OUR HISTORY
Since it began, European Film College has encouraged more than 2,000 young filmmakers start their careers, supporting their passion and skills. Today, our former students play an important role in the global film industry, creating a growing network of storytellers around the world.
The college itself was born from the visionary minds of artist Knud Pedersen, filmmaker Henning Carlsen, and other Danish creatives who dreamed of uniting aspiring filmmakers from around the world. Their mission was simple but profound: to shape a new generation of filmmakers whose work would ignite a vibrant film culture, not just in Europe but worldwide.
In 1989, a seven-member board led by filmmaker Morten Arnfred was established to bring this dream to life. With the support of an honorary committee that included cinematic legends like Bernardo Bertolucci, Milos Forman, and Andrzej Wajda, the foundation for EFC was laid. Ebeltoft, with its coastal serenity, was chosen as the home for the college, and Finnish architects Heikkinen and Komonen designed the striking campus that would soon welcome the world’s next wave of filmmakers.
EFC opened its doors in 1993 with a 4-month pilot programme, quickly followed by the full 1-year film foundation programme that has since become the heart of our school. Constantly evolving, this programme blends tradition and innovation, ensuring our students are creatively and technically prepared for the demands of modern filmmaking. Alongside the year-long course, our highly popular 1-week summer programmes in Danish have been running with success from the start.
The impact of EFC’s students is felt far and wide. Many return to share their expertise as guest lecturers, and some of them, like Joachim Trier, Pilou Asbæk, Fabian Wagner, Charlotte Bruus Christensen, Mikkel EG Nielsen, Christina Rosendahl and Nikolaj Arcel, have made waves in the industry as celebrated filmmakers.
Former Principals of the college include Bjørn Erichsen (1990-1995), Kjeld Veirup (1995-2000), Jens Rykær (2000-2006), Pia Maria Marquard (2006-2007), Søren Høy (2007-2010), Mette Damgaard-Sørensen (2010-2014), Nadia Kløvedal Reich (2014-2018), and Ellen Riis (2018-2021). The current Principals are Åsa Mossberg & Nikolaj Davidsen, and the current Board Chairperson is Jørgen Ramskov.
