ESCAC - Escola Superior de Cinema i Audiovisuals de Catalunya

What ESCAC - Escola Superior de Cinema i Audiovisuals de Catalunya does

ESCAC (Escola Superior de Cinema i Audiovisuals de Catalunya) is a private, non-profit film school founded in 1994 and headquartered in Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain, with an additional office in central Barcelona. The institution operates as a registered foundation (Fundació Privada) affiliated with the University of Barcelona, which confers regulatory legitimacy on its 4-year official Bachelor's Degree in Cinematography — the only officially accredited title in cinema and audiovisual media in the region. ESCAC delivers practical, project-based education across the full production stack: directing, cinematography, sound, editing, screenwriting, and production, alongside master's degrees, postgraduate diplomas, professional short courses, summer school for ages 5–23, the ESCAC Action Academy, the Laboratori Opera Prima development lab, and formerly the Fast Forward / OFF ESCAC subsidized vocational program.

The school's pedagogical core combines a narrative-first methodology — where students develop projects from image to script rather than the conventional reverse — with rare analog film negative training alongside digital workflows, designed to build foundational lighting visualization skills. Practical training uses professional camera, lighting, and sound equipment, and the affiliated production company Escac Films has accumulated over 500 awards at international festivals including Sundance, Cannes, Berlin, San Sebastián, and the Goya Awards. Revenue is generated primarily through tuition fees (€8,000–€13,500 per program depending on level and duration), professional development courses, and partnership-driven scholarships via Caja Ingenieros. The school has 274 employees and serves roughly four customer segments: prospective film students, graduate-level professional filmmakers, career-changers via micro-credentials, and young creators through summer programs.

Notable alumni include J.A. Bayona and graduates who have gone on to direct and crew major Netflix series (La Casa de Papel, Sky Rojo, Elite, The Crown) and award-winning features, with alumni collectively holding 26 Goya Awards, 60+ technical nominations, and 56 Gaudí Awards. The Hollywood Reporter has ranked ESCAC among the top 15 film schools globally. Recent strategic activity centers on expanding the master's catalog (three new programs for 2026–2027), international festival integration through The Dream Makers Contest with CUPRA, Sitges, Berlinale, and Studio Babelsberg, and a multi-arts expansion via the co-founded Barcelona Arts Summer School.

Name

ESCAC - Escola Superior de Cinema i Audiovisuals de Catalunya

Legal name

Fundació Privada Escola Superior de Cinema i Audiovisuals de Catalunya

Website

https://escac.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

ESCAC is a private, non-profit film school in Terrassa, Barcelona (founded 1994, 274 employees) affiliated with the University of Barcelona, offering degree, master's, and short programs in directing, cinematography, sound, editing, and screenwriting, ranked among the top 15 global film schools by the Hollywood Reporter.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Terrassa (Barcelona)

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Academic Tuition Fees: Revenue from degree programs including 4-year official Bachelor's Degree in Cinematography, Master's programs, postgraduate courses, and specialized short courses. Programs have varying price points from 8,000€ to 13,500€ depending on program type and duration.
2. Professional Development Courses: Revenue from Summer School programs for youth, professional courses like Sound School, Movie Magic Scheduling, and SketchUp courses, as well as micro-credentials offered through Fast Forward / OFF ESCAC initiative.
3. Scholarship and Financial Services: Partnership with Caja Ingenieros for student financing of studies, generating referral or partnership revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ESCAC is a specialised higher-education institution that delivers a four-year homologated Degree in Cinematography together with Master's degrees, postgraduate programs, micro-credential courses, a Summer School, and a feature-film production laboratory (Laboratori Opera Prima), all oriented toward training filmmakers, cinematographers, screenwriters and audiovisual professionals. Teaching is hands-on, project-based and built around narrative-first storytelling, using professional cinema cameras, lighting, sound, analog film, and post-production tools, while operating dual accreditation through the University of Barcelona.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Escac Films: The academic production company of ESCAC that manages and coordinates Final Degree Projects, Master's Final Projects, and all phases from development to exploitation and promotion.
• OFF ESCAC / Fast Forward
• Laboratori Òpera Prima
• Summer School
• ESCAC Action Academy
• The Dream Makers Contest
• Escac Talent

