ENSAV

What ENSAV does

ENSAV (École Nationale Supérieure d'AudioVisuel) is a French public higher education institution dedicated to cinema and audiovisual arts, headquartered in Toulouse and operating as an internal school of Université Toulouse – Jean Jaurès. Founded in 1989, it is the first and only École Nationale Supérieure de Cinéma located outside Paris, giving it a unique national position among French elite film schools. The school trains students through a curriculum structured around seven filmmaking specialties — scriptwriting, directing, producing, cinematography, sound, editing, and set design — delivered across Licence 3, Master 1, Master 2, and DURCA programs. Beyond Toulouse, ENSAV operates a second site at Castres (established 2014), where it added a Master XR program in 2024 covering immersive and virtual production. The institution is a member of CILECT (Centre International de Liaison des Ecoles de Cinéma et de Télévision), maintains an annual presence at the Cannes Film Festival, and hosts the recurring RIFT international event.

The school's core technology footprint is built around professional film production equipment, post-production facilities, and — most recently — XR/immersive media labs at the Castres campus. The curriculum is delivered by active industry professionals, the standard model for elite French cinema training, and outputs are validated through industry recognition including a César award and recurring festival selections.

ENSAV's business model is fundamentally public-sector. Revenue is derived primarily from French state education budgets allocated through the Ministry of Higher Education and the University, supplemented by apprenticeship tax (taxe d'apprentissage) from corporate film and audiovisual partners, EU and regional development grants (notably funding the XR program), and industry partnership revenue. Students pay regulated French public university tuition fees. The school's primary "customers" are prospective cinema professionals enrolling in its programs; secondary beneficiaries are French and European film industry employers who recruit ENSAV graduates. Geographic reach is domestic French with growing international linkages through CILECT and RIFT.

Name

ENSAV

Legal name

ENSAV - École Nationale Supérieure de l'Audiovisuel

Website

https://ensav.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ENSAV is a French public film school in Toulouse, founded 1989, the first École Nationale Supérieure de Cinéma outside Paris, training students in seven filmmaking specialties through Licence, Master, and DURCA programs, with a second site at Castres.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Toulouse

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Higher Education Tuition: ENSAV operates as a public institution within Université Toulouse – Jean Jaurès. Students pay standard French university registration fees (Droits d'inscription universitaires). Revenue is derived from the French state's public higher education budget, supplemented by the French apprenticeship tax (Taxe d'apprentissage) paid by companies.
2. Apprenticeship Tax (Taxe d'apprentissage): French companies contribute a portion of their training budget (0.59% of payroll) to support vocational education. ENSAV receives these contributions, which are directed to support student projects and professional development through the SOLTéA platform.
3. European and Regional Funding: ENSAV receives co-financing from European structural funds (Fonds Social Européen) for certain programs such as the Master XR track, providing additional revenue for specific educational initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ENSAV is a public French higher-education school delivering cinema and audiovisual arts programs from undergraduate (Licence 3) through master's level (Master 1 and Master 2), including a specialized research diploma (DURCA). It provides students with access to professional-grade production equipment, post-production facilities, XR labs, and a dedicated Médiathèque, and it hosts the RIFT international film festival in Toulouse.

Product overview

ENSAV (École Nationale Supérieure de l'AudioVisuel) is a public cinema school in Toulouse, France, and the first and only national film school located outside Paris. As an internal school of Université Toulouse Jean-Jaurès, it offers a comprehensive educational pathway from undergraduate (Licence 3) through Master's degrees (M1 and M2) to the professional DURCA diploma. The school provides specialized Master's tracks in Image (cinematography), Sound, Production, Réalisation (directing), REX (research-experimentation), Architecture Décor/VFX, and XR (extended reality/virtual production). Beyond formal degree programs, ENSAV operates La Médiothèque as a resource center, organizes annual events including Les RIFT international film school encounters, Les Lundis de l'Ensav monthly screenings, and the Journée des Ancien·ne·s alumni networking event. The institution also maintains research partnerships through the LARA-SEPPIA laboratory and collaborates with international CILECT network schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Licence 3 program

Quantifiable outcome

• César Award 2024 — Best Sound (Fabrice Osinski, Class of 1999)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

