Film schools to find a children's film

Graduation films

Animation and film schools are an indispensable source of information for discovering original films.
Regularly consulting the websites of film and animation schools, animation studios and directors, as well as following the latest news from children's film festivals, offers the possibility of discovering new short films suitable for young audiences.

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Many graduation films are fantastic! Making a graduation film is a privileged moment for a young director because students often have 1 year between writing the script, creating the characters, the sets and making a short film, alone or with others, without commercial constraints.

The direction and visual universes of the films are often very original and have nothing to envy to a big budget production.

List of animation schools

© Animation schools.

Personally, we like the films from La poudrière school, which we think are the most original, often made in 2D animation; they create very poetic worlds. MOME Animation in Hungary and the Tokyo Art University too.

Graduation film, a privileged moment

We also have a special affection for School-Studio SHAR in Russia, whose films immerse us in very moving worlds.

Animation schools around the world

Classification of animation schools in alphabetical order.

Bristol School of Animation

(UK)
Bristol School of Animation has a national and international reputation for the quality of its education and training in the fields of animation.

Watch a graduation film by Bristol School of Animation: The Big Top

Have courage, Mr Escargot!
1 min 00 s

Calarts

(United States)
The California Institute of the Arts, or CalArts, is an art school based in Valencia, California. CalArts was founded in 1961 by Walt Disney with the aim of training a new generation of animators for the Disney studio.
Alumni include Brad Bird who directed The Incredibles, Ratatouille, but also Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), John Lasseter (Toy Story), Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline.) but also the French director Michel Ocelot (Kirikou, Azur et Asmar)

Watch a graduation film by CalArts: An Object at Rest

Watch the children's film: An Object at Rest

Do you want to explain nature, climate or geology to children?
5 min 43 s

HFF (Hochschule für Film), KONRAD WOLF

(Germany)
HFF is a German film school founded in 1954 in Babelsberg.

Watch a graduation film by HFF: Cocoon Child

One of the few films in our selection of children's films about autism.
4 min 48 s

Institute of Animation, Visual Effects and Digital Postproduction

(Germany)
Institute of Animation is the animation section of the Baden-Württemberg Film Academy, a German film school founded in 1991 in Ludwigsburg.

Watch a graduation film by l'école Institute of Animation: Rollin' Safari

Regardez le film pour enfants de 3 ans: Rollin' Safari

In the savannah, zebras are drinking peacefully, but this sweet moment will be interrupted by an unwelcome intruder.
36 s

Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema

(Canada)
The Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema is a division of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Concordia University founded in 1976 in Montreal.

Découvrez un film de MHSC: Blobby

The daily life of a man followed by a drop.
2 min 07 s

MOME Animation

(Hungary)

Watch a graduation film from the MOME Animation school: L'école des ruisseaux

Watch the children's film: L'école des ruisseaux

A little girl has an aquatic adventure, accompanying a river to the sea.
1 min 54 s

National Film and Television School

(UK)

Watch a graduation film from the NFTS school: Head Over Heels

Watch the children's film: Head Over Heels

The beautiful story of a couple who live upside down.
10 min 21 s

National Center for Computer Animation, Bournemouth University

(UK)

Watch a graduation film from the NCCA school: De Planeta

L The history of our planet Earth.
1 min 56 s

Ringling College of Art and Design

(United States)
Depuis 1931 à Sarasota, Floride.

Watch a film from Ringling College: Jinxy Jenkins, Lucky Lou

Watch the children's film: Jinxy Jenkins, Lucky Lou

A very funny meeting between a lucky girl and an unlucky boy.
3 min 51 s

Royal College of Art

(UK)
Watch a cartoon of the CAR school: Matter Fisher

Watch the children's film: Matter Fisher

A lone fisherman encounters a strange life form.
7 min 25 s

Savannah College of Art and Design

(United States)
Since 1978 in Savannah, Georgia.

