Dolby × BFA: Shaping the future of immersive storytelling

Beijing Film Academy (BFA) has officially become a Dolby Institute Academic Partner, the first and only Dolby Institute Academic Partner in China for both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. This milestone was commemorated with a plaque delivery ceremony at BFA's Haidian campus, attended by senior leadership from both institutions. Glenn Kiser, Global Head of Dolby Creator Lab, attended the event in person and participated in the plaque delivery ceremony together with Zhou Zhijun, Party Secretary of the Beijing Film Academy, and other leaders from BFA and Dolby.

This expanded collaboration aims to build a globally connected education + enterprise platform that integrates world-leading imaging and audio innovations, empowering the next generation of storytellers and driving the development of the creative community.

Charting a new chapter in education of creative talents

The Dolby-BFA collaboration opens a new chapter in cultivating talent for immersive storytelling in China. Industry observers note that the collaboration not only bridges domestic education of creative talents with world-leading audiovisual innovations, but also provides students with direct access to Dolby's world-class creative ecosystem.

By embedding Dolby innovations and professional workflows into the curriculum, BFA is empowering its students with an international edge. The collaboration also highlights Dolby's sustained commitment to China's creative community–not only through technological innovations, but by inspiring educational transformation grounded in creativity and audience experience.

Long-term collaboration to foster talents

The newly announced collaboration builds on a foundation of over two decades of collaboration between BFA and Dolby–an enduring relationship that has produced numerous milestones in immersive media education.

In 2000, BFA became the first Chinese university to establish the Dolby Digital Mixing Studio in the campus, setting a new benchmark in professional audio training. Building on this legacy, 2020 saw the launch of two Dolby Atmos Premier Studios at the BFA Sound School–the only facility of its kind in the country. Most recently, in 2025, the BFA Immersive Music Mixing Room was upgraded into a state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos Music studio, allowing students to engage directly with cutting-edge immersive music production tools.

Over the years, BFA students and faculty have created award-winning works showcased at prestigious international festivals such as Cannes and Berlinale. Dolby has consistently supported these creative endeavors by offering hands-on trainings in Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision, helping students push artistic boundaries and refine their storytelling techniques. The well-trained BFA graduates have participated in many outstanding productions of movies, dramas, and even music and games, such as Creation of The Gods, Pegasus 2, My People, My Country, To the Wonder, etc.

What the academic partner program unlocks

As a Dolby Institute Academic Partner, BFA will integrate Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision production workflows into the undergraduate curriculum at its Sound School and Department of Film and Television Technology. The collaboration includes tailored training modules that reflect real-world production practices across movies, music, and gaming.

By aligning its educational approach with Dolby's global innovations, BFA will enhance students' storytelling capabilities through expressive and immersive tools, while fostering an audience-centric and international mindset.

Core dimensions of the program include preparing students for cross-platform creative environments, embedding audience-centric thinking into production processes, and building a globally competitive talent pipeline to power the growth of China's content industry.

Looking ahead: Empowering the next generation of storytellers

As immersive experiences redefine storytelling across movies, music, gaming, and interactive media, Dolby and BFA are deepening their collaboration to cultivate future creators with global vision and technological fluency.

Glenn Kiser, Global Head of the Dolby Creator Lab, emphasized the significance of the collaboration, calling it "an honor" to work with BFA as Dolby's academic partner in China for both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. "By working with BFA to educate and inspire the next generation of content creators, we're helping build the foundation for something truly transformative. We look forward to equipping BFA students with the same Dolby innovations used by leading filmmakers and storytellers worldwide, empowering them to succeed in today's fast-evolving entertainment industry with a truly global perspective", he said.

From BFA's side, Vice-President Professor Tong Lei underscored the value of the two-decade collaboration, noting how Dolby's innovations in HDR imaging and immersive audio have continually driven progress in China's movie and television education. He affirmed that this shared vision aligns with BFA's mission to develop creative talents with international outlook and interdisciplinary capabilities, and expressed hope that the deepened collaboration will connect students more directly with global innovations and contribute to the future vitality of the entertainment industry.

Meanwhile, Dolby reaffirms its commitment to empowering the next generation of creators through innovation and education. By bringing professional tools and industry workflows directly into the classroom, this collaboration underscores a shared belief in the power of immersive storytelling to connect cultures, inspire new narratives, and shape the future of global content creation.