Ateliers du Cinéma

What Ateliers du Cinéma does

Ateliers du Cinéma (legal name: Les Ateliers du Cinéma de Claude Lelouch) is a non-profit film training organization founded in 2015 in Beaune, Bourgogne-Francha-Comté, France. It runs an immersive apprenticeship program for aspiring filmmakers in which cohorts of roughly 12 apprentices rotate through every crew position on Claude Lelouch's feature film productions, working directly alongside his professional technical team at FILMS 13. Apprentices are selected through an annual competitive short-film submission and graduate having produced their own short films, music videos, and audiovisual projects.

The organization operates a professional production and post-production campus at 13 boulevard Joffre, Beaune, including studio space, Mac-based editing suites running Avid and Pro Tools, a DaVinci Resolve color grading suite, a 40-seat 4K projection room, and lighting/grip inventory including Z Cam PL-mount camera kits, XC10 cameras, mini-cranes, and tripods, supported by 200 TB of production storage. In 2025 it added an AI-assisted filmmaking track delivered in partnership with Genario (David Defendi) and Nicephore AI studio, covering generative AI for scenario writing, image creation, and post-production.

The business model is non-commercial and non-disclosed. Apprentices appear to be admitted on a scholarship/apprenticeship basis rather than a fee basis, with program economics funded by or underwritten through FILMS 13 and unspecified sponsors or grants. Marketing is community-led, relying on film festival screenings of apprentice work, open-door events, the annual selection concours, and the association with Claude Lelouch's personal brand. The organization has 7 staff and 5 completed apprenticeship cohorts since 2017, with no disclosed venture, private equity, or institutional investment.

Name

Ateliers du Cinéma

Legal name

Les Ateliers du Cinéma de Claude Lelouch

Website

https://ateliersducinema.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ateliers du Cinéma is a Beaune-based non-profit film school founded by Claude Lelouch that trains ~12 apprentices per cohort by rotating them through every crew role on real FILMS 13 feature film productions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Education & Apprenticeship Training

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts (Acting, Improv, Theater) (EDAAAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA)

Keywords

• Film production training
• Cinema apprenticeship
• Filmmaking education
• Film school
• Post-production training

Headquarters

HQ city

Beaune

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Apprenticeship Program: Film training program supported by FILMS 13 production company. Revenue not publicly disclosed as the program appears to be grant or sponsorship-funded rather than fee-based.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ateliers du Cinéma is a non-profit cinema training school founded by Claude Lelouch in Beaune, France, offering an apprenticeship-based program in filmmaking. Apprentices learn through hands-on participation in Claude Lelouch's professional feature film productions, rotating through all crew positions (camera, sound, lighting, editing, directing) while producing their own short films and audiovisual projects. The program is supported by FILMS 13, Lelouch's production company, which provides professional-grade equipment, facilities, and access to real productions.

Product overview

Les Ateliers du Cinéma de Claude Lelouch is a cinema training school based in Beaune, France, offering a comprehensive apprenticeship program in filmmaking. The core offering centers on hands-on training where apprentices participate in professional feature film productions directed by Claude Lelouch, while also producing their own short films, music videos, and audiovisual projects. The program includes access to professional-grade facilities (studios, editing suites with AVID and ProTools, DaVinci color grading auditorium, 4K screening room) and equipment (Z Cam cameras, lighting, grip gear). A notable addition is the AI Training Program covering scenario writing, image creation, and post-production, delivered in collaboration with Genario and Nicephore AI studios. Additional offerings include the annual Festival 48 Heures de Beaune competition and the Ciné-Club film society. Apprentices are selected through an annual film competition requiring smartphone-shot submissions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Les Ateliers du Cinéma - Core Cinema Apprenticeship Program Immersive, hands-on filmmaking education covering screenwriting, filming, and post-production. Apprentices learn through practical work on professional film productions directed by Claude Lelouch, rotating through all crew positions while producing their own short films and audiovisual projects.
• Professional Feature Film Production Participation Apprentices participate in the production of full-length feature films directed by Claude Lelouch, rotating through all crew positions to gain comprehensive experience in professional filmmaking.
• Short Film Production Portfolio Program Each apprentice must complete a short film by the end of their training, along with additional projects such as music videos and audiovisual commissions, building a public portfolio.
• AI Training Program Artificial intelligence training covering scenario writing, image creation, and post-production techniques. Delivered in partnership with Genario and Nicephore AI studios for apprentices, with plans to extend to professionals.
• Festival 48 Heures de Beaune Annual film festival competition where participants produce complete films within 48 hours, fostering rapid creative production skills.
• Ciné-Club Film club organized in partnership with Association Ciné-Clap de Beaune, providing cultural enrichment and cinematic education beyond formal training through screenings and discussions.
• Annual Apprentice Selection Competition (Concours) Annual competitive selection process for recruiting new apprentices. Candidates must create a short film (3-5 minutes, smartphone-shot) on a specified theme, with selection occurring in April and the new promotion starting in May.

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FILMS 13coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClaude Lelouch's production company provides ongoing support to apprentices, including access to feature film productions for hands-on training. FILMS 13 developed the professional facilities at Beaune and produces the feature films apprentices work on during their training.
• La Karrière de Villars-FontaineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for public engagement events where community members could participate in film shoots as actors and directors under apprentice guidance.
• Genario (David Defendi)coreTechnology or IntegrationAI training provider delivering exclusive courses for apprentices covering scenario writing, image production, and post-production using artificial intelligence tools.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• London Film School: Established UK postgraduate film school with strong international cohort and directing focus. Comparable workshop-style training model with a long alumni network in European cinema.
• New York Film Academy (NYFA): Major global private film school with hands-on BFA/MFA and short-term programs. Comparable immersive production-led pedagogy and workshop model, but at much larger scale and global footprint.

Direct peers

• EICAR (International Film School of Paris): Paris-based private film school offering directing, producing, editing, and acting programs. Directly comparable in training aspiring French filmmakers and international students, with similar workshop-based pedagogy.
• 3iS (Institut International de l'Image et du Son): French private school for film, sound, animation, and game audio. Targets the same applicant demographic with structured multi-year programs and professional production equipment access.
• ESRA (École Supérieure de Réalisation Audiovisuelle): Largest private French film school network, covering directing, sound, editing, and animation. Competes for the same aspiring-filmmaker pool with broader program offerings and multiple campus locations across France.
• La Fémis: France's premier national film school (École Nationale Supérieure des Métiers de l'Image et du Son). Trains aspiring filmmakers across directing, cinematography, editing, sound, and production — directly comparable apprenticeship/school model aimed at the same French and international applicant pool.
• École nationale supérieure Louis-Lumière: Top French grande école for cinematography, sound, and post-production. Trains professionals for French film and TV industry — same career-track audience, similar hands-on production focus, but more technical/specialist rather than auteur-driven.
• INSAS (Institut National Supérieur des Arts du Spectacle): Belgian national school for cinema, television, and performing arts. Trains directors, cinematographers, editors, sound engineers — comparable full-rotation crew training model in French-speaking Europe.

Emerging players

• Le Fresnoy (Studio National des Arts Contemporains): French national studio for contemporary audiovisual creation, mixing film, video, and digital arts. Comparable in artist-driven production training and willingness to experiment with AI and emerging tools, though more arts-focused than industry-focused.

Regional players

• La CinéFabrique (Lyon): French regional film school backed by the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Comparable public-sector film training model targeting French regional talent outside Paris — competes with Ateliers for Burgundy/East-of-France applicants.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acb-beaune

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Ateliers du Cinéma