Simple. Honest. Real.

TAFTA (The Australian Film & Television Academy), founded by John Orcsik in 1994, has spent over 32 years training actors through practical, industry-focused screen acting education. Dedicated to on-camera learning for actors of all ages, abilities, and experience levels, TAFTA strips away unnecessary theory to focus on what truly matters — emotional authenticity, confidence, technical skill, and truthful performance for Film & Television.

At the heart of TAFTA is a supportive and inclusive creative community where actors are encouraged to embrace their individuality and develop not only as performers, but as storytellers. Students are empowered to explore multi-hyphenate career paths including screenwriting, producing, directing, and content creation, gaining insight into the filmmaking process as a whole.

TAFTA’s training environment is designed to prepare actors for the realities of the industry fostering resilience, professionalism, collaboration, and confidence both on and off camera. Graduates leave with refined acting skills, practical on-set experience, and the tools to navigate a competitive and ever-evolving screen industry.

John Orcsik, TAFTA Founder

Upcoming Classes

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Full Time Program

TAFTA’s Full-Time Screen Acting Program is a practical, industry-focused alternative to traditional tertiary training. Designed for those ready to dive headfirst into their acting career, this program is ideal for recent Year 12 graduates, gap year students, or anyone seeking a creative and career-driven year of study.

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Part Time Program

TAFTA’s Part-Time Screen Acting Program will deepen your understanding of the art and craft of acting, not only receiving the tools your need to fulfil your potential. Design for those that wanna start their acting career but need to balance full time work.

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  • I spent four years in this profession being told that classes were not necessary. That ‘experience’ and ‘determination’ were the major keys to success. It took twenty minutes into Mick Preston’s first class to prove that notion wrong. The Beginners Course at TAFTA will take you through all the basics you need to stand out on set, delivered with a raft of timeless lessons, witty stories and ‘in the trenches’ training that only actors still in the game can genuinely share. And Mick delivers all with a warm, enthusiastic tone that has you hanging on every word and looking forward to hearing more. If success as an actor is part of your journey, then the Beginners Course with Mick Preston is where it begins.

    Faouzi Daghistani - Intro to Screen Acting with Mick Preston

  • Kym Valentine Testimonial

    I loved the course and would 100% recommend it to other actors. I have definitely transformed as an actor in this class; I've found a new confidence and ability in the craft all because of Kym's coaching

    Ashleigh Redmond - Get Set with Kym Valentine

  • Dougie Baldwin Testimonial

    Yes very beneficial! It was real and honest, I found it super challenging the first day but that’s what made the second day so amazing! Everyone’s performance improved so much within 24 hours!

    Sitcom Study with Dougie Baldwin

  • Ric was straightforward, present and knowledgable in the kind of way you’d like every acting teacher to be. His level of experience and insight was palpable during the class and his feedback always gave valuable insight and encouraged areas of growth. I really enjoyed his class and his direct feedback. Overall, Ric is an incredibly experienced and lovely teacher to work with! I gained a lot from his class

    Grace - on working with Producer Ric Pellizzeri

  • I just wanted to thank you so much for the course with Lucy Hayes! It was the best course I have done in such a long time. Lucy was SO SO generous with her knowledge, and was positive and supportive of every individual in the class. It was just awesome and inspiring. Thank you so much again

    Producing with Lucy Hayes

  • Thea is a lovely person & casting director. She's warm, friendly, understanding, supportive and has heaps of great advice and insights to put us actors both at ease and to get the best out of us. She's awesome.

    Casting Workshop with Thea McLeod

  • The recent workshop on the "Business of Acting" was very interesting, informative and helpful for my career in acting to go forward. With Gael's 20 years of experience in talent management and her indepth knowledge of the industry, she was able to share very detailed guidance and helpful hints. Some topics covered were: finding a good agency, setting up casting profiles, having amazing headshots with variations, importance of developing a range of accents, filming professional showreel scenes and slates, plus numerous suggestions and related examples. I would highly recommend Gael McDonald's workshop to anyone relatively new to the industry or anyone looking for helpful hints on the business side of acting.

    Business of Acting with Gael McDonald

  • "Jason made me feel very comfortable exploring the world of improvisation. Not only is he a clever and quick witted actor, I found his teaching style to be very encouraging and he was able to break it down to make improvisation feel very easy and natural. By the end of Jason's classes I understood how beneficial and important improvisation is to helping to build a character and how it can contribute to a scene. His classes are fun and engaging while teaching a new skill".

