Seattle Film Institute

What Seattle Film Institute does

Seattle Film Institute (SFI) is a private, for-profit educational institution founded in 1994 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, operating from a 10,000 sq. ft. purpose-built facility at 3210 16th Ave W. It is the Pacific Northwest's only nationally accredited stand-alone film school, holding ACCSC accreditation, Title IV HEA authorization, Washington Student Achievement Council authorization, and GI Bill / Yellow Ribbon approval. SFI offers certificate, Bachelor of Arts (BA), Master of Arts (MA), Master of Fine Arts (MFA), and Master of Music (MM) degree programs across Filmmaking, Producing for Film, Acting for Film, Digital Arts / Animation / Game Design, Screenwriting, and Composing for Film and Games. The accelerated BA program allows degree completion in approximately 2.5 years, with graduate programs ranging from 4 to 8 quarters. Delivery formats include on-campus, online, and low-residency modalities, supported by NC-SARA reciprocity for interstate distance education.

The underlying technical platform combines professional film production equipment (Arriflex, Canon, Red Cinema, and Sony cameras; Steadycam; dollies; lighting and sound gear; green-screen studio) with Adobe Creative Cloud for video editing and post-production (Premiere Pro, AfterEffects, Photoshop), Moodle as the learning management system, Microsoft 365 for communications, and Zoom for virtual instruction. A Learning Resource Center provides both physical media (books, screenplays, DVDs, a Sound FX and Music collection) and online library access via the Library Information Resource Network (LIRN) with peer-reviewed content from Gale Cengage, ProQuest, EBSCO, and eLibrary. Faculty are working film industry professionals — filmmakers, actors, writers, editors, composers, cinematographers, and agents — providing practitioner-led instruction across all programs.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through tuition and fees across the degree programs, with published full-program pricing ranging from $18,900 (90-credit BA) to $30,030 (MM in Film Composition), plus books, supplies, and living cost budgets disclosed per program. Additional revenue streams include equipment rental and continuing education workshops, with online extension class payments processed via PayPal. Financial aid is available through federal Title IV programs (Pell grants, subsidized/unsubsidized loans, PLUS loans, Work-Study) and institutional scholarships. Go-to-market relies on weekly Zoom info sessions (Tuesdays 10am, Thursdays 4pm), social media (Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram), website content including alumni stories, and campus events, targeting three primary segments: aspiring film professionals, military veterans, and international students.

Name

Seattle Film Institute

Legal name

Seattle Film Institute Inc.

Website

https://sfi.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Seattle Film Institute is a private, ACCSC-accredited film school in Seattle offering certificate, BA, MA, MFA, and MM degrees in filmmaking, producing, acting, digital arts, screenwriting, and film composition, serving aspiring film professionals, veterans, and international students via on-campus, online, and low-residency formats.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film and Media Arts Higher Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAJAE

Film, Television & Media Arts Colleges

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Arts, Music & Design Colleges

SECONDARYEDAHAJAI

Animation, Game Art & Digital Arts Colleges

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Arts, Music & Design Colleges

SECONDARYEDAHAJAD

Performing Arts Colleges (Theatre, Dance, Musical Theatre)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Arts, Music & Design Colleges

Keywords

• Film school education
• Filmmaking degree programs
• Film production training
• Film composition education
• Animation game design

