Ecole de la Cité

Priority to creation

In 2012, some major groups forming a significant part of the French audiovisual landscape; choice producers and/or distributers such as TF1, M6, CANAL +, GAUMONT, joined forces under the leadership of Luc Besson, in an effort to replenish the void of Directors and Scriptwriters working in the field of Television, Cinema or the Web, institutional films, music videos clips, commercials and/or any other audiovisual content.

Together, in partnership with other invested companies (most notably PATHE, KERING and BNP Paribas), these founders decided to support the creation of a school that would allow a class representative of today’s youth to become proficient professionally in those jobs.

The physical location of the Ecole de la Cité makes it possible to be permanently interacting and surrounded with professionals of the Audiovisual industry. This proximity gives the school the flexibility to adjust the programs following the evolution of the industry and its needs in terms of talent. It offers to the students the possibility to train on national and international productions and for professionals to spot potential future collaborators.

"When I decided I wanted to make films at the age of 17, all of the schools at the time required a bachelor's degree and often a minimum of two plus years of post-graduate study. My desire and impatience were such that it seemed impossible to wait! I thus entered the world of cinema through the smallest of doors, that as a trainee on a short film. The learning curve and process was arduous and I often regretted not being able to transfer into a proper school, so as to share my passion with people my own age. I served liters of coffee, photocopied countless documents and carried tons of material. Though the work was at times painful and often unrewarding, I can never thank enough all of these technicians who, with patience and benevolence, taught me the craft.

I created this school so that passionate young adults, similar to how I was at their age, in that they haven’t been able to find their way on a traditional path, can have an alternative."

An exceptional place to learn

The Cité du Cinéma located in Saint-Denis, is a unique place in Europe. This 62,000m2 complex on the outskirts of Paris brings together all of the players involved in the making of a film; from script development to set building and production, from post-production all the way to distribution. The complex provides and maintains professionals with state-of-the-art equipment.

The Cité du Cinéma brings together 9 sound stages specifically designed for the needs of todays professionals, with 12,000m2 of dedicated technical premises (dressing rooms, assembly rooms, painting workshops, carpentry, light and camera shops, etc.) and 2,200m2 of projection spaces and reception rooms.

This state-of-the-art facility reconciles practical and theoretical education with the opportunities of an ever-changing industry.

Thanks to these studios on premises at the Cité du Cinéma, students are in permanent contact with professionals directly in the act of preparing, shooting and editing films in the making.