑nominated casting director. She teaches film acting and auditioning techniques several times throughout the year. We also offer a workshop with Francisco Medina, a life coach and acting coach, who teaches internationally and works alongside acting teacher Bernard Hiller from Los Angeles.

Other notable guests include Oscar‑nominated actress Rosamund Pike, Oscar‑winning screenwriter, director and actor Taika Waititi, producer Judy Levine, actress Rachel House, film director Bruno Coppola, and Guy Roberts, the artistic director of Prague Shakespeare Company.

The faculty at Prague Film School all work in the film industry in Prague and are constantly in contact with professionals working on international projects. We try to create as many opportunities as possible for students to meet and learn from industry professionals as the possibilities arise.

Acting for film students will also be expected to enroll in one elective offered in the general Prague Film School program. These include: Directing Actors, Comedy, Lighting for Film, Write, Act and Shoot, Writing the Feature, Art Direction, Central and Eastern European Cinema, among others.

Acting for Film

Semester Programs

Next open dates

January 8, 2027 – May 21, 2027 (continuation of the first semester of the year program)
September 3, 2027 – December 17, 2027

(* note: students applying for the Spring semester must have experience in acting as they would be joining the second semester of the year course)

Application form

The semester program at Prague Film School is the first term of the year program. Those who don't have the time or other resources to invest in the longer format course can take the semester course as a first and substantial step in training for the screen. The course involves students in a live‑and‑breath film acting experience, occupying them 8 hours a day in intensive studio work - and up to 7 days a week on set!

Students in enrolled in the semester course follow foundation courses in Acting Theory (Meisner and Stanislavsky), Screen Acting, Film Production, Movement (Yoga, Dance and Stage Combat), Voice and Speech and Alternative Techniques (Improvisation and Ensemble Strategies). Students also take one elective course offered school‑wide.

In addition to daily sessions in front of the camera and weekly scene work, acting for film students will participate in 3 film school student projects – involving them in up to 20 productions during the first four months.

By the end of the semester acting for film school students will have developed deep skills in acting for various shot sizes and in honing a realistic portrayal of character employing Meisner and other techniques introduced in the fall. They will have mastered a number of dances and combat moves applicable to historical and contemporary roles. They will have received training in film production itself – in lighting, camera, editing and sound. Perhaps most importantly, acting for film students will return home with substantial experience on set and with a body of work to prove it!

The semester program is the first semester of the year course. It is possible to enroll in the semester course and then prolong ones studies to the second semester of the year course while studying in the semester program. However, doing so incurs higher fees than enrolling in the year program directly. Kindly refer to the application form for fees.

Masterclass in acting at Prague Film School

Content of the semester

The semester curriculum of Acting for Film program covers below listed obligatory courses, and optional elective courses.

1. Foundation Courses (obligatory)

Meisner
Stanislavsky
Screen Acting Craft
Film Production
Dance
Yoga
Stage Combat
Voice
Speech and Dialect
Improvisation

2. Elective/Specialization Courses (each student takes 1 course) – 2 credits total

Aesthetics of the Film Shot as a Component of Film Language
Acting Styles
Advanced Cameras
Central and East European Cinema
Directing Actors
Directing the Camera
Documentary Theory and History
Film Industry
Film Comedy
Film Analysis
Lighting
Photography for Cinematography
Post‑production effects
Post‑production workflow
Visualization
Write, Act, Shoot

3. Student Films (obligatory)

Acting for Film students will integrated into three school‑wide film projects first semester: a three minute scene from an established film; a 4 minute short and a five minute end of semester film. Acting for film students may be requested to act in a number of student productions for each of these projects.

Acting Faculty

Nancy Bishop

Program Founder, Faculty Emeritus

Nancy Bishop

Program Founder, Faculty Emeritus

Nancy Bishop is the founder and former head of the Prague Film School Acting Program. She now participates in the program as distinguished guest lecturer. She is a C.S.A., Emmy‑nominated casting director, author, and acting coach. The following are just a few of the many Hollywood and other productions Nancy has cast for: Borat 2, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Snowpiercer, The Romanoffs, Euro Trip, Anne Frank, and many, many more. Nancy teaches a film acting technique, outlined in her book "Secrets from the Casting Couch.” Nancy and her coaching team are on demand internationally in Europe, North and South America and in countries as diverse as Turkey and Dubai.
Amy Huck

