Bachelor in International Filmmaking (in Paris or Cannes)
DURATION
3 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
08 Sep 2025
EARLIEST START DATE
06 Oct 2025
TUITION FEES
EUR 11,850 / per year
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Introduction
ESRA International offers a state-recognized Filmmaking Bachelor diploma both in Paris, and in Cannes at our Cote D'Azur Campus. The program is composed of lectures, workshops, short film projects, and professional internships.
The Bachelor program offers students a chance to perfect their skills as they prepare to enter the professional world of film and television, students must choose a major for the third year, in one of five branches: Directing for Fiction, Directing for TV, Cinematography, Editing / Visual Effects, and Production.
The program is entirely taught in English for three years. French language classes are given each week in addition to English. The students have 16 weeks of mandatory internships over three years to obtain the diploma.
The goal of workshops is to develop students’ ‘hands-on’ practical filmmaking skills. There is a variety of workshops: from technical photography, camera operating, lighting, and sound recording, to writing, video editing, sound editing, color editing, and directing actors. Depending on students’ orientations, specialized technical workshops, such as steadicam use or advanced editing, are offered in the third year of study.
Curriculum
Lectures
The main goal of lecture classes is to provide students with a solid understanding of narrative storytelling, technical notions, and film production. Students gain essential knowledge about audio-visual production and the technical aspects of photography, video, and sound. They also study the history of cinema and analyze films to develop their critical sense, and better understand the dynamics of ‘mise en scène’ and stage directing.
Workshops
The goal of workshops is to develop students’ ‘hands-on’ practical filmmaking skills. There is a variety of workshops: from technical photography, camera operating, lighting, and sound recording, to writing, video editing, sound editing, color editing, and directing actors. Depending on students’ orientations, specialized technical workshops, such as Steadicam use or advanced editing, are offered during the third year of study.
Student projects
Student projects are essential to put into practice what is learned in lectures and workshops. Students work in pairs and groups on various types of audio-visual and short film projects (fiction, documentary, advertising). While the first year’s projects can be important exercises, second and third-year projects must show mastery and reach professional standards of production. Students can also borrow equipment to film their own extracurricular projects and can ask teachers for guidance and feedback.
Internships
Internships give students the opportunity to become familiar with the real-life working environment and constraints of professional life in the film, television, and media industries. As they perform tasks as an intern, they put into practice what they have learned, develop a better understanding of professional standards of production, and see how an audiovisual company is managed according to its specificity (development, production, television, fiction film, documentary, advertising, institutional movies, etc). Internships can help students with choosing a specific professional path and building a network of contacts. The internship is optional at the end of the first year. In the second and third years, students are required to participate in 8 weeks of internship and to write internship reports in order to validate their ESRA certificate. Although students can be assisted in their search by receiving a letter of support from ESRA as well as information about CV and letter writing, it is the responsibility of students to search for internship opportunities and to apply.
The school has more than 8,500 alumni working in the audiovisual industry and more than 3000 companies offering internships.
Facilities
Admissions
Program Tuition Fee
Scholarships and Funding
There are two options for obtaining scholarships to cover part or all of tuition fees:
Some students look for and obtain scholarship funding from non-profit foundations, non-governmental or governmental organizations, ministries, and other institutions that provide educational scholarship funding, fellowships, or student loans. Students are responsible for searching and applying for these sources of scholarship funding, in their home country or region.
For the part covering tuition fees, scholarship funding should be paid directly to ESRA.
ESRA International Filmmaking scholarships – If an ESRA International program is fully enrolled (20 to 30 students per class), a small number of scholarships will be available to students to cover part of their tuition fees (up to a maximum of 50%), based on merit and of financial need. Only applicants who have sent a full application will be considered for the scholarships, which are only for students who cannot, even with the financial assistance of their parents or guardians, afford to pay full tuition. Scholarships cover school tuition, not accommodation or travel expenses, which students must be able to cover.
Program Outcome
The main goal of lecture classes is to provide students with a solid understanding of narrative storytelling, technical notions, and film production. Students gain essential knowledge about audio-visual production and the technical aspects of photography, video, and sound. They also study the history of cinema and analyze films to develop their critical sense, and better understand the dynamics of ‘mise en scène’ and stage directing.