Annapurna College of Film and Media

What Annapurna College of Film and Media does

Annapurna College of Film and Media (ACFM) is a private not-for-profit film and media school operating inside the 22-acre Annapurna Studios complex in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, India. Founded in 2019 and operated by the Akkineni Film and Media Education Society, the institution was established to deliver structured, industry-integrated training for aspiring filmmakers, actors, and media technicians, addressing a gap that founder Akkineni Nageswara Rao experienced firsthand when entering the industry without formal education. It is led by Amala Akkineni as Director, with Nagarjuna Akkineni as Chairman and Krupakar Reddy as COO.

The institution delivers two degree programs — a three-year B.A. (Hons) Filmmaking and a two-year M.A. Filmmaking, both affiliated with Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University (JNAFAU) — alongside seven short-term certificate courses covering Film Acting (full-time and part-time), Filmmaking, 3D Animation, 3D Animation and VFX, Advanced VFX Compositing, and Screenwriting. Pedagogy combines classroom instruction with practical on-set training inside a working studio, with students forming crew-based cohorts that work on real productions using professional equipment.

ACFM generates revenue through tuition and course fees paid by individual students applying directly via the institutional website. As a non-profit society-run entity, it has no external investors, and any surplus is reinvested into the institution. Marketing is content-driven, centered on an SEO-optimized blog, social media channels, and the Annapurna Studios brand legacy, with all admissions flowing through direct on-campus enrollment at the single Hyderabad facility.

Name

Annapurna College of Film and Media

Legal name

Annapurna College of Film and Media

Website

https://acfm.edu.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Annapurna College of Film and Media is a private not-for-profit film school in Hyderabad, India, offering accredited degree and certificate programs in filmmaking, acting, VFX, and animation inside the Annapurna Studios complex. It serves aspiring filmmakers, actors, and career switchers seeking industry-integrated training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film and Media Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Film, Television & Media Arts Colleges (EDAHAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Animation, Game Art & Digital Arts Colleges (EDAHAJAI), Performing Arts Colleges (Theatre, Dance, Musical Theatre) (EDAHAJAD)

Keywords

• Film school education
• Filmmaking degree programs
• Acting training courses
• Visual effects education
• 3D animation training

Headquarters

HQ city

Hyderabad

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Course Fees: Revenue is generated through fees for degree programs (B.A. Hons Filmmaking - 3 years, M.A. Filmmaking - 2 years) and short-term certificate courses in film acting, filmmaking, 3D animation, 3D animation and VFX, advanced compositing, and screenwriting. ACFM is a non-profit institution operated by the Akkineni Film and Media Education Society, implying any surplus reinvests into the institution.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Annapurna College of Film and Media (ACFM) is a not-for-profit film school that delivers degree programs (B.A. Hons Filmmaking and M.A. Filmmaking) and short-term certificate courses in film acting, filmmaking, 3D animation, VFX, compositing, and screenwriting. Programs are taught on real film sets within the Annapurna Studios complex, combining classroom instruction with hands-on practical training to prepare students for careers in the Indian film, television, OTT, and advertising industries.

Product overview

Annapurna College of Film and Media (ACFM) is a premier film school in Hyderabad, India, offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs. The institution provides two degree programs: M.A. Filmmaking (2-year/4-semester postgraduate degree) and B.A. (Hons) Filmmaking (3-year/6-semester undergraduate honors degree), both affiliated with JNAFA University. Complementing these are seven short-term certificate courses covering Film Acting (full-time and part-time options), 3D Animation, 3D Animation and VFX, Advanced VFX Compositing, Filmmaking, and Screenwriting. The college operates within the Annapurna Studios complex, providing students with hands-on industry experience and access to professional production facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• M.A. Filmmaking A 2-year postgraduate degree program consisting of 4 semesters, designed to provide advanced filmmaking education and industry-ready skills for aspiring filmmakers. Affiliated with JNAFAU.
• B.A. (Hons) Filmmaking A 3-year undergraduate honors degree program with 6 semesters, providing comprehensive filmmaking education and practical training. Affiliated with JNAFAU.
• Film Acting (Full-Time) A full-time certificate program in film acting, providing comprehensive training in on-camera performance techniques for aspiring actors.
• Film Acting (Part-Time) A part-time certificate program in film acting for students who need flexible scheduling while learning on-camera performance.
• 3D Animation Certificate Certificate course in 3D animation covering modeling, rigging, texturing, and animation principles.
• 3D Animation and VFX Certificate course combining 3D animation with visual effects, covering compositing, VFX pipelines, and industry-standard software.
• Advanced VFX Compositing