Acting for Film Chair

Amy Huck

Acting for Film Chair

Amy Huck is a professional actress and director with numerous film and theater credits, as well as about 40 international commercials. Her film credits include Harrison's Flowers, From Hell, EuroTrip, The Omen 666, and Solomon Kane. She has also voiced numerous characters for a variety of projects, including video games, tv series, documentaries, and children's audio books. As well as working as an actress, she has been studying yoga for over 15 years, both in the US and Europe, and earned her teaching certificate in Thailand in 2007.
Dan Brown

Acting, Improvisation, Physical Theater

Dan Brown

Acting, Improvisation, Physical Theater

Daniel Brown has worked as an actor and director with theatres in the U.S., Canada and Europe since 1982. His training includes commedia dell'arte, clown, improvisation, drama therapy as well as classical theatre. He has taught acting and lectured on theatre in places ranging from prisons in America to the Royal Shakespeare Company and Cambridge University in England. Arriving in Prague in 1998, Daniel has directed at various theatres in the Czech Republic (in Czech and English) and is the founder and Artistic Director of Divadlo Miloco. As an actor, Daniel has worked in films with such actors as Peter O'Toole, Bruce Willis, Ben Kingsley, Brenda Blethyn and Johnny Depp; he has filmed over 30 television commercials and currently is in his 9th season on the popular Czech television series Ulice. Daniel has worked as an acting coach for film and TV (including Anne Frank and Oliver Twist) and as a dialogue coach on many feature films. Daniel has a Masters degree from Cambridge University in the history and philosophy of science, specializing in the history of psychology and psychiatry.
Brian Caspe

Acting, Meisner technique

Brian Caspe

Acting, Meisner technique

Brian Caspe is a professional actor who plays regularly in theater, TV, film and commercials. Motion pictures credits include Wanted, The Illusionist, Hellboy, Running Scared and Hannibal Rising. Brian also played a major supporting role in the NBC television series Revelations, opposite Bill Pullman. His most recent film is Solomon Kane with James Purefoy and Pete Postelwaite. In theater, Brian has gotten rave reviews playing in the lead in Oliver!, A Funny Thing Happened on The Way To The Forum, The Seagull, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown among many others. Since moving to Prague in the spring of 2002, Brian has re‑energized the Expat acting scene. In 2003, he founded the Prague Playhouse with the aim to give native English‑speaking actors a company where they could perform and English‑speaking audiences a venue to enjoy. Brian plans to tour in Ireland with The Sacred Sow a successful play he directed for the Prague Fringe. Brian also teaches Meisner technique which he studied in Los Angeles under Jeff Goldblum and Robert Carnegie (assistant to Mr. Meisner for 10 years). Over the past 4 years, many of his students have gone on to have successful acting careers and even more have learned to appreciate the power of living in the moment.
Petra Johansson

Physical Acting, Creative Movement

Petra Johansson

Physical Acting, Creative Movement

Petra Johansson is a Czech‑Swedish actress, director, screenwriter, acting teacher, and theatre scholar. She studied in both the Czech Republic and Sweden and feels at home in both countries. She holds a PhD in Theatre and Gender Studies from Stockholm University. Her artistic work is deeply rooted in physical theatre, particularly commedia dell’arte, which she studied in France. In Prague, she has performed at the National Theatre (Laterna Magika), collaborated with Městská divadla pražská, and continues to act and direct with Theatre Blama. In 2018, she founded her own theatre company, Spolek Lek, where she writes, directs, and performs her original plays. She also appears regularly in film and television productions. At Prague Film School, Petra teaches Physical Acting and Creative Movement, helping actors develop a strong physical presence, expressive body language, and authentic performance.
Kristina Martanovicova

Dance, Movement

Kristina Martanovicova

Dance, Movement

Kristina Martanovicova is a sought out performer, dance coach and choreographer working for both dance troupes and international film productions. In addition to certification as a dance therapist, she received her masters in psychology and works as dance therapist as well as choreographer for such big budget productions as Carnival Row, and Apple and Benz commercials, among others.
Robert Orr

