The REBOOT project – Reviving, Boosting, Optimising and Transforming European Film Competitiveness is a Horizon Europe research initiative launched in summer 2023 and coordinated by the University of Vienna together with 11 partner universities. The project investigates how European film competitiveness can be strengthened through policy, institutional frameworks, production, distribution and audience engagement.
The report presented here is a completed research deliverable within the REBOOT project, focusing on institutional and legal models for the international promotion of European film.
While not a final project conclusion, it provides substantial evidence-based insights that will feed into subsequent country reports and policy recommendations to be compiled across EU Member States.
Structured around five interrelated dimensions, REBOOT addresses key issues closely aligned with ECFA’s mission, including cultural diversity, audience development and a broader understanding of competitiveness that goes beyond purely economic indicators. Within this framework, young audiences and film literacy emerge as strategically relevant themes, even where children’s cinema is not treated as a separate policy field.
The report highlights national examples such as school cinema initiatives, educational VOD platforms and public service obligations for children and young people, demonstrating how early engagement with European film contributes to long-term audience building and cultural sustainability. These findings are complemented by further research outputs and thematic materials on young audiences and film education published on the REBOOT Project website, underlining that children and young people are integral to the project’s overall approach to European film competitiveness.
Introduced by Margret Albers