Products and services

• Grau en Cinematografia (Degree in Cinematography) A four-year undergraduate degree program in cinematography, homologated by the University of Barcelona, providing foundational training across the filmmaking disciplines — direction, cinematography, editing, sound, production, and screenwriting — for students entering higher education.
• Màster en Direcció de Fotografia (Master in Cinematography / Direction of Photography) A specialised Master's program in cinematographic direction of photography, providing advanced technical training for graduates and working audiovisual professionals aiming to specialise in the craft of cinematography.
• Màster en Creació Fotogràfica i Nous Formats Audiovisuals (Master in Photographic Creation and New Audiovisual Formats) A Master's program bridging classical photographic creation with new audiovisual formats, targeted at photographers and cinematographers seeking to evolve their practice beyond traditional formats.
• Màster en Guió de Comèdia (Master in Comedy Screenwriting) A specialised Master's program in comedy screenwriting, intended for working screenwriters, comedy writers and storytellers seeking deep specialisation in the craft of comedic writing for screen.
• Postgrau / Cursos de Postgrau (Postgraduate Programs) Shorter, one-year postgraduate programs offering focused, advanced training in specific filmmaking disciplines for graduates and working professionals.
• Cursos d'Especialització (Specialisation Courses) Short, intensive specialisation courses covering specific industry tools and techniques — including Movie Magic Scheduling for production scheduling and SketchUp for 3D previsualisation — for filmmakers seeking targeted skill upgrades.
• Escola d'Estiu (Summer School) A short-format summer program providing intensive introductory exposure to filmmaking disciplines, suitable for prospective students, international students, and pre-college learners.
• Fast Forward / OFF ESCAC Micro-Credentials Modular, short-format micro-credential courses delivered at regional Catalonia locations (Tarragona, Manresa, Sabadell), including the Sound School and other OFF ESCAC offerings, designed as accessible entry points into the audiovisual disciplines.
• ESCAC Action Academy A dedicated academy program focused on action cinema craft — stunt coordination, action direction, and high-intensity production — providing specialisation for film professionals working in the action genre.
• Laboratori Opera Prima (Opera Prima Laboratory) A flagship production laboratory in which advanced students, under faculty and industry mentorship, produce short films with the objective of festival selection, including nominees and winners of the Gaudí and Goya Awards.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Sitges Film Festival (Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Strategic partnership for The Dream Makers contest where ESCAC-selected short film projects compete with Berlinale-selected projects, with winners announced at both festivals. The partnership connects ESCAC talent with one of the world's premier fantasy film festivals.
• Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026International partnership for The Dream Makers contest where Berlinale selects projects alongside ESCAC, with the final winner announced at the Berlinale. The collaboration connects ESCAC with Europe's largest film festival.
• J.A. BayonacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Juan Antonio Bayona, renowned filmmaker and ESCAC alumnus, serves as brand ambassador and mentor for The Dream Makers contest, providing mentorship to the next generation of filmmakers.
• Daniel BrühlcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Actor and CUPRA brand ambassador collaborating with The Dream Makers contest as jury member and industry mentor for emerging filmmakers.
• Barcelona Arts Summer School (BASS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025ESCAC co-founded Barcelona Arts Summer School with ESMUC (Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya) and Institut del Teatre, creating an international artistic hub for young creators. The initiative brings 150+ young artists from 28 countries for immersive creative experiences in Barcelona.
• Ajuntament de Barcelona (Barcelona City Council)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025City government partnership supporting Barcelona Arts Summer School initiative with funding and institutional backing.
• ESMUC (Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with Catalonia's superior music school for joint Barcelona Arts Summer School program combining audiovisual and musical arts education.
• Institut del TeatrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with Barcelona's theater institute for joint artistic education programs including Barcelona Arts Summer School.