30 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• CILECT (Centre International de Liaison des Écoles de Cinéma et de Télévision)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026CILECT is the global network of film and television schools. ENSAV is an active member and hosts the annual RIFT (Rencontres Internationales du Film du Taur) as its flagship CILECT event, inviting 3-5 member schools each year. Partner schools attend with teaching staff and students who present their work and engage in pedagogical debates. This partnership underpins ENSAV's international visibility and student exchange opportunities.
• Université Toulouse – Jean Jaurès (UT2J)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerENSAV is an internal school (école interne) of Université Toulouse – Jean Jaurès, one of France's largest universities in the humanities and social sciences. UT2J provides the institutional framework, administrative support, accreditation, and research laboratory linkage (Lara-Seppia EA4154) for ENSAV's programs.
• Région OccitaniemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerRégion Occitanie is a key institutional partner and funder of ENSAV. It supports the 'Lundis de l'Ensav' monthly screenings and the 'Marathon des Mots' festival participation. The region also co-finances student film productions and the Ensav Occitanie Talents program at Cannes.
• Conseil Départemental de la Haute-GaronnemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Haute-Garonne Departmental Council is a partner of ENSAV's annual RIFT international event, providing institutional support and visibility to the school's flagship program.
• Mairie de ToulousemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe City of Toulouse is a partner of ENSAV's RIFT event and supports the school's public presence in the city through cultural programming and institutional endorsement.
• ECO/UFRJ (Escola de Comunicação da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerENSAV invited the Brazilian film school ECO/UFRJ to participate in the 39th RIFT in April 2026. The school presented its representative student works as part of the international encounter.
• ENERC (Escuela Nacional de Experimentación y Realización Cinematográfica, Argentina)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerENSAV invited Argentina's national film school ENERC to the 39th RIFT in April 2026, continuing the Latin American exchange within the CILECT network.
• École Nationale Supérieure Louis-LumièreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerENSAV invited France's prestigious École Nationale Supérieure Louis-Lumière to the 39th RIFT in 2026, strengthening ties between France's two leading public film schools.
• CinésavminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCinésav is a partner of ENSAV's annual RIFT event, contributing to the international film school encounter's organization and promotion.
• Le Fresnoy — Studio National des Arts ContemporainsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerENSAV invited Le Fresnoy (France's national studio for contemporary arts) to participate in the 38th Corrida/RIFT in April 2025, expanding its CILECT-partner network.
• Ecole Supérieure des Arts Visuels de Marrakech (ESAVM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerENSAV invited ESAVM Marrakech (Morocco) to the 38th Corrida in 2025, strengthening south Mediterranean film education ties.
• Satis — Ecole Publique de Cinéma (Aix-Marseille)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSatis (Aix-Marseille University's public film school) was invited to the 38th Corrida in 2025, representing the network of French public audiovisual schools.
• La Fémis (Paris)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLa Fémis (France's premier national film school in Paris) participated in the 37th Corrida Audiovisuelle in 2024, continuing longstanding exchanges between France's leading public film institutions.
• Theatre and Film Georgia State University (TAFU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTAFU (Georgia State University, USA) was invited to the 37th Corrida Audiovisuelle in 2024, representing the CILECT North American contingent.
• Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts (ALBA, Université de Balamand)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerALBA (Lebanon) participated in the 37th Corrida Audiovisuelle in 2024, continuing ENSAV's CILECT-linked Mediterranean and Middle Eastern exchanges.
• Filmová a televízna fakulta (FTF, Slovakia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Film and Television Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava (Slovakia) participated in the 37th Corrida Audiovisuelle in 2024, representing Central European film education within the CILECT network.
• Cinema Le Cratère (Toulouse)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerCinema Le Cratère is a key cultural partner in Toulouse, hosting ENSAV's annual 'Ensav de femmes' event (carte blanche to ENSAV's female student filmmakers) as part of the 'A propos d'elle(s)' festival. The partnership provides public screening venues and industry visibility for ENSAV students.
• Cinespaña FestivalmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerENSAV is a privileged partner of the Cinespaña festival (Spanish and Portuguese cinema), hosting over 20 screening sessions annually in the Salle Arts du Spectacle. ENSAV students participate in programming decisions and public debates.
• Festival Echos d'ici, Echos d'ailleursminorGTM or Marketing PartnerENSAV partnered with the Festival Echos d'ici, Echos d'ailleurs (17th edition, 2024) to present student short films and a cinema lesson, extending reach to the Tarn region's film audiences.
• Festival de Cannes — Short Film Corner & Marché du FilmcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerENSAV has a standing presence at the Cannes Film Festival through its Short Film Corner selections (5 films in 2024, 5 in 2025) and the Ensav Occitanie Talents program, which gives 4 student filmmakers direct access to the Cannes Film Market annually.
• Agence Occitanie Films / APIFAmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerAPIFA (now Agence Occitanie Films) co-organizes the 'Courts d'école' program at the Festival Séquence Court-Métrage and supports ENSAV student films at regional industry events, providing networking with regional producers and film professionals.