Watch a short film from the SCAD school: Shark Attached

Watch the children's film: Shark Attached

The story of a poor little shark.
2 min 12 s

School of Visual Arts

(United States)

Watch a cartoon from the SVA school: Mirage

A beautiful adventure film full of magic and enchantment.
9 min 19 s

School-Studio SHAR

(Russie)

Watch a graduation film by l'école SHAR: Dog-walking ground

Watch the children's film: Dog-walking ground

A dog story.
8 min 15 s

Sheridan College

(Canada)

Découvrez un film de Sheridan College: Luggage

Un pingouin bagagiste lutte pour sortir des bagages surdimensionnés.
2 min 25 s

The Animation Workshop

(Denmark)

Discover a film from The Animation Workshop: Grandma’s Hero

Watch the children's film: Grandma’s Hero

Lulu has just graduated from the Hero Academy and finally has the chance to prove that he is a real hero.
7 min 17 s

Tokyo University of the Arts

(Japan)

Discover a graduation film by Geidai: Rain and Fish

Watch the children's film: Rain and Fish

One rainy day, a little boy waits for the bus and lets his imagination run wild. Images come to mind.
4 min 47 s

Uhanimation

(UK)

Discover a graduation film by Uhanimation: Lunette

The hero of this magical journey is a wolf. But what does he carry with him?
3 min 32 s

Vancouver Film School

(Canada)

Discover a graduation film by VFS: Digital vs Traditional

Regardez le film comique pour enfants: Digital vs Traditional

Who will win? Traditional or digital animation?
58 s

Classification of animation schools in alphabetical order.

French animation schools.

There are many good schools and our selection is not exhaustive, but here is a list of animation schools that we regularly consult in order to discover new short films adapted to children's ages.

Classification of animation schools in alphabetical order.

ArtFX

Montpellier, France.

Created in 2004, ArtFX is a school of animation and special effects (VFX).

Watch one of the ArtFX school's graduation films: Keiro

Growing up is good; with a 50-foot friend, it's better.
3 min 34 s

Arts et Technologies de l’Image (ATI)

Saint-Denis, France.

Created in 1984, the Department of Image Arts and Technologies, University of Paris 8, offers artistic and technical training in computer graphics.

Watch an ATI graduation film: Le vilain petit carré

Watch the children's film: Le vilain petit carré

In an angular world of squares, something is wrong.
6 min

Bellecour École

Saint-Denis, France.

Created in 1937 in Lyon, the Bellecour school specialises in training for design and entertainment professions and offers a variety of training courses illustration, object design, space design, fashion, animated film and video games.

Watch a graduation film from the Bellecour school: Destiny

Can we escape our fate?
7 min 38 sec

Créapole

Paris, France.

Created in 1989, the college of applied arts produces quality films. 2D or 3D short films.

Watch a short film by Créapole: Bococo

Two parrots, one silly and one dismissive, are confronted with a fire.
3 min 23 sec

ECV (L’école de commnuication visuelle)

Paris, France.

Created in 1984 in Paris, the school of visual communication now has five campuses: Paris, Bordeaux, Aix-en-Provence, Nantes and Lille.

Watch one of the ECV school's graduation films: Piok

The meeting of a hen and a strange creature from another planet.
3 min 34 s

École Emile Cohl

Lyon, France.

Created in 1984. Among the alumni, Benoit Chieux and Rébecca Dautremer.

Watch one of the short films from the Emile Cohl school: Sur les rails

Watch the children's film: Sur les rails

On the train, an old man recalls his past and regrets what he did.
3 min 46 s

École Georges Méliès

Orly, France.

Created in 1999 the Georges Méliès School focuses its pedagogy on learning the fundamentals through the observation of life.

Watch a short film from the Georges Méliès school: Efollia

A deadly battle for the throne between twin princes.
2 min 49 s

École des Nouvelles Images

Avignon et Carpentras, France.

Created in 2017 as a non-profit association under the French law of 1901, the purpose of the École des Nouvelles Images is the design, creation and management of activities in the field of synthetic image professions. As such, the Board of Directors includes the founders as well as students, teachers and parents.

Watch a short film from the École des Nouvelles Images : Champion

A freediving competition.
1 min 05 s

École Pivaut

Nantes, France.

Created in 1985 the École Pivaut Supérieure technique privée d'arts appliqués et dessin narratif bases its training on the fundamentals of drawing.

Watch a short film from the Pivaut School: Toolun

A strange creature.
3 min 54 s

EMCA Angoulême

Angoulême, France.

Created in 1999 the École des métiers du cinéma d'animation focuses on the digital and traditional tools specific to animated film.

Watch one of EMCA's graduation films: Poussière

What if grains of dust kept the memory of humans?
6 min 2 s

ENSAD

Angoulême, France.

