About the School
La Fémis (Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Métiers de l’Image et du Son) is the French state film school under the responsibility of the Ministry of Culture and Communication. It is funded by the CNC (France’s National Centre of Cinematography and the Moving Image).
It is a member of the PSL Research University created from the strategic alliance of over twenty higher education and research institutions, including the École Normale Supérieure, Université Paris-Dauphine, Collège de France, Mines ParisTech, École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts and Conservatoire National Supérieur d’Art Dramatique.
STATUTES/MISSIONS/BUDGET
Created in 1986 as a non-profit association, La Fémis currently holds the status of ’industrial and commercial public institution’ (pursuant to the law of 16 December 1996 and the decree of 13 May 1998).
La Fémis’ annual budget is in the region of €10.7M. The School is funded by various sources: a grant from the CNC (76%), the School’s own resources and additional subsidies (17%) and the remaining 7% from the apprenticeship tax paid by companies in the film and audiovisual sector.
The decree of 13 May 1998 set forth the School’s missions:
— provide, in liaison with the professional industry, initial and continuous education and training in the disciplines of film, television and all other forms of communication and audiovisual expression, and confer a degree qualification;
— promote and disseminate film and audiovisual culture as well as theoretical, artistic and technical research in the areas of cinematography and sound production;
— cooperate with institutions in France and overseas that share similar or related objectives;
— design, draft, produce, publish and distribute educational, artistic, technical and scientific documents concerning the disciplines in the cinematography and sound production sectors, in particular the audiovisual works and documents produced by students during their training at La Fémis.
ACTIVITIES
The School’s core activity is training students on the various disciplines of film: directing, cinematography, producing, screenwriting, editing, sound production, production design, continuity, distribution and cinema management.
Two new programmes were introduced at the start of the 2013 school year: ’TV Series Development’ and an ’art and design’ PhD (as part of PSL’s SACRe doctoral programme).
Admission is by competitive exam and is open to students who have completed two or more years of undergraduate education, depending on the programme.
For our initial education, the length of study varies between one and four years depending on the programme.
The School also offers continuous learning workshops in the areas of screenwriting, documentary development, production and cinema management for industry professionals.
Instead of having a permanent faculty staff, the School is supported by over 500 professional tutors who teach the various programmes and short courses each year.
La Fémis has established a number of cooperation and exchange agreements, both in France, with ’grandes écoles’ in other fields->article12] — including the CNSAD (National Academy of the Dramatic Arts), HEC business school, the CFA des comédiens/Studio théâtre d’Asnières, IRCAM (French research institute for music and sound), and the CNSMDP (National Academy of Music and Dance of Paris) — and overseas with the world’s leading film schools in Moscow, New York, Tokyo, London, Buenos Aires, Berlin, LA and elsewhere.
For several years, the School has been involved in a number of research initiatives that are in the process of being formally instituted.
La Fémis has high record of achievement with regard to its alumni and students finding employment in the industry, as shown by the names regularly appearing in the credits of new film releases.
