2026 Talent Scholarship

 

Latin American Students

 

Winners Have Been Announced for the 2026 Latin America Talent Scholarship

 

VFS’s 2025 Latin America Talent Scholarship is now closed. Thank you to all who applied. 

Congratulations to the winners of the full-tuition (100%) scholarship: Valentina Giacoman and Janella Flores

Partial scholarship (50%) winners: 

  • María José Lema Trespalacios 
  • Amanda Viana Anchieta 
  • Juan David Diaz García
  • Gineth Ginez Benavides
  • Ivan Ayala
  • Santiago Medrano
  • Karla Gisela Ríos Vázquez
  • Edgar Andrés Martínez Lozano 

*Please note, partial scholarships winners will be contacted via email. 

If you are interested in furthering your creative education, we have part-time offerings available online and on-campus through VFS Short-Track! Learn about the creative courses and workshops currently available

Latin American creatives – win a VFS scholarship to train for your career in Vancouver, Canada!

 

Vancouver Film School is pleased to offer two half-tuition scholarships for students in Latin America to train in select creative industry programs at VFS, with start dates in 2027.

Recognized as a leading film school Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and MovieMaker, the #1 Global Animation School by Animation Career Review, and the #1 Game Design School in Canada by The Princeton Review, VFS trains aspiring creatives through an accelerated, production-focused curriculum where students craft a powerful, studio-ready portfolio in just 1 year.

Application deadline: September 30, 2026
Winners announced: October 19, 2026

 

 

 

Scholarship Details

What’s available:

  • Two half-tuition (50%) scholarships, eligible towards the following VFS programs:
  • Film Production

  • 3D Animation & Visual Effects

  • Classical Animation

  • Animation Concept Art

  • Game Design

  • Digital Design

  • Sound Design for Visual Media

  • Programming for Games, Web & Mobile

  • Makeup Design for Film & Television

  • Foundation Visual Art & Design

*The 2026 Latin America Talent Scholarship must be applied towards program tuition at VFS and has no redeemable cash value.
*Individuals who have applied to any other VFS scholarship in the last 2 years are not eligible.
*Scholarships are valid select 2027 start dates only, and are subject to seat availability.
*Scholarship winners must pay a $150 CAD application fee.

VFS Student Testimonials

“I can't say enough good things about VFS Writing. The courses helped me develop many of the skills and tools that are often overlooked when trying to break into screenwriting. Great teachers and community.”

Tyler Burton Smith

The Game Awards-winner, Alan Wake 2 (Best Narrative)
Writing for Film, TV & Games Alum

“My experience at VFS was really great. I definitely felt prepared to walk onto a film set after graduating, and I was landing gigs quite soon after—short films, student projects, Hallmark movies, non-union productions…”

Suzie Klimack

Emmy-winner, Shōgun (Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup)
Makeup Design Alum

“The Game Design program was the best decision I’ve made. Every instructor, TA, and mentor genuinely cares. Thanks to the incredible education and connections, I went straight to working professionally in the game industry.”

Matt Garnett

Technical Gameplay Designer, The Coalition
Game Design Alum

Scholarship Information

  • Two half-tuition (50%) scholarships, eligible towards the following VFS programs: 
  • Film Production
  • 3D Animation & Visual Effects
  • Classical Animation Animation
  • Concept Art
  • Game Design
  • Digital Design
  • Sound Design for Visual Media
  • Programming for Games, Web & Mobile
  • Makeup Design for Film & Television
  • Foundation Visual Art & Design
  • Government-issued photo ID indicating your date of birth and legal name. 
  • If English is not your first language, you must supply proof of language proficiency (that are current and valid). Certificates must be valid through the start date of your program:
    • IELTS IELTS (Academic) - Band 6.0
    • TOEFL iBT - 76 or 4.0
    • PTE - score of 55
    • Oxford/OIDI - Level 7
    • CELPIP- Level 7
    • CEFR/Cambridge English - B2 (176 or higher)
    • Duolingo - score of 110
  • Transcripts from any institution you attended within the past five years and can be in native language.
  • Two recommendation letters (preferably instructors or academic advisors) that include the contact information for your references. Recommendations must be in English and include contact information, and may be verified by the scholarship committee.
  • Applicants who are 19 years old or older must have graduated from high school in 2020 or later. Applicants under 19 must currently be in Grade 12 (their final year of high school).

IMPORTANT NOTE: Scholarship winners must pay $150 CAD application fee if they accept the scholarship.
IMPORTANT NOTE: These requirements are mandatory, without exception. All documents (except transcript) must be in English and total files cannot exceed 10MB.

  • The deadline to apply is September 30, 2026. Late submissions or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

  • Individuals who have applied to any other VFS scholarship in the last 2 years are not eligible.

