Writing and Film

Develop your writing and filmmaking skills while learning about the films, writers and directors that have shaped the medium by studying for our BA (Hons) Writing and Film degree in Cambridge.

- Join a course ranked 3rd in the UK for organisation and management in the National Student Survey 2024.

- Learn to tell stories which engage audiences, whether you want to write poetry, drama, short fiction, or make films and documentaries.

- Explore and develop specialist professional writing techniques related to film, including screenwriting and film journalism.

- Get invaluable feedback on all your written work from professional writers, including our teaching staff and Royal Literary Fund fellows, as well as your fellow students.

- Make your own short films in video, animation or 16mm format, with full training in camera operation, sound recording and editing from professional filmmakers.

- Specialise in filmmaking for the chance for your final project to be screened at the Cambridge Arts Picturehouse – and possibly the Cambridge Film Festival too!

- Become part of a community of professionals with expertise in drama and performance, film, games development, journalism, publishing, and digital media.

- Attend guest lectures by visiting authors, editors, agents, and other writing industry professionals, as well as events organised by our Cambridge Writing Centre, where you can showcase your writing and make new contacts.

- Prepare for your future career – our Careers in Writing module helps you develop skills wanted by industry and the professional environment, while The Business of Being a Writer will help you understand the path to getting published.

You’ll get invaluable feedback on all of your creative writing work from professional writers, including our teaching staff and Royal Literary Fund fellows, as well as your fellow students. This will offer you the unique opportunity to consider a range of responses to your work, as well as sharpening your own critical skills.

Investigating filmmaking practices from all over the world, and learning the language of film from the perspective of a filmmaker, you’ll make your own short films in video, animation or 16mm format, with full training in camera operation, sound recording and editing from professional filmmakers.

If you specialise in filmmaking, you’ll put your well-practised skills to the test in a project that, once complete, will be screened at the Cambridge Arts Picturehouse. The best may also be selected for showing at the Cambridge Film Festival.

You’ll learn to write knowledgeably and critically about film, giving you even more opportunities to get involved in Cambridge’s exciting arts scene.

Our optional modules allow you to further explore your interests or specialise for a particular career. In Years 2 and 3, you can also learn a language on our Anglia Language Programme and what’s more, you can choose to study abroad as part of your course and expand your cultural horizons and apply for funding to cover the cost.

Our links with local and national organisations will help you make contacts and find work placements in the industry. Our recent students have found internships and placements with companies such as the BBC, Cambridge Festival of Ideas, Film & Video Umbrella, Cannes Film Festival, Cambridge Film Festival, Watersprite Film Festival, CBBC, ITN Productions, London Studios, MTV, New York Film Academy, Pinewood Studios, StudioCanal UK (formerly Optimum Releasing) and Sight & Sound magazine.

You’ll also have opportunities to take part in live briefs with our partner organisations. Our students recently worked with mental health charity Lifecraft, producing a series of short videos about the charity for their website and social media channels. You can attend events organised by our Cambridge Writing Centre, including guest talks and live lit jams, where you can showcase your own creative writing and make new contacts in the industry.