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Seattle Film Institute generates revenue primarily through tuition charges for its certificate, undergraduate, and graduate degree programs. Tuition varies by program: BA programs range from $18,900-$22,680, MA in Producing costs $24,750, MM in Film Composition is $30,030, and MFA programs include per-quarter supply fees. Additional revenue comes from student fees, equipment rental, and continuing education workshops.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Seattle Film Institute delivers career-focused, hands-on film education through certificate, Bachelor of Arts (BA), Master of Arts (MA), Master of Fine Arts (MFA), and Master of Music (MM) degree programs in Filmmaking, Producing, Acting for Film, Digital Arts/Animation/Game Design, Composing for Film & Games, and Screenwriting. Programs are available on-campus in Seattle, fully online, or via low-residency formats, accelerated so a BA can be completed in approximately 2.5 years. Students gain access to professional film equipment, Adobe Creative Cloud software, a working studio, career services, and faculty composed of working film industry professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Filmmaking Program Hands-on training in filmmaking covering directing, cinematography, editing, and production, offered as a certificate, BA, and MFA track for aspiring film professionals.
• Producing Program Instruction in film producing from development through distribution, offered as a certificate, MA, and MFA concentration.
• Acting for Film Program Training for actors specifically in screen performance, auditioning, and on-camera techniques, offered as a certificate and BA concentration.
• Digital Arts, Animation & Game Design Program Studies in digital arts, motion graphics, visual effects, animation, and game design, offered as a certificate and BA concentration.
• Screenwriting Concentration (MFA) Graduate-level concentration in writing for film and television, including feature screenwriting and TV pilots.
• Composing for Film & Games (MM) Master of Music program training students in music composition specifically for film, television, and video game scoring.
• Certificate in Film A certificate program providing concentrated, career-focused training in filmmaking or a specific concentration area.
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Film Accelerated undergraduate degree earned in approximately 2.5 years, covering filmmaking, acting for film, or digital arts and animation, with contextualized general education.
• MFA in Filmmaking & Producing Master of Fine Arts degree combining advanced filmmaking and producing coursework over 8 quarters.
• MA in Producing for Film Master of Arts in Producing providing advanced producing curriculum over 4 quarters.
• MM in Film Composition Master of Music in Film Composition degree program focused on composing music for film and games, delivered over 4 quarters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Placement rates: Certificate 75%, BA 73%, MFA 80%, MM Film Composition 82%
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Full Sail University: Full Sail University is a for-profit, accredited entertainment and media school offering accelerated degree programs in film, music production, game design, and animation. Closely comparable to SFI in career-focused, accelerated, equipment-driven curriculum and Title IV participation.
• Ringling College of Art and Design: Ringling College is a small, accredited private art and design college with strong programs in film, animation, game art, and motion design. Comparable to SFI in scale, accreditation status, and specialization in creative disciplines.
• Los Angeles Film School: Los Angeles Film School is a for-profit, accredited institution offering degree programs in film, audio, animation, and game design with industry-experienced faculty and equipment-intensive curricula — a near-twin operating model to SFI in the West Coast market.
• Vancouver Film School: Vancouver Film School is a private, accelerated entertainment-arts school offering diploma and degree programs across film, animation, game design, and producing. Highly comparable to SFI in accelerated, hands-on teaching approach and breadth of creative disciplines.
• Columbia College Hollywood: Columbia College Hollywood is a small, accredited, private film school offering BFA and MFA programs in filmmaking, screenwriting, and digital media. Comparable to SFI in size, accreditation profile, and specialized film-focused curriculum.
• New York Film Academy: New York Film Academy is a private, hands-on film school offering accelerated certificate, BA, BFA, and MFA programs in filmmaking, acting, producing, and animation — directly comparable to SFI's model, program mix, and accelerated degree structure.

Broad incumbents

• Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD): SCAD is a larger, accredited private university offering film, performing arts, animation, and game design programs among many other creative disciplines. Comparable to SFI in film/animation offerings but operates at significantly greater scale and broader scope.
• Emerson College: Emerson College is a four-year private college with a robust visual and media arts school offering film, animation, and performing arts programs. Comparable to SFI in program areas but serves a broader academic curriculum and is far larger.
• University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts: USC's School of Cinematic Arts is one of the world's leading film schools, offering BA, BFA, and MFA programs across all major film disciplines. Comparable to SFI in curriculum scope but operates at vastly greater scale, brand recognition, and resources.
• Chapman University Dodge College of Film and Media Arts: Chapman's Dodge College is an accredited film school within a larger private university, offering BFA and MFA programs in film production, screenwriting, and animation. Comparable to SFI in curriculum areas but embedded in a broader university setting.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sfifilm
• YouTubeyoutube.com/seattlefilminstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/seattlefilminstitute
• Instagraminstagram.com/seattle_film_institute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1319607

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Seattle Film Institute