The Norwegian Film School

What The Norwegian Film School does

The Norwegian Film School (Den Norske Filmskolen) is Norway's national film school and an institute within the Faculty of Film, TV and Games at Universitetet i Innlandet (Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences). Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Lillehammer with a secondary campus in Oslo, it offers comprehensive film education at the bachelor, master, and doctoral levels across disciplines including directing, producing, cinematography, editing, sound design, and production design. Its portfolio also includes continuing-education courses for film industry professionals, an Artistic Development Work (Kunstnerisk utviklingsarbeid) research program with stipendiater engaged in advanced practice such as virtual production, student-produced exam films as practical assessments, and an annual Nordic Talents pitching program in Copenhagen.

The school does not generate commercial revenue; it is funded through Norwegian state education allocations as part of a public state university system. Its primary customer segment is aspiring filmmakers and film professionals seeking degree credentials, while the effective payer is the Norwegian government via the parent university. Its primary value proposition combines academic research with practical film craft, supported by strong industry exposure through Nordic Talents, screenings at Grimstad Short Film Festival and Human Documentary Film Festival, and alumni who have contributed to internationally acclaimed productions including 'Affeksjonsverdi', which earned 10 Oscar nominations and won Best Foreign Film.

In April 2025, Ragna Lindboe, herself an alumna of the school, was appointed institute leader, becoming the first alumnus to return in a leadership role. Operating with 11-50 employees across two campuses, the institution functions as a regulated, government-funded monopoly provider of advanced film education in Norway, with no venture, private equity, or independent commercial ownership structure.

Name

The Norwegian Film School

Legal name

Den Norske Filmskolen

Website

https://www.filmskolen.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Education

NAICS

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAGABAN

Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Theater, Broadway & Performing Arts

SECONDARYEDAMAAAG

Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Arts & Creative Enrichment (Visual Arts, Music, Theater, Dance)

Keywords

• Film education programs
• Filmmaking degree programs
• Continuing film education
• Artistic development research
• Film industry training

Headquarters

HQ city

Elverum

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Norwegian Film School offers comprehensive film education through Bachelor, Master, and PhD (artistic doctorate) degree programs in filmmaking disciplines including directing, cinematography, editing, sound design, and production design. It also delivers continuing education courses and workshops for film industry professionals, and conducts artistic development research supporting faculty and students in advancing creative methodologies and film techniques.

Product overview

The Norwegian Film School (Den Norske Filmskolen) is a film education institution offering a unified portfolio of programs centered around film education. The core offerings include Bachelor and Master degree programs in filmmaking, continuing education courses for industry professionals, and artistic development research programs. Student graduation films (exam films) serve as practical assessments. The school participates in the Nordic Talents program for industry exposure. All programs operate under the Faculty of Film, TV and Games at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (Universitetet i Innlandet), with campuses in Lillehammer and Oslo.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor and Master Programs in Film Comprehensive degree programs in filmmaking covering multiple disciplines including directing, cinematography, editing, sound design, and production design. Programs span bachelor and master levels and are designed for aspiring filmmakers seeking professional film education.
• Courses for Industry Professionals (Etter- og videreutdanning) Continuing education courses and workshops for film industry professionals, including specialized programs such as scriptwriting for children and young audiences, and creative collaboration workshops between directors, editors, and sound designers.
• Artistic Development Work (Kunstnerisk utviklingsarbeid) Research and artistic development programs supporting faculty and students in advancing creative methodologies and film techniques, including work with virtual production methods.
• Exam Films (Eksamensfilmer) Student-produced graduation films that serve as practical assessment projects for film students at the school.
• Nordic Talents Program Annual pitching event where graduating students from Nordic film schools present their projects to the film industry in Copenhagen. The Norwegian Film School is consistently represented, with six of ten selected projects in 2026 originating from the school.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Film School of Denmark (Den Danske Filmskole): Denmark's national film school offering BA and MA programs in filmmaking disciplines, jointly participating in the Nordic Talents pitching forum with The Norwegian Film School. Directly comparable as a Nordic national film conservatory with similar curriculum structure and industry integration model.
• Polish National Film School in Łódź: One of the world's oldest and most prestigious national film schools, offering comprehensive directing, cinematography, and production programs. Highly comparable as a European national film conservatory with strong international industry recognition and alumni networks.
• La Fémis (École Nationale Supérieure des Métiers de l'Image et du Son): France's national film school providing multi-disciplinary filmmaking education at undergraduate and graduate levels. Comparable as a top-tier European national film conservatory with similar comprehensive discipline coverage and government backing.
• National Film and Television School (NFTS): The UK's national film and television school offering MA programs across filmmaking disciplines. Directly comparable as a national film conservatory with industry-recognized graduate outcomes and similar comprehensive curriculum structure.
• German Film and Television Academy Berlin (DFFB): Germany's national film school focused on feature film directing and screenwriting. Comparable as a publicly funded European film conservatory with postgraduate-only programs and artistic development orientation.
• FAMU (Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague): One of Europe's oldest film schools and a premier Central European film conservatory within a performing arts academy. Highly comparable as a European national film conservatory with comprehensive discipline coverage and strong international reputation.
• Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts (Stockholms konstnärliga högskola): Sweden's national institution for higher education in film, among other performing arts. Direct Nordic peer participating in the same Nordic Talents ecosystem and offering comparable degree programs in filmmaking disciplines.
• American Film Institute (AFI): US national film institute offering MFA conservatory programs in cinematography, directing, editing, and production design. Comparable as a prestigious national film conservatory with MFA-only structure and strong alumni placement in the industry.
• London Film School: UK-based international film school offering MA programs across filmmaking disciplines with strong international student body. Comparable as a graduate-level film conservatory with similar curriculum scope and industry-oriented outcomes.
• International Film School Cologne (ifs): German private film school offering BA and MA programs in filmmaking disciplines. Comparable as a European film conservatory with similar program structure, though operates as a private institution rather than state-funded.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Filmskolen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/filmskolen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The Norwegian Film School