“Film is not studied; it is learned.”

Sergi Casamitjana [ ESCAC Director ]

Founded in 1994, ESCAC (Escola Superior de Cinema i Audiovisuals de Catalunya) was established with a clear objective: to offer an excellent university-level education based 100% on practical experience.

Here, you learn filmmaking by making films. From day one, we train filmmakers, technicians and professionals, equipping them with the tools, judgement and experience the industry demands. And always alongside working professionals. Our aim is to give students the tools, judgement and technical experience they need to enter the professional market immediately. We develop filmmakers, technicians and executives who learn their craft by making films from day one, supported by working professionals and endorsed by the Universitat de Barcelona.

TOP 15

Among the world’s best film schools

92 %

Employment rate in the audiovisual sector.

+463

Feature films produced in Spain in 2025

+75

Alumni representing different nationalities.

+5680

Millions in private investment in 2025, up 45% since 2022

+700

Awards and recognition: Goya, Gaudí, etc.

The ESCAC Guarantee

Learning by doing.

At ESCAC, theory is put to the test on set. Our method is based on continuous project work, replicating the dynamics, pressure and standards of the real industry. From your first year, you’ll rotate through every department, operate professional equipment and take on filming responsibilities. Because the only way to learn how to make films is to make films.

The ESCAC Manifesto.

No one makes a film alone here.
1. Filmmaking is a team effort. A director is nothing without the camera, sound, art or production crew. If you can’t listen, delegate and lend a hand when needed, this isn’t the place for you.
You’re going to make mistakes. What matters is how you fix them.
1. Here, you’ll experiment, make mistakes and get back to filming. Because learning also means facing what doesn’t turn out as you expected and finding a solution before the next “action.”
Talent without craft is worth nothing.
1. Having good ideas is just the beginning. Here, you’ll learn to turn them into films: master the technique, learn your craft and know what to do when it’s time to shoot.
We need different perspectives behind the camera.
1. We don’t expect everyone to tell the same stories or tell them in the same way. Your way of seeing the world is part of what you bring with you.
To lead the future of cinema, you have to understand its past.
1. Before you break the rules, you have to know them. Watching films, understanding how stories have been told before and discovering those who changed the way they were told are all part of learning the craft.
Here, classmates end up becoming filmmaking partners.
1. ESCAC doesn’t end when you finish your studies. The people you share a classroom with today may be the team you make a film with tomorrow. And often, they are.
We don’t make films to leave them in a drawer.
1. We make them to be seen. From ESCAC to national and international festivals, cinemas and platforms. Because a film begins on set, but it doesn’t end there.
If you have the talent, money won’t be an excuse.
1. Talent shouldn’t depend on your bank balance. That’s why we offer a wide-ranging scholarship programme to make it easier to access ESCAC.
If you have an idea, ask us for the keys. Our equipment is yours.
1. You’ll be amazed by everything at your disposal. Cameras, lenses, sound, lighting, studios, editing rooms… Professional equipment and spaces so you can stop imagining your project and start filming it.

Our History

Where we come from and why we keep making films.

1993

The story begins

ESCAC was founded in Barcelona by Josep Maixenchs, growing out of the Image and Sound studies at the Centro Calassanç vocational training centre.

1994

The cameras start rolling

ESCAC began its activities with the Higher Diploma in Film and Audiovisual Studies, affiliated with the Universitat de Barcelona.

2003

A new home, a new chapter.

ESCAC left its premises in Sarrià and moved to Terrassa, where a new period of growth began.

2006

First international recognition

Best Short Film at Sundance: La ruta natural, directed by Alex Pastor

2007

First international box-office success

El Orfanato – the first worldwide success for alumnus JA Bayona

2007

First feature film from the Opera Prima Programme

Lo mejor de mí – Roser Aguilar, Critics’ Awards at the 2007 Locarno Festival

2010

First Goya Award for Best New Director for a debut feature produced by the school

Mar Coll for Tres dies amb la família

2011

First international success of the Opera Prima Programme

Kike Maíllo’s Eva is presented in Venice and receives a Special Jury Mention

2012

ESCAC Films is founded

ESCAC Films is founded as the production company for projects emerging from the school.

2015

Cinebase is launched

Cinebase is launched as a programme that brings audiovisual storytelling to schools

2019

We celebrate 25 years

ESCAC celebrates 25 years, with more than 20 Goya Awards, more than 40 Gaudí Awards and over 500 national and international festival awards.

2023

Fast Forward / OFF Escac

ESCAC’s vocational training school, where more than 12.000 students across Spain have trained in just three years

2024

First Oscar nomination

Nomination for Best International Film for JA Bayona’s La sociedad de la nieve

2026

Second Oscar nomination

Nomination for Best International Feature Film and Best Sound for Sirat; Laia Casanovas, sound designer, and Oriol Maymó, producer.

