Cinema Is A Language
We’ve spent over two decades believing one thing: cinema is a language. And like any language, it can be taught — rigorously and affordably.
Cyber Film School is a first-year film education built for the device already in your hand. Whether you’re teaching yourself, supplementing a course, or building a classroom curriculum — this is where the fundamentals live.
Not trends. Not hacks. The real thing.
“This ain’t old school.
It’s just school.”
★★★★★ “I recommend Cyber Film School to my students as a resource for both film theory and film practice. Interactive, and easy to navigate — an excellent and timeless resource.”
~ Mark Terry, Ph.D., Contract Faculty, York University, Toronto
The People Behind It
Cyber Film School was built by career filmmakers and educators — people who have worked on real sets, taught in real classrooms, and understood the gap between what film education costs and what it needs to be.
Stavros, Moe, and Mary Jane all studied film production at Ryerson University — now Toronto Metropolitan University — one of Canada’s most respected film schools. Each went on to build a working career in the industry. Each came back to teach.
Cyber Film School is what happens when that kind of experience decides to extend beyond a single classroom.
Stavros C. Stavrides — Producer, Director, Writer
Stavros is a career film and television producer and director whose work has earned a Best Picture nomination (Australia), Best Theatrical Documentary (Canada), and a Best Canadian Film nomination at the Toronto International Film Festival, among numerous international accolades. His series work includes productions for Discovery, History, and National Geographic channels.
In 2004, Bravo Channel’s prestigious The Directors series featured Stavros for his work on Cyber Film School — one of the earliest recognized efforts to bring rigorous film education to a digital platform.
Maurizio ‘Moe’ Belli — Cinematographer, Educator
Moe is a classically trained filmmaker, cinematographer, and photographer who originated the Cyber Film School website in the late nineties — out of a simple passion to reach as many emerging filmmakers as possible. He currently leads filmmaking instruction at George Brown Polytechnic College, Toronto, bringing the same first-principles approach to a new generation of students every year.
His early work earned media recognition, Internet awards, and glowing reviews in computer and entertainment publications worldwide.
Mary Jane Gomes — Filmmaker, Professor
Mary Jane joined the team for the Second Edition, bringing a distinguished career as a documentary and feature filmmaker. Her awards include a nomination for Best Feature Film at the Canadian Screen Awards and a finalist position at the American Film Festival, among other international recognitions.
A former student resident of Norman Jewison’s Canadian Film Centre, and subsequently a professor in the film department of Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University), and a consultant to the film program at the University of the West Indies, Mary Jane is a significant contributor to Cyber Film School’s unique learning approach.
What Educators and Pros Are Saying
★★★★★ “A 21st-century version of the bible of film schools — The Five Cs of Cinematography. Perfectly analyzed and explained.”— Charles Braive, Assistant Director / Production Manager
★★★★★ “Outstanding publication. A full film education in one well-designed ebook.”
— Julian Grant, Filmmaker & Associate Professor, Columbia College, Chicago
★★★★★ “I’m loving it. Clear and set up in chunks which differentiates it for varied skilled readers. Definitely user-friendly.”
— Evdoxia Darios, Assistant Principal, New York Board of Education
★★★★★ “Beautifully designed and easy to navigate. An excellent and timeless resource.”
—Mark Terry, Ph.D., Contract Faculty, York University, Toronto
Over Two Decades, One Mission
The tools have changed. The mission never has: close the gap between affordable filmmaking technology and quality film education.
Cyber Film School began in 1998 as one of the first web resources dedicated to serious film education online. Through platform changes, rebrands, and a media landscape that transformed around us, the core philosophy held:
“Filmmaking is a language. The technology that expresses it may change, but the fundamentals are evergreen.”
Our first Website (1998) (ya, we’re that old)
Along the way, we produced the Movie School Encyclopedia CD-ROM — a critical hit with teachers and self-learners worldwide — and the “Make Your Movie” TV series, a six-part series on the craft of moviemaking produced in association with Independent Film Channel.
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