    Improvisation with Jason Geary

  • Tim is an incredible teacher. His approach to a task that is quite daunting and potentially overwhelming is simple to follow, comprehensive and exciting. In just 6 weeks I have learnt a structure for writing that I can take into any future screenwriting endeavour. His personal industry experience is invaluable and prepares you for the reality of pitching and getting your idea off the ground. I highly recommend Tim’s course and I’d happily do it again!

    Eponine - Write & Pitch with Tim Marshall

  • Mick Preston Testimonial

    MIck has been an excellent teacher and mentor in my time at TAFTA. I have grown so much as an actor and learned many of the important foundations and techniques of acting from Mick. He is very approachable, patient and generous with his time, resources and advice to his students. Every time I have a question on acting, Mick never fails to take the time to respond to my enquiries and provide the best help he can. I'm sure future students will benefit a lot from his classes. I highly recommend Mick especially if you're a beginner actor starting out in screen acting!

    Abigail Faith Chue - Intro to Screen Acting with Mick Preston

  • “"I went from being someone who was terrified of improv to someone who absolutely loves it. It's that simple. Jason was funny and supportive, and his constructive feedback meant that I was really able to understand the level of skill involved in the craft but that I also became comfortable with "failing" in my attempts to perfect it. I highly recommend this class to everyone, whether you enjoy improv or not."

    Improvisation with Jason Geary

  • TAFTA wasn't lying when they called it the National Actors INTENSIVE, but it was so worth it! It was wonderful to meet and work with so many different industry professionals, all of whom were incredibly willing to share their stories, tips and advice - something you really can't get anywhere else, and I'm so grateful to have experienced it! It was so inspiring to meet other actors from around Australia and to watch them work - such a great learning environment that I would definitely recommend to any actor (and would definitely look at doing again, myself!). It really was a challenge, but only in the best way!

    Shanuka Nagaratnam - National Actors Intensive

  • I completed the NAI course in Sydney in June 2022. It was the best thing I have ever done! Being terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. The course pushes you outside your comfort zone resulting in you growing your craft exponentially. This course is a must to meet Directors, Casting Directors and Agents, who all give wonderful insight into different ways of thinking...Book in you will not regret it.

    Donna Delaney - National Actors Intensive

  • The NAI gave me a wealth of knowledge with unmatchable connections from over 12 industry professionals, including Casting Directors, Directors and Agents. The course, which at times consisted of 14 hour days - mirrored the expectations of being on set in a high-stakes environment. I felt guided and supported throughout the intensive due to the dedicated team at TAFTA who ensured I was comfortable both on and off screen. I would recommend this course to Actors who are ready to take that next step in their careers and challenge themselves."

    Daniela Pizzirani - National Actors Intensive

  • “Having trained with Angus for a decent period of time, I would definitely say I hold him in high regard among acting teachers. He’s fantastic at generating motivation, assisting students in accessing their creativity, and most of all is wonderfully genuine and dedicated to his pupils’ betterment. I’d recommend working with Angus”.

    Cooper Hall - Teens with Angus McLaren

  • Kym Valentine Testimonial

    “Kyms class is incredible. I did her Get Set class in 2018 and her Masterclass. As a coach Kym makes everyone feel welcome and like family and I think that’s why some of my best work was with her. I can’t recommend her enough you will get so much out of the class and grow immensely as an actor.”

    Zoe - Get Set with Kym Valentine

  • Tim Marshall Testimonial

    I found Tim’s way of teaching extremely easy to follow and the work load manageable. Tim’s guidance was backed up with so much knowledge, truth and positivity. I feel I got more out of the course than what I anticipated and am excited and confident to take the next steps in creating my own web series. Personally I would have loved an extra two weeks with Tim and the class to really fine tune our scripts as I found there was a slight of a rush of content towards the end. Overall it was a tight, well-structured and very informative course.

    Brittany - Write & Pitch with Tim Marshall

  • In my opinion, Kym Valentine has the best script break down system I’ve seen. As a coach, she cares about her students and their progression. You can feel her love for the craft in every interaction. Any chance I get to learn from Kym, I’ll take & I’d suggest others do the same. You will level up working with Kym Valentine.

    Matt Jackson - Get Set & Masterclass with Kym Valentine

  • "A solid foundation is the basis for learning any skill. For my acting, Mick's class was that crucial foundation which taught me the essentials of both the business and creative aspects of this industry. Mick's approach is very straight-forward and easy to understand, which was incredibly helpful as a beginner. I would definitely recommend Mick's class to anyone hoping to gain holistic, practical knowledge on acting".

    Chahaat - Intro to Screen Acting with Mick Preston