Centre national de l'audiovisuel

What Centre national de l'audiovisuel does

The Centre national de l'audiovisuel (CNA) is Luxembourg's national audiovisual archive, established by law in 1989 and operated as a state cultural institute under the Luxembourg State. Headquartered in Dudelange with a secondary permanent exhibition at Clervaux Castle, the institution holds over 500,000 photographic items and 60,000+ sound recordings documenting the country's cultural, political, and social history. It serves private individuals, researchers, audiovisual professionals, students, and the general public through a diversified portfolio: the Médiathèque media library (part of the bibnet.lu network since 2007, providing free lending and consultation across 88 Luxembourgish libraries via the a-z.lu search engine), the MéNuLu Digital Media Library (a free VOD service offering 20,000+ documents through partnerships with Kanopy, filmfriend, and tënk), CinéStarlight (two cinema halls), the Family of Man permanent exhibition, and the Vision Lab and Youth Corner educational programs.

The institution operates under a statutory legal deposit mandate (in force since 2009, expanded in 2017) that requires audiovisual producers to deposit their works within 12 months of release, providing a non-commercial collection pipeline. Core technology includes the CNAsearch online portal for digitized collection access, integration with the national library network, and infrastructure hosted and developed by the government's CTIE (Centre des technologies de l'information de l'État). The CNA does not generate commercial revenue: all public-facing services are free of charge, and operations are funded through state budget appropriations, with only nominal ticket revenue from the Family of Man exhibition (€6 normal / €4 reduced / free under 21).

The institution has been restructured twice by law (2004 and 2022) to refine its mandate, and pursues strategic collaborations with academic (C²DH, FoMLEG research project) and international cultural partners (Les Rencontres d'Arles, ENSP Arles). It is wholly owned by the État luxembourgeois, with no private shareholders, external investors, or alternative funding sources. Accessibility compliance is partial under EN 301 549, with documented non-conformities including missing video transcriptions and navigation weaknesses.

Name

Centre national de l'audiovisuel

Legal name

Centre national de l'audiovisuel

Website

https://cna.public.lu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

State cultural institute of Luxembourg operating as the national audiovisual archive, preserving over 500,000 photographic items and 60,000+ sound recordings while providing free media library, VOD, cinema, exhibition, and educational services to the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

National Audiovisual Archive & Cultural Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Archives, Libraries & Institutional Access Platforms (MPAJAMAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Media Center & Audiovisual Lending Operations (Equipment Checkout, Production Support) (EDAEAGAG), Public Media Digital Platforms & Streaming (Apps, On-demand, Podcasts) (MPABADAG)

Keywords

• National audiovisual archive
• Cultural heritage preservation
• Media library services
• Audiovisual collections access
• Photographic and sound archives

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: As a state cultural institution of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the CNA is primarily funded through government appropriations rather than commercial revenue generation.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Centre national de l'audiovisuel (CNA) is Luxembourg's national audiovisual archive and cultural institution that collects, preserves, and provides public access to the country's audiovisual heritage. Its core offerings include the national archive (legal deposit), the Médiathèque media library with lending and consultation services, the MéNuLu free video-on-demand platform, CinéStarlight cinema, the permanent Family of Man exhibition at Clervaux Castle, and educational programs (Vision Lab, Youth Corner, Formations & Stages). All services are provided free of charge to the public and funded by the Luxembourg State.

Product overview

Centre national de l'audiovisuel (CNA) is Luxembourg's national audiovisual archive and cultural institution operating as a multi-faceted platform. The core offerings include: the Médiathèque (media library) offering audiovisual lending and consultation services; MéNuLu (Digital Media Library of Luxembourg) providing free VOD access to 20,000+ documents via Kanopy, filmfriend, and tënk platforms; CinéStarlight cinema halls; and permanent exhibitions including The Family of Man and The Bitter Years at Clervaux Castle. Educational services encompass Vision Lab programs for schools, Youth Corner workshops for children, and professional training courses. The institution also maintains CNAsearch for online archive access and manages the national audiovisual heritage through legal deposit, with collections exceeding 500,000 photographic items and 60,000 sound recordings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CinéStarlight: The CNA's cinema operation with two cinema halls screening current films and re-runs, with particular attention to children's films and school screenings.
• The Family of Man
• Médiathèque
• Vision Lab

