The admissions period for the 2020-2021 academic year at Elías Querejeta Film School to open soon

The Gipuzkoa Provincial Council, Ibermedia and Projeto Paradiso have established scholarships for studying at EQZE

The admissions period for the 2020-2021 academic year at Elías Querejeta Film School (EQZE) will open on 1 February and conclude on 15 May. This year, the process will be divided into two parts: the first from 1 February to 31 March and the second from 1 April to 15 May. EQZE will carry out an initial selection from among those candidates who apply during the first half of the period.

Created and funded by the Gipuzkoa Provincial Council, EQZE is a unique educational initiative comprising three postgraduate courses (Archives, Creation and Curation) which stem from the specialist knowledge areas of the three film institutions involved in its running: the Basque Film Archive, the Tabakalera International Centre for Contemporary Culture and the San Sebastian Film Festival. During the previous academic year, EQZE formally became part of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). 

Film Archive Studies course aims to train specialists in identifying, classifying, restoring and conserving film and audiovisual heritage, envisaging this space also as a field for artistic creation. For its part, Film Curating Studies course focuses on the conceptualisation, management, development and dissemination of all kinds of programmes, publications, interventions and exhibitions centred around film and audiovisual arts. Finally, Filmmaking Studies course seeks to provide all those interested in making films and artistic audiovisual works with the theoretical and methodological training they require, as well as affording them the opportunity of engaging in practical exploration.

Alongside all this, the Research Department aims to consolidate a space dedicated to exploration, critical reflection and innovation, articulated around four specific areas: film education and the transmission of knowledge; theoretical approaches to and new techniques in archive work, curation and film creation; the interconnection between film, the humanities and other scientific and aesthetic disciplines; and a new look at Basque film.

The academic year will last 56 weeks and will be divided into six modules, each lasting between five and seven weeks. The subjects and activities included in each module focus on a central theme in each specialist area. The aim of this approach and its three itineraries is for students to acquire as broad and cross-cutting a vision as possible, to enable them to enter into dialogue with the three tenses of film: the past (research and conservation), the present (curation and programming) and the future (creation).

The 2020-2021 academic year at Elías Querejeta Film School will begin on 14 September.

Admissions for the 2020-2021 academic year

EQZE syllabus is designed for students with or in the process of earning a university degree (undergraduate degree), or those who have graduated from film school. Under exceptional circumstances, the school will consider accepting candidates who, while not meeting the aforementioned criteria, can nevertheless provide proof of sufficient professional experience in the world of film. 

Applications can only be submitted through the school's website. Once received, they will be assessed by the school's academic management team in an admissions panel set up specially for this purpose. The panel will begin the selection process at the end of the first half of the admissions period (31 March), and will proceed to fill available places on the courses from this date onwards. Places may be granted on the courses up until 15 May, upon which the admissions period closes.

The intake for each specialist course is limited to 15 students, up to a total of 45. Enrolment costs €3,900 and includes university administration and management costs, insurance and fees.

The definitive list of successful candidates will be published in June.

Scholarships and grants

Three institutions: the Gipuzkoa Provincial Council, the Ibermedia Latin American Scholarship Fund and Projeto Paradiso will be awarding a series of specific scholarships to enable students to attend one of the postgraduate courses run by Elías Querejeta Film School in 2020-2021.

  1. Izango zara scholarship: The Gipuzkoa Provincial Council's Department of Culture will be awarding three €2,500 scholarships to Gipuzkoan residents under the age of 31.

  2. Ibermedia scholarship: The Ibermedia Latin American Scholarship Fund will be awarding ten grants for mobility and lifelong learning. There are two types:

    a. 6 worth $3,100 for covering part of the travel, accommodation and maintenance costs incurred by successful candidates from the following countries: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, Ecuador, Spain, Guatemala, Italy (as a guest country), Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela.

    b. 4 worth $2,850 for covering part of the accommodation and maintenance costs incurred by successful candidates from the following countries: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, Ecuador, Spain, Guatemala, Italy (as a guest country), Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela.

  3.  Paradiso scholarship: The Paradiso Project established up by the Olga Rabinovich Institute will provide one Brazilian student with a scholarship for attending the Curation course run by the Elías Querejeta Film School. The scholarship will cover the student's enrolment fees, airfares and part of their living costs. 

Candidates can only apply for these scholarships once they have been admitted onto their chosen course.