Is Canada a better option than the US if I want to combine finance and filmmaking?
My dream has always been to be a filmmaker, executive producer but because I come from a social and financial background where this isn't considered a feasible job unless you have financial stability and a solid backup plan - I pursued Bachelors in Quantitative Finance, thinking that I will study in my home country and then apply for masters abroad for finance (film finance). My dream school was Columbia, I thought I'd study finance while hustling through fine arts, film financing and writing/pitching etc. but apparently that's illegal under F1 visa. My dreams were crushed solely because of the place I was born at. I figured if I attend U of T or other Canadian university, I'll be able to hustle through fine arts while simultaneously doing finance. However Canada does not provide industry like NYC or LA where I could have hustled as a fine arts enthusiast while being financially stable with the city's finance industry.
It just makes me sad how your life can change significantly based on the place of birth. An american student can do a wall street job, audition for Broadway, pitch their ideas while an international student can't even make monetized youtube content or even earn through blogging/writing on F1 visa.
Now I'll end up working as a financial consultant at a media private equity firm, rising through the ranks to be Executive Producer and then a filmmaker which will take decades because apparently, I can't even invest/produce films outside of the firm I'll work for.
What should I do? I can't drop finance as a field, I can't study on a restrictive visa, and I can't leave the country until I have paid the education loan because of nominal exchange rates. Should I apply to Canadian universities and leave my dream university?