Products and services

• National Archives & Collections National archive preserving Luxembourg's audiovisual heritage through legal deposit and acquisitions, encompassing moving images, sound documents, and photographic media with over 500,000 photographic items and 60,000+ sound recordings. Mandatory legal deposit requires producers to deposit their production and co-production at the CNA within 12 months of release.
• Médiathèque (Media Library) A lending and on-site/remote consultation library offering an audiovisual documentary collection, as well as resources in cinema, photography, music, and sound. Free membership for adult residents in Luxembourg and border regions. Part of the Luxembourg library network bibnet.lu since 2007.
• MéNuLu - Digital Media Library of Luxembourg A free video-on-demand service giving access to more than 20,000 audiovisual documents through partnered VOD platforms Kanopy, filmfriend, and tënk. Accessible via the a-z.lu library network. Users get 15 tickets monthly on Kanopy with unlimited access to Kanopy Kids; unlimited access to filmfriend and tënk content.
• CinéStarlight Two cinema halls screening current films and re-runs, with particular attention given to children's films and school screenings. Operated as a wholly-owned activity of the CNA.
• The Family of Man Exhibition Permanent exhibition of Edward Steichen's iconic photographic collection, displayed at Clervaux Castle. Open March 18, 2026 to January 1, 2027, with multimedia guides and guided tours available. Entrance fees: €6 normal, €4 reduced, free under 21.
• The Bitter Years Exhibition Collection exhibition showcasing historical and contemporary photographic creation alongside The Family of Man, presented as part of the CNA's museum offerings at Clervaux Castle.
• Vision Lab Educational Program Tailor-made educational program for students from primary school through university, making audiovisual creation accessible and raising awareness of image interpretation through visits, tutorials, and workshops. Also offered to professionals, students, job seekers, performing arts workers, and independent professional artists.
• Youth Corner Workshops Photography, Film & Video Game workshops for children aged 6 to 16, held on Saturdays. Children can register for individual sessions or the entire school year.
• Formations & Stages (Professional Training) Workshops and courses on audiovisual techniques aimed at different target audiences, from amateurs to professionals.
• CNAsearch Online Portal Online access platform providing searchable access to CNA's collections and partner collections, including digitized photographs, moving images, and sound recordings.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Centre des technologies de l'information de l'État (CTIE)coreTechnology or IntegrationCTIE provides hosting, advice, assistance, graphic design, development and quality assurance for the CNA website. This is a core infrastructure partnership with the Luxembourg State IT Centre.
• bibnet.lu Library NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe CNA Médiathèque has been part of the Luxembourg library network bibnet.lu since its creation in 2007, providing access to 88 Luxembourgish libraries through the a-z.lu collective search engine.
• Lëtzebuerg City BibliothèquecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the MéNuLu (Digital Media Library of Luxembourg) VOD initiative, providing free video-on-demand access to audiovisual documents.
• Bibliothèque nationale du LuxembourgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the MéNuLu (Digital Media Library of Luxembourg) VOD initiative, providing free video-on-demand access to audiovisual documents.
• Clervaux CastlecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric castle venue housing the permanent exhibition 'The Family of Man' by Edward Steichen, a UNESCO Memory of the World registered collection.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• EYE Filmmuseum: The Netherlands' national museum and archive for film, located in Amsterdam. Combines a state-funded collection, permanent exhibitions, cinema programming, and educational programs — a direct operational analogue to CNA.
• Cinémathèque royale de Belgique (CINEMATEK): Belgium's federal film archive in Brussels. Comparable as a small-country national audiovisual institution offering cinema screenings, museum access, and archive services to a bilingual national audience.
• Bibliothèque nationale du Luxembourg (BnL): Luxembourg's national library and direct MéNuLu partner. Operates under the same state cultural institute framework as CNA, with overlapping mandates on heritage preservation, institutional lending, and digital access through the bibnet.lu network.
• BFI National Archive: The UK's national audiovisual archive, run by the British Film Institute. Operates a national collection, conservation center, public viewing facilities, and educational programming under a statutory public-interest mandate similar to CNA.
• Irish Film Institute: Ireland's national cultural institution for film, operating a cinema, archive, and education program. Closest in scale and small-country national mandate to CNA, including a similarly mixed cinema-plus-archive operating model.
• Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum: Germany's national institute for film history combining a collection/archive, museum exhibitions, and public programming in Frankfurt. Provides a larger-scale but structurally similar model of state-funded audiovisual heritage operations.
• Cinémathèque française: France's national film archive operating a museum, cinema, library, and conservation laboratory in Paris. Closest functional analogue combining film heritage preservation, cinema programming, and public access under one institutional roof.

Regional players

• Mudam Luxembourg – Musée d'Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean: Luxembourg's contemporary art museum, governed under the same law on reorganization of state cultural institutes as CNA. A peer institution within the same national cultural framework and a frequent programming collaborator (e.g., the Dodeka cantons project).

Emerging players

• Magnum Photos: Photography cooperative with a historic archive of approximately two million images, comparable in being a stewardship-focused photographic collection. Differs in private ownership and editorial licensing model; useful peer for archive-curation and image-rights practices applied to the Steichen holdings.

Broad incumbents

• Library of Congress – Motion Picture Conservation Center: US national preservation facility providing large-scale motion picture and sound recording conservation, including legal-deposit-style acquisition. Sits in a different funding paradigm but offers a benchmark for operational practices, format migration, and mass digitization at scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cna.luxembourg
• Instagraminstagram.com/cnalux
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cnalux

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 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 Centre national de l'audiovisuel