filmArche is a self-organized filmschool in Berlin that was founded five years ago by a group of young people working in the film business. They wanted to create an independent space to share theoretical knowlegde, so they could add it to their practical experience in filmmaking.

WEBSITE: www.filmarche.de

Nowadays about 180 people are part of filmArche. The school offers three-year-classes in directing, script writing, production, editing and camera. Each course is responsible for its own curriculum. The course decides which filmmakers or teachers they invite and which themes they focus on in their lessons. The condition of membership is primarily the will to help organizing the school. This means that each student chooses an area, i.e. the film archive or the website, that he or she is responsible for.

What makes filmArche different from other private or state funded film schools in Germany is on one hand the diversity of students. Different generations learn and work together. Each one who has special skills or experiences in a certain field shares it with the others and that is how people benefit from each other.
On the other hand filmArche offers almost infinite creative freedom for the students and the chance to experiment with the media film. There is no certain direction in which the students are being pushed by the school nor a certain market they are being prepared for.

Since the beginnig filmArche is very interested in cooperation with international organisations that work in a similar way towards independent filmmaking. We are a member of the international network NISI MASA, which aims to support new talents in the european cinema (www.nisimasa.com) and work together with a slovenian organisation DZMP for international documentary workshops.