• Caja IngenierosminorOthers · 1 January 2025Financing partnership allowing ESCAC students to finance their studies through educational loans with favorable terms.
• SEAT CUPRA / CUPRAflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023CUPRA, through the SEAT CUPRA Foundation, partnered with ESCAC, Sitges Film Festival, Berlinale, and Studio Babelsberg to create The Dream Makers initiative supporting emerging filmmakers. The partnership provides full scholarships for film studies and produces winning short film projects with budgets up to 120,000€.
• Studio BabelsbergminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partner in The Dream Makers initiative providing international film production expertise and exposure to emerging filmmakers.
• University of Barcelona (Universitat de Barcelona)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESCAC is affiliated with the University of Barcelona, with the Degree in Cinematography being the only official title in cinema and audiovisual media. The school follows UB protocols for gender equality and academic matters.
• The Mediapro StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with The Mediapro Studio for the Master's in Screenwriting program, providing industry collaboration and professional development opportunities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TAI School of Performing Arts: Madrid-based private arts school offering degree and master's programs in cinematography, directing, screenwriting, and sound. Direct competitor to ESCAC within Spain's premium private film-education segment with overlapping target student personas and Spanish-language degree offerings.
• Vancouver Film School (VFS): Canadian private post-secondary institution offering intensive one- and two-year programs across Film Production, Writing, Animation, and Sound Design. Comparable to ESCAC as a private, tuition-premium, internationally recruited film school with industry placement emphasis.
• ECAM (Escuela de Cinematografía y del Audiovisual de la Comunidad de Madrid): Madrid-based film school offering official degree and professional programs in directing, cinematography, editing, and sound. Direct head-to-head competitor to ESCAC within Spain's film education market, also positioning around industry placement and festival success.
• FAMU (Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts): Prague-based film school, one of the oldest in Europe, with comprehensive directing/cinematography/screenwriting programs and a strong festival-award alumni tradition. Comparable to ESCAC as a top-15-ranked, multilingual, internationally recruited European film school.
• La Fémis: France's premier national film school in Paris, producing directors, cinematographers, editors, and producers. Compares to ESCAC as a globally ranked European film school with similar degree-level offerings, industry integration, and festival-circuit alumni success model.
• National Film and Television School (NFTS): UK's national film school in Beaconsfield offering postgraduate diplomas across all filmmaking disciplines. Direct comparable to ESCAC on curriculum breadth, industry placement focus, and presence in Hollywood Reporter global rankings.
• London Film School (LFS): London-based postgraduate film school offering MA programs in Filmmaking, Cinematography, Screenwriting, and Editing. Direct peer to ESCAC in international postgraduate film education targeting international students and career transitioners.
• EFTI (Centro Internacional de Fotografía y Cine): Madrid-based private school focused on professional photography and cinematography programs. Direct Spanish competitor to ESCAC for photography-direction students and professional-level technical training.

Broad incumbents

• NYU Tisch School of the Arts: Major US university's film and performing arts school offering undergraduate and graduate film degrees, frequently co-ranked with ESCAC in Hollywood Reporter-style lists. Wider portfolio than ESCAC but operates the comparable graduate film-production program model with strong industry placement outcomes.
• Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) - Audiovisual Studies: Large Spanish public university offering audiovisual communication and film-studies degrees. Not a specialized film-production school but a domestic incumbent competing for the same Spanish applicant pool with a broader academic profile and lower tuition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/escac
• Facebookfacebook.com/escac
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/escac
• Instagraminstagram.com/escac
• TikToktiktok.com/@escac

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ESCAC - Escola Superior de Cinema i Audiovisuals de Catalunya