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates are working in leading production houses, contributing to films, series, OTT content, and advertising projects across India
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University (JNAFAU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACFM's degree programs (B.A. Hons Filmmaking and M.A. Filmmaking) are affiliated with Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University (JNAFAU), a government-recognized university in Hyderabad. This affiliation provides students with formal, government-recognized degree credentials alongside the college's practical film training. The partnership combines academic rigour from JNAFAU with industry-integrated training from ACFM's Annapurna Studios environment.
• Annapurna StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACFM operates as the educational arm of Annapurna Studios, one of India's most legendary film production complexes. Founded by Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR), the college is located within the 22-acre Annapurna Studios complex in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. Students benefit from proximity to working film sets, professional production infrastructure, and the Annapurna legacy of cinematic excellence. ANR's vision was that his college would take up the responsibility of training filmmakers — addressing the gap he experienced entering the industry without formal training.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Zee Institute of Media Arts (ZIMA): Mumbai-based media arts institute offering courses in acting, filmmaking, VFX, and journalism, backed by the Zee media ecosystem. Comparable as a private, brand-anchored film/media school with industry distribution ties.
• Film and Television Institute of India (FTII): India's premier government-run film school in Pune offering postgraduate diploma programs across cinema disciplines. The strongest public-sector comparable for ACFM's degree-style filmmaking programs and the institutional benchmark for industry recognition.
• Whistling Woods International: Mumbai-based private film school founded by Subhash Ghai offering degree and diploma programs across filmmaking, acting, animation, and VFX. Directly comparable as a private, celebrity-founded, multi-program Indian film school targeting the same student segments.
• Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI): Government film school in Kolkata offering postgraduate diplomas in filmmaking, editing, sound design, and cinematography. Closely comparable on curriculum structure and government-affiliated credentials, competing for the same postgraduate talent pool.
• L.V. Prasad Film & TV Academy: Chennai-based film academy associated with the LV Prasad Studios legacy offering diploma and certificate programs in acting, filmmaking, and editing. Comparable as a South Indian, studio-anchored film school targeting similar Telugu/Tamil student segments.
• Asian Academy of Film and Television (AAFT): Noida-based private film and media school offering certificate and diploma programs across acting, filmmaking, VFX, and journalism. Comparable as a multi-program private film school competing on similar breadth and certificate course offerings.

Regional players

• MGR Government Film and Television Training Institute: Tamil Nadu government-run film training institute offering diploma programs in cinematography, sound, and editing. Comparable as a public-sector film training institution with similar curriculum focus, primarily serving the Tamil regional market.

Broad incumbents

• MAAC (Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics): Pan-India training network specializing in VFX, animation, gaming, and multimedia. Directly comparable for ACFM's VFX and 3D animation certificate tracks, with significantly broader geographic reach through multiple centers.
• Arena Animation: Pan-India private training network (under Aptech) offering VFX, animation, and multimedia courses. Comparable for ACFM's 3D Animation, VFX, and Compositing certificate programs, though delivered through a multi-center franchise model rather than a single studio campus.

Emerging players

• National School of Drama (NSD): India's premier government drama school in Delhi offering a 3-year diploma in acting. Partially comparable as an adjacent performing arts institution competing for the same aspiring acting talent that ACFM targets through its Film Acting certificate programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/acfmofficial
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@annapurnacollege
• Facebookfacebook.com/acfmofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/annapurna-international-school-of-film-and-media
• Instagraminstagram.com/annapurnacollege_official?igshid=OGIzYTJhMTRmYQ==

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Annapurna College of Film and Media