2026

First Students Academy Award

The short film The Dragon Letter, directed by ESCAC student Stanzin Jigmet, a winner at the Student Academy Awards®, organised by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Academic and Institutional Leadership

ESCAC’s academic and institutional leadership works to ensure an excellent education connected to the realities and evolution of the audiovisual sector. Its commitment is to advance an educational project that combines creativity, academic rigour and the development of talent.

Foundation and Board of Trustees

The Escola Superior de Cinema i Audiovisuals de Catalunya was founded in 1993, building on the vocational training courses in Image and Sound at the Centro Calassanç.

The board of the Fundació Privada ESCAC is made up of the Universitat de Barcelona, the Escola Pia de Catalunya, the Ajuntament de Terrassa, DAMA (Audiovisual Media Copyrights), the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain and Cube Post.

ESCAC is a member of the Centre International de Liaison des Écoles de Cinéma et de Télévision (CILECT), an organisation that brings together 120 specialised training centres in audiovisual creation, and a founding member of the Groupement Européen des Écoles de Cinéma et de Télévision (GEECT) and the Federation of Image and Sound Schools of Latin America (FEISAL).

Transparency

In compliance with Law 19/2014 and the transparency regulations applicable to foundations, Fundació Privada ESCAC publishes its institutional, organisational, financial and activity information in this section.

Companies and institutions that accompany us in our mission

We work alongside companies and institutions that share our commitment to talent. These collaborations support scholarships, training and new opportunities for the ESCAC community.

Thanks to the collaboration of Institut Català de les Empreses Culturals (ICEC), Fundación SGAE, Cupra and DAMA, more than 100 students with limited means study at ESCAC each academic year.

Institut Català de les Empreses Culturals (ICEC)
- ESCAC and ICEC have signed an agreement providing for a grant awarded without a public call for applications, to support training activities for audiovisual industry professionals. Under this agreement, ICEC contributes to a general scholarship fund that enables young people with limited means to obtain a full scholarship for their studies at ESCAC.
DAMA
- DAMA (Copyright for Audiovisual Media), the only collecting society specialising in audiovisual content, supports ESCAC in developing programmes related to training in screenwriting, contributing a scholarship fund for all students taking the Screenwriting specialisation in the degree programme.
CUPRA
- Cupra collaborates with ESCAC to offer a full scholarship covering tuition and living expenses for one scholarship recipient throughout the 4 years of study.
Fundacio SGAE
- The General Society of Authors and Publishers, through Fundación SGAE, supports ESCAC in developing programmes related to training, promotion and the dissemination of audiovisual works, as well as improving students’ knowledge of authorship, copyright and intellectual property. SGAE and Fundación SGAE contribute to a Fundación SGAE scholarship fund for ESCAC students.
CUBEPOST
- CUBE Post is a Spanish company that provides comprehensive post-production services for film, television and other media projects. It is known for its expertise and high-quality work across various aspects of post-production, making it a significant player in the industry. Cube Post collaborates on post-production processes.
CINESA
- Cinesa collaborates on the promotion and screening phase of ESCAC students’ final degree projects.
YUGO
- Yugo Residencias is a global private student accommodation brand offering modern rooms and studios with all bills included. Yugo collaborates with ESCAC each year
RESA
- RESA is the country’s largest and most extensive network of student residences, with more than 40 residences in 21 different Spanish cities. The RESA group collaborates with ESCAC each year.
CINETOOLS
- The leading company in the sale of consumables, accessories and professional tools for film and television offers ESCAC students a 5% discount on the entire CineTools product catalogue.
ZY Culture and Art Studio of Shanghai (ZIYOU)
- ESCAC and ZIYOU collaborate to organise a workshop on cinematic language in China to train managers and mid-level executives in the art, design and architecture sectors.
BLACKMAGIC
- Blackmagicdesign, one of the leading and most innovative manufacturers of technology products in the world of video and film, has included ESCAC in its Education Partner Program, helping to develop and prepare our students for entry into the audiovisual industry.
Acadèmia del Cinema Català
- The Acadèmia del Cinema Català collaborates with ESCAC each year.
Ajuntament de Terrassa
- The Ajuntament de Terrassa collaborates by providing spaces and fostering relationships with other organisations.

ESCAC Films

ESCAC Films is ESCAC’s academic production company. It supports Final Degree Projects (TFG) and Master’s Projects (TFM) through every stage, from development to production, exploitation and promotion. A step into the professional world, helping each project reach far beyond the classroom.

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ESCAC Studio

Good stories need a place to grow. ESCAC Studio supports new creators so they can develop their projects and find their path in the audiovisual industry. A space open both to ESCAC talent and to new voices joining for the first time.

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ESCAC Talent

ESCAC talent doesn’t end at school. ESCAC Talent highlights an alumni network working across the audiovisual industry, from department heads to specialists and technicians. The result: a 92% employment rate and a professional community that continues to grow long after graduation.

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Cinebase

Learning to look is something you can learn, too. Cinebase brings film and audiovisual storytelling to children and young people to foster their creativity and critical thinking. Training for teachers, summer courses and a festival where new generations can begin telling their own stories.

Find out more