  • Scholarships are valid for the following start dates only: January 4, March 1, May 3, June 28, August 30, or October 25, 2027. Students currently in high school will be able to enrol in select start dates in 2028 (speak to a VFS Advisor for full details). Note: As start dates vary for each program, certain dates listed here may not be applicable to your program of choice. 

  • If selected, the applicant must cover their flight, accommodation, meals, and international insurance (assess approximate cost of living in Canada).

  • If selected, the applicant must complete an online VFS application (this will be specified by a VFS Advisor).

  • The selected winners will need to send their portfolio required by VFS for the program selected.

  • Applicants who have already been accepted into a VFS program can apply for this scholarship; however, this scholarship must be used singularly and cannot be used in combination with any other bursary or scholarship already received. Previous applicants must re-submit their application with a completed scholarship application form. 

Each applicant must prepare a video in English, with a maximum duration of 60 seconds, including the following: 

  1. You must begin by mentioning your name, your current grade/semester, graduation year (if you’ve already graduated), and VFS program of interest. 
  2. Then, make a brief statement of why you are applying for this scholarship and what interests you most about the VFS program you have chosen.  
  3. Display your best project(s) and give a summary and description of the work. For any team projects, you must clearly specify your role on it, either verbally or through subtitles. 
  4. The video must be posted on YouTube or Vimeo and be accessible by a direct link. 

 

  • Winners will be notified on October 19, 2026.

  • A minimum of 30 applications are required in order for scholarships to be awarded. VFS reserves the right to cancel this scholarship if less than 30 applications are received. 

  • The committee decision is final.

  • Vancouver Film School reserves the right to cancel this competition at any time, at its sole discretion, in the event of any administrative conflict or error. Vancouver Film School reserves the right to modify the rules of this contest in any way or at any time as long as reasonable notice is given. This competition is void where prohibited by law and is subject to all applicable Federal, Provincial, State, and local laws and regulations.
  • Acceptance of a scholarship allows Vancouver Film School to use your name, photograph or likeness and testimonials in print, broadcast or online/social media in perpetuity, in any manner in which VFS may deem appropriate, without further compensation. Winners will also participate in VFS’s Creative Ambassador program, sharing their experience through a series of creative videos posted to VFS’s official social media pages.
  • By participating in this competition, you agree that Vancouver Film School, members of the Selection Committee and those involved in the development, production, implementation and distribution of this competition and their respective parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, service providers, and agencies and their directors, officers, agents, employees, attorneys, and any other person or entity associated with such entities and/or this compassion (hereafter collectively called the “Sponsors”) are not liable for any claims, damages, losses or injuries, including third party claims, arising from or relating to, in whole or in part, this competition, including your entry and participation in this competition, the submission of your application package, the evaluation of your application package, acceptance, use or misuse of the scholarship or any injury to you or any other person’s computer related to or resulting from downloading or receiving via return e-mail any part of this competition information.
  • You further agree that you will not hold Vancouver Film School, their affiliates, subsidiaries, directors, officers, agents, employees, attorneys, and any other person or entity associated with Vancouver Film School liable for any claims, losses, damages or injuries, arising from or relating to their use of your name or address for mailing and any other promotional materials. You also agree that in the event of any third-party claims, damages, losses or injuries arising from or relating to this competition, you will indemnify Sponsors from any and all such claims, including the attorney’s fees related thereto. Sponsors shall not be liable for applications that are delayed, lost, misdelivered, marked postage-due, illegible, mutilated, incorrect or incomplete and such entries will not be eligible for this competition.
  • This scholarship has no cash value.

If you have any questions regarding this scholarship announcement, please contact:

 

 

FAQ

 

1. Who is eligible to apply for the 2026 Latin America Talent Scholarship?
This scholarship is open to Latin American creatives who graduated high school in 2020 or later. If you have applied to any VFS scholarship within the last 2 years, you are not eligible to apply.

 

2. What does the scholarship cover?
The scholarship covers tuition costs for an eligible VFS program, but excludes other expenses such as housing, materials, or living costs.

 

3. How do I apply for the scholarship?
Applications are currently open, but close on September 30, 2026. You will need to submit an application form and supplementary creative materials.

 

4. When will the winners be announced?
The announcement will me made on October 19, 2026. Stay tuned to VFS’s website and your email for updates.

 

5. Where can I find more information about VFS programs and admissions? Who can I contact with more questions?
Visit vfs.edu to learn more about our programs, facilities, and the admissions process. If you have additional questions, contact the VFS Admissions team at admissions@vfs.com.

 

6. If English is not my native language, can I still apply?
Yes. You will be required to submit ESL scores – that meet VFS’s minimum Language Requirements – with your application.