Voice, Film Acting

Robert Orr

Voice, Film Acting

Robert Orr is a professional actor, director and teaching artist from the UK. He works in TV, film, theatre, commercials and as a voiceover artist. Recent acting credits include Wheel of Time (Amazon Prime), A Small Light (Disney +), Das Boot, Spy City and Carnival Row. At Prague Film School Robert teaches Voice and Film Acting. His voice work is based on Kristin Linklater, Jerzy Grotowski and Roy Hart. Based in Prague Robert continues to work as a Visiting Lecturer and Director at St Mary's University in London and at the University of Agder in Norway. Recent directing credits include the Prague premier of The Third Army by Joe Sutton, his own adaptations of Gogol's The Government Inspector, Arthur Miller's The Crucible at UIA Norway, and Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps at SMUC London. He has taught and lectured extensively on Actor Training (Stanislavski, Adler, Meisner), Acting Shakespeare, The Italian Comedy, Ritual in Film and Theatre, and Creative Writing. His academic interests include the works of Ibsen, Chekhov, Strindberg, the films of Ingmar Bergman and Andrei Tarkovsky, autofiction and memoir.
Howard Lotker

Stanislavky

Howard Lotker

Stanislavky

Howard Lotker is a founding member of HoME, an international theater company based in Prague, Czech Republic creating site‑specific, participatory, public space, research, and other kinds of devised performances. Howard has directed and produced almost all of its productions within the past 6 years. He has a BFA in Acting (and Political Science) from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and his MFA in Authorial Acting and Pedagogy from KATAP, DAMU, Prague (CZ), where he also teaches Acting, Improvisation, Devising Theater, and Acting with the Inner Partner.
Marc Cram

Improv / Alternative Techniques

Marc Cram

Improv / Alternative Techniques

Marc Cram is a founding member of Blood, Love & Rhetoric Improv (Prague, CZ), Dad's Garage Theatre Co. (Atlanta, GA), and The Whammo Players (Tallahassee, FL). For over 30 years, he has taught and performed regularly in narrative‑based group comedy improvisation. Marc has enjoyed developing new improv shows and formats, working with short and long‑form improv. In film, television, commercials and theatre Marc has worked as an actor, improviser, puppeteer, musician, and as a commentator and emcee. As an improvisation instructor, Marc has taught from the Johnstonian school improv at dozens of theatres and universities across America, Europe and the Middle East including The Courtyard Playhouse (Dubai, UAE), English Lovers (Vienna), Improtresk and ZaPatra (CZ), and Georgia State University (Atlanta, GA). Marc is pleased to be returning to the dynamic Prague Film School for another exciting season of training.
Jason Stone

Speech and Dialects

Jason Stone

Speech and Dialects

Jason Stone is a Speech and Dialect specialist trained in Knight‑Thompson Speechwork. He holds an MFA in Directing from Long Island University and is an expert in the International Phonetic Alphabet. He has taught, acted, and directed in theatre and film all over the globe for two decades. Jason is dedicated to rigorous, positive, and inclusive training.
Agency A.R.G.O

Combat

Agency A.R.G.O

Combat

History in action! Touch of sword! Steel in motion! The best fights for films, musicals and festival shows. Professional swordsmen, armourers and actors. Argo is a unique company which can create a flawless illusion of a real fight avoiding any slightest pain of the performers. The agency offers a full scope of services in preparation of film and theatre actors for demanding roles of fighters from different times including ancient, contemporary, far future and fantasy. The film armoury at 'Housuv Mlyn' has countless numbers of weapons, armours and props allowing to equip any film project. More info at agentura-argo.cz
Luka Knezević

Showreel Editing, Aspects of Film Language, Modern European Cinema

Luka Knezević

Showreel Editing, Aspects of Film Language, Modern European Cinema

Luka Knezevic is a PhD candidate in film studies at the University of Zagreb and manages the post production facilities at Prague Film School. He is a graduate of Prague Film School (2012) and is an active writer/director. His latest short, Pressure Point, was completed in 2018 and screened at several international festivals (Myrtle Beach, TIFF Oda)
Steen Agro

Writing for Actors

Steen Agro

Writing for Actors

Steen Agro is a filmmaker originally from the UK, specializing in direction and screenwriting. He has produced a string of award‑winning films including: (Feature) Shut Up and Shoot Me (2005), (Shorts) The Heretic (2020), Sirens (2019) and Mother’s Day (1999). During a successful career in commercials, Steen worked for some of the world’s biggest brands and shot more than 300 TV spots. He specializes in comedy both for stage and screen and continues his work as screenwriter, script doctor and director for hire in both the live action and animation industries, while also teaching at Prague Film School.
Claudia Kubiszova

Czech Language

Claudia Kubiszova

Czech Language

Claudia Kubiszova is an instructor of Czech with pedagogical experience across all ages and nationalities. She is a member of the Association for the Integration of Foreigners and received her teaching credentials under the auspices of the CIC.