Toronto’s Seneca College has announced the launch of the Seneca Film Institute (SFI) to provide students with the skills and experiences needed to flourish in Canada’s “booming” screen industry, in front of or behind the camera.

The SFI was launched Monday (April 10), a spokesperson for Seneca College tells Playback Daily.

The institute aims to become one of the most comprehensive, inclusive and sustainable film training institutes in Canada, with a focus on innovation in storytelling forms and technologies, according to the school’s website.

Combining some of Seneca’s faculty, industry partners and alumni, the SFI will impart students with “the specialized knowledge and skills that are most desired by leading employers,” says the spokesperson.

The institute “will build on Seneca’s success in areas of film production, including animation, acting, fashion and marketing,” said a news release. Associated programs include acting, animation and visual development, music and sound, production, post-production.

The “transformative initiative” within Seneca’s Faculty of Communication, Art & Design, led by educator, writer and producer Mark Jones, caters to students across more than 30 programs, according to the release.

Jones will serve as the SFI director while remaining as chair of Seneca’s School of Creative Arts & Animation, while documentary filmmaker and journalist Sunny Yi will serve as academic lead for the SFI’s development.

As the institute is comprised of existing programs and has no designated physical space under construction, there are no “significant” new costs associated, says the spokesperson.

Instead, the SFI will use Seneca’s “state-of-the-art classroom and lab spaces, including the Control Room, Digital Animation Lab, Integrated Newsroom and Music Production/Creation Hub,” said the release.

Students in SFI programs may take classes in-person at Newnham and Seneca@York campuses, online or in a combination depending on their specific field of study.

Seneca is billed as the first post-secondary institution in Canada to partner with Adobe and Avid to become an Adobe Creative Campus and an Avid Media Campus.

Avid Technology will again partner with Seneca in establishing the SFI alongside VFX company Pixomondo.

Kurt Muller, dean, Faculty of Communication, Art & Design, said in a statement that Seneca is “uniquely positioned to meet the high demand for exceptional talent in screen-based industries.”

Jones said “the SFI will offer students an enriched cross-disciplinary experience” with “world-class programs, business development partnerships and community outreach.”

Image courtesy of Seneca College