• Occitanie Films (Regional Film Agency)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerOccitanie Films supports the Ensav Occitanie Talents program at Cannes and facilitates student access to the regional film industry, co-organizing talent promotion events at the Cannes Film Market.
• CROUS (Centre Régional des Oeuvres Universitaires et Scolaires)minorOthersCROUS manages student welfare and housing. ENSAV collaborates with CROUS on the Mission Egalité program to combat inequality and gender-based discrimination, and CROUS facilitates student access to financial aid and social services.
• Lara-Seppia Research Laboratory (EA4154)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerENSAV's REX (Recherche-Expérimentation) program is directly linked to the Lara-Seppia research laboratory (EA4154) of UT2J, enabling academic research combining film theory and practice. The lab co-organizes the annual Colloque du Taur, the RIFT, and multiple study days (journées d'études), directly feeding ENSAV's academic credibility and research output.
• Cinémathèque de ToulousemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Cinémathèque de Toulouse runs the 'Fenêtre sur l'Ensav' monthly partnership, screening one ENSAV student short film as an opener before a feature presentation. This partnership provides regular public exposure for student work and is open to all audiences.
• CVEC (Contribution à la Vie Etudiante et de Campus)minorOthersCVEC is a mandatory student contribution (€103/year) used to fund campus life projects. ENSAV received CVEC support for its 'Été du jeune cinéma' event in 2026, demonstrating institutional backing for student cultural initiatives.
• Syndicat mixte pour le développement de l'Enseignement supérieur Tarn SudmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThis regional authority has supported the ENSAV Castres campus for 10 years, providing institutional and financial backing for the school's Tarn department presence and the Master XR program offered there.
• American Cosmograph (Toulouse)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmerican Cosmograph, an independent Toulouse cinema, partnered with ENSAV for the 'Été du jeune cinéma' event (June 2026), hosting the closing film screening. The partnership supports ENSAV's mission to bridge student work with professional exhibition venues.
• Agence Unique Occitanie CultureminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAgence Unique Occitanie Culture partnered with ENSAV for the 'Été du jeune cinéma' event, supporting the young filmmakers' showcase as part of the regional cultural ecosystem.
• Bureau des Étudiant·e·s de l'Ensav (Student Union)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe student union actively collaborates with ENSAV administration on events like 'Été du jeune cinéma', the Mission Egalité Day, and alumni networking events. This internal partnership drives student-led cultural initiatives and community building.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Le Fresnoy - Studio National des Arts Contemporains: France's national studio for contemporary arts in Tourcoing, offering postgraduate programs that combine art, cinema, and new media. Directly comparable as a French national arts school with CILECT ties; Le Fresnoy participated in the 38th Corrida/RIFT in 2025.
• Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin (DFFB): Germany's public film academy in Berlin, focused on auteur filmmaking. Comparable to ENSAV as a European national public film school with a similar mission of training filmmakers for artistic and experimental cinema within the CILECT network.
• Satis - École publique de cinéma (Aix-Marseille): Public film school of Aix-Marseille University offering Master-level programs in audiovisual production. Directly comparable as a French regional public film school that participated in the 38th Corrida in 2025, sharing the same public higher education funding model as ENSAV.
• ENERC (Escuela Nacional de Experimentación y Realización Cinematográfica): Argentina's national film school in Buenos Aires. Directly comparable as a Latin American national film school invited to ENSAV's 39th RIFT in 2026, sharing CILECT membership and national-school mission.
• National Film and Television School (NFTS): The UK's national film and television school offering postgraduate programs across all major film disciplines. Directly comparable as a Western European national film school within the CILECT network with a similar public funding and diploma-granting model.
• La Fémis: France's premier national film school located in Paris, operating as a public institution under the French Ministry of Culture. Directly comparable to ENSAV as a French national film school with longstanding CILECT exchange ties (La Fémis participated in the 37th Corrida Audiovisuelle in 2024).
• ESAVM Marrakech (École Supérieure des Arts Visuels de Marrakech): Morocco's public arts and film school, a CILECT member institution invited to the 38th Corrida in 2025. Directly comparable as a national-level French-speaking film school with similar francophone public higher education positioning to ENSAV.
• Łódź Film School (PWSFTviT): Poland's national film school in Łódź, founded in 1948, one of Europe's most prestigious film academies. Directly comparable as a CILECT member national film school with longstanding exchange partnerships (FTF participated in the 37th Corrida Audiovisuelle in 2024).
• École Nationale Supérieure Louis-Lumière: Major French national film school in the Paris region focused on cinematography, sound, and post-production. Directly comparable to ENSAV as a fellow national public film school; Louis-Lumière was invited to the 39th RIFT in 2026, underscoring direct comparability within the French public higher education system.
• Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia: Italy's national film school founded in 1935, the oldest film school in the world, offering programs in directing, cinematography, editing, sound, and production. Directly comparable as a European national film school within the CILECT network with similar mission and public institution structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ENSAVToulouse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/ensav
• Instagraminstagram.com/ensavtoulouse
• Xx.com/ENSAVToulouse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 ENSAV