The European Film Actor School (EFAS) is an educational establishment located in

Zurich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...

, Switzerland. It was founded in 1990 in

Richterswil Richterswil (Swiss German: ''Richtischwiil'' ) is a municipality in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. History Richterswil is first mentioned in 1265 as ''Richtliswile''. During the 17th Century, a series of peasan ...

by Rolf Sarkis. EFAS was focused on film and television acting. This was a major difference from the two state-sponsored acting schools of

German-speaking Switzerland The German-speaking part of Switzerland ( ; ; ; ) comprises about 65 percent of Switzerland (North Western Switzerland, Eastern Switzerland, Central Switzerland, most of the Swiss Plateau and the greater part of the Swiss Alps). The variety ...

, now the

Zurich University of the Arts Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK, ) has approximately 2,500 students, which makes it the largest arts university in Switzerland. The university was established in 2007, following the merger between Zurich's School of Art and Design (HGKZ) and ...

and

Bern Academy of the Arts __NOTOC__ The Bern Academy of Arts () is an art school with locations in Bern and Biel/Bienne. It was created in 2003 from the merger of the University of Music and Theatre and the School of Design, Art and Conservation. The educational institution ...

, which focused on stage performance. Sarkis believed that the style of acting required for television was different from that of theater. He focused more on small movements and facial expressions, which could be seen in close-up shots but not on stage. Though the Theater Academy of Zurich () created a program for film acting around 1999, its director, , pointed out that it had "different goals", being "committed to the literature nd ''film d'auteur''" and aiming to give its students "diverse" training. EFAS offered a three-year program, the first two focused on acting technique and the third specific to film and television. In 1996, EFAS had 40 students; at the time it was located in the building where it was founded, at Erlenstrasse 89 in Richterswil, which was the first factory in the town and a former Catholic girls' home. Tuition was , which was reduced to in special cases. This was expensive by Swiss standards. Around 80% of students worked alongside their studies, something accommodated by the class schedule of 22–25 hours a week, while some students took scholarships or loans from the cantons. Many students aimed to work in the

German film The film industry in Germany can be traced back to the late 19th century. German cinema made major technical and artistic contributions to early film, broadcasting and television technology. Babelsberg became a household synonym for the early 20 ...

television industry Television (TV) is a telecommunications, telecommunication media (communication), medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of signal transmission, ...

due to the larger market. Since EFAS targeted the German television market, which was "booming" in 1999, great emphasis was placed on students speaking "perfect

High German The High German languages (, i.e. ''High German dialects''), or simply High German ( ) – not to be confused with Standard High German which is commonly also called "High German" – comprise the varieties of German spoken south of the Ben ...

". Applicants were accepted between ages 18 and 26 after an entrance exam. The admissions process was reportedly competitive, with EFAS consistently having more applicants than free spaces. Swiss casting director

Corinna Glaus Corinna or Korinna () was an ancient Greek lyric poet from Tanagra in Boeotia. Although ancient sources portray her as a contemporary of Pindar (born ), not all modern scholars accept the accuracy of this tradition. When she lived has been the ...

said in 1999 that EFAS began with expansive goals and probably overestimated themselves, but she also said, "I get the feeling they have really learned and improved and are successively getting better".

Alumni

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Joel Basman Joel Basman (born 23 January 1990) is a Swiss actor best known for having played Franz Kafka in the ARD Miniseries ''Kafka'' (2024) Early life Basman was born in Zurich, Switzerland, to a Swiss Christian mother and an Israeli-Jewish father ...

* * * * * * * * Zoë Pastelle Holthuizen * * * *

Leonardo Nigro Leonardo Nigro (born 15 February 1974) is a Swiss actor. Early life Leonardo Nigro grew up in Zürich, Switzerland. His parents are Italian migrants. Career From 1994 to 1996 he attended acting school at the European Film Actor School in ...

* * * * * * * * * *

Luna Wedler Luna Wedler (born 26 October 1999) is a Swiss people, Swiss actress. She gained popularity by starring in the 2020 Netflix series ''Biohackers''. Early life Wedler grew up alongside two siblings in Zürich's District 6 (Zürich), District 6. S ...

References

External links

* {{coord, 47.3589, N, 8.5202, E, source:wikidata, display=title Drama schools Education in Zurich 1990 establishments in Switzerland Educational institutions established in 1990