250 years of history, the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, also known as "les Arts Décoratifs" or "les Arts Déco", is a great school of art and design founded in the 18th century. Today, the ENSAD is a public institution of higher education and offers training in animated film.

Many experimental and very original films using multiple techniques such as volume animation, paper cut-outs, pixilation, 2D and 3D digital animation.

Watch one of the ENSAD school's graduation films: Volda

A magical and surprising universe close to that of fairy tales...
5 min 16 s

ESMA

Montpellier, France.

Created in 1993, L'École Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques is a private educational institution established in Montpellier, Toulouse, Nantes, Lyon and Montreal.

Watch one of the ESMA school's short films: Forward march

Watch the children's film: Forward march

A zany brass band.
4 min 31 s

GOBELINS, l'école de l'image

Paris, France.

Established in 1963 in Paris. In 2009, the graduation film Oktapodi was nominated at the 81st Academy Awards in the category "Best Animated Short Film". Alumni include Eric Bergeron (A Monster in Paris), Pierre Coffin (Despicable Me, Minions).

Watch one of the short films from the GOBELINS school: Floating in my mind

Watch the children's film: Floating in my mind

The story of life, of meetings, of memories...
3 min 8 s

Isart Digital

Paris, France.

Isart Digital is a private international school founded in Paris in 2001.
Isart Digital Montreal opened in 2012 and a partnership with Tokyo University of Technology exists since 2015.

Watch a short film from the Isart Digital school: Un Amour Deux Bêtes

Watch the children's film: Un Amour Deux Bêtes

It is not easy to reconcile friendship and love.
3 min 45 s

La poudrière

Bourg-lès-Valence, France.

Created in 1999 at the initiative of Jacques-Rémy Girerd, director and founder of the Folimage studio.
Among the alumni Benjamin Renner (Ernest & Celestine), Rémi Chayé (Long Way North).

Short film by La poudrière school: Les talons rouges

L'Atelier

Angoulême, France.

Created in 2007, l'Atelier is a school of the Angoulême Image Campus (Pôle image Magélis).

Watch a short film from L'Atelier school: Renard

Fox, tell us about the seasons of life!
1 min 49 s

L'Idem

Le Soler (Perpignan), France.

L'Idem is a graphic design and animation school based in Le Soler (Perpignan) and Barcelona.

Watch one of the short films from L'idem school: Primitive

What if prehistoric paintings were alive?
1 min 19 s

LISAA

Paris, France.

Created in 1986, the Institut Supérieur des Arts Appliqués is organised as a network and is present in 5 cities: Paris, Rennes, Nantes, Strasbourg and Bordeaux.

Watch one of LISAA's graduation films: Bancal

A tramp tries to sit on a particularly capricious bench.
2 min 54 s

MOPA

Arles, France.

Supinfocom opened a second school in Arles in 2000, which became MOPA in 2015.

Watch a graduation film from the MOPA school: Voltige

Two garage owners are having a lot of trouble with their car being repaired.
1 min 24 s

PÔLE 3D

Paris, France.

Created in 2004 and located in the Plaine Images in Tourcoing, PÔLE 3D, provides an understanding of all the professions involved in video games and animated film.

Watch a POLE 3D film: Une lumière dans la nuit

A little girl is alone at sea, a strange light approaches...
2 min 19 s

Studio Mercier

Paris, France.

Created in 1996, Studio Mercier offers training with the objective of experiencing real production conditions and meeting professional requirements.

Studio Mercier, a member of the "Films pour enfants" association, invites primary school children to discover, in the form of workshops, the animation professions.

Watch a 1st year film from Studio Mercier: Max veut faire du ski

Adaptation of "Max fait du ski", a short film by Max Linder.
2 min 19 s

Supinfocom Rubika

Valenciennes, France.

Créée en 1988, Supinfocom Rubika a ouvert une école à Pune (Inde) en 2008.

Watch one of Supinfocom's short films: RIBA

A cat dreams of becoming a pianist until he meets a mysterious friend who takes him on a magical journey.
6 min 12 s

Classification of animation schools in alphabetical order.

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You are a teacher or director of a film or animation school. You offer free graduation films. Present us your short films and your animation films! Students or professionals, what are your favourite schools, the best animation courses? Help us to create a ranking of the best animation schools!