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| FEMIS | |
|---|---|
| Name | FEMIS |
| Native name | La Fémis |
| Established | 1986 |
| Type | Public film and television school |
| President | Éric Garandeau |
| City | Paris |
| Country | France |
| Campus | Rue Francœur, 18th arrondissement |
| Students | ~250 |
| Website | Official website |
FEMIS is a prominent French national film school located in Paris, established to train practitioners across cinema and audiovisual professions. The school has produced directors, screenwriters, producers, cinematographers, editors, and technicians who have worked on international productions, festivals, and award-winning films. FEMIS combines hands-on ateliers with theoretical study and industry internships, and maintains connections with major studios, broadcasters, and festivals.
FEMIS was created in 1986 as the successor to the Institut des hautes études cinématographiques, following reforms led by cultural policymakers and figures in French cinema such as François Mitterrand, Georges Pompidou, Jack Lang, and advisors from institutions like the CNC (France), the Ministry of Culture (France), and the Cinémathèque Française. The new school opened at the historic premises of the former Cité du Cinéma and later consolidated in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, inheriting pedagogical aims from earlier conservatories associated with names like Jean Renoir and René Clair. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, FEMIS responded to changes prompted by international festivals such as the Cannes Film Festival, technological shifts introduced by companies like Panavision and ARRI, and the digital transition championed at forums including the Sundance Film Festival and the European Film Academy.
FEMIS operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture (France) with funding and oversight involving the CNC (France) and municipal authorities of Paris. Governance comprises a board including representatives from production companies like Gaumont, broadcasters such as France Télévisions and Canal+, and unions like the Société des Réalisateurs de Films. The directorate has featured figures from film practice and policy, collaborating with organizations including the Institut Français, the European Audiovisual Observatory, and university partners like Sorbonne Nouvelle University Paris 3. The administrative structure aligns pedagogical departments—direction, screenwriting, cinematography, editing, production—with advisory councils made up of festival programmers from Berlin International Film Festival, distributors from Wild Bunch, and representatives of guilds like the Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques.
FEMIS offers multi-year curricula organized into ateliers corresponding to professions; ateliers include directing, screenwriting, production, cinematography, editing, sound, set design, and distribution. The program integrates practical workshops with theoretical seminars referencing auteurs and movements associated with names such as François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Agnès Varda, Andrei Tarkovsky, and Akira Kurosawa. Students undertake projects screened at venues including the Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, and Locarno Festival and are trained in formats tied to broadcasters like Arte and streaming platforms such as Netflix. Pedagogy draws on methods established by practitioners like Michel Foucault-era critics at the Cahiers du Cinéma and technical standards from manufacturers such as Sony and Canon.
Admission to FEMIS is highly competitive, conducted via selection rounds involving portfolio review, interviews, and practical tests judged by panels including professionals from production houses like UGC, casting directors from agencies such as Karin Models, and festival curators from Festival de Cannes. The student body includes national and international candidates who participate in co-productions with entities like Arte France Cinéma, internships at studios including StudioCanal, and exchanges with schools like the National Film and Television School and La Fémis-associated partners. Student life is enlivened by masterclasses delivered by filmmakers such as Claire Denis, Luc Besson, Olivier Assayas, and by visits from critics from publications like Le Monde, Cahiers du Cinéma, and Sight & Sound.
The school occupies renovated studio and office spaces in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, featuring sound stages, editing suites, a screening room, camera and lighting equipment stores, and a costume and prop workshop. Facilities are equipped with digital intermediate labs maintained to industry standards from vendors like Blackmagic Design, color grading rooms supplied by DaVinci Resolve technology, and sound mixing studios aligned with formats endorsed by organizations such as Dolby Laboratories. The campus includes archives and a library housing collections related to filmmakers such as Marcel Carné, archives from the Cinémathèque Française, and periodicals from Positif and Variety.
FEMIS engages in applied research and project labs in collaboration with film producers, broadcasters, and research bodies including the CNC (France), Institut Français, and European initiatives under the Creative Europe programme. Partnerships extend to distributors like Le Pacte, post-production houses such as Technicolor, and technology firms developing virtual production with companies like Epic Games. The school participates in co-productions presented at markets like the Marché du Film and supports research into archival restoration with institutions like the Institut national de l'audiovisuel and academic partners including Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.
Alumni and faculty associated with the school include filmmakers, screenwriters, producers, and technicians who have been recognized at festivals and awards: directors awarded at Cannes Film Festival and Venice Film Festival; screenwriters published in collaboration with studios like Pathé and StudioCanal; and cinematographers working for broadcasters such as France Télévisions and international productions with companies like BBC. Notable names linked to the institution encompass award-winning figures who have collaborated with auteurs such as Pedro Almodóvar, Steven Spielberg, Wes Anderson, and composers who have worked with Ennio Morricone and Hans Zimmer. The school's alumni network maintains ties with associations including the Société des Réalisateurs de Films and industry events such as Canneseries and the Cartagena Film Festival.
Category:Film schools