Just over a year after its launch, European Film Club is expanding and aims to involve more young people, teachers, NGO workers and film professionals in creating vibrant film clubs across Europe. The initiative, supported by Creative Europe MEDIA, provides a platform for young audiences to explore European films, share their thoughts, and connect with their peers across the continent. A young community is already emerging.
This European Film Academy project is not your usual film streaming platform. It’s designed by and for young people aged 12-19, bringing them together in film clubs, where they can connect and discuss cinema. Film clubs can be run by one or two leaders, either teenagers or adults working with young people. The curated catalogue of European films can be viewed free of charge individually, projected in classrooms, or used in after-school activities or NGO activities.
Another special feature is that it’s truly co-created with young people, meaning they have a say in everything from the film catalogue to social media and events. There are 13 Youth Council members from 9 countries (Bosnia & Herzegovina, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, UK) and 46 young Consultation Group members from 21 countries act as ambassadors for the project.
Recently, you could see them hosting the Young Audience Film Day 2024 in Lucerne, acting as reporters on the red carpet at the European Film Awards, and presenting the Young Audience Award 2024 on stage to Benjamin Ree, for THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF IBELIN. Their performance on stage was one of the most memorable moments of the ceremony at the KKL Lucerne.
One of the coolest features of the platform is the Watch Party – an interactive tool that allows young people from different corners of Europe to watch a film together, chat about it, and leave comments or emoticons. They can review and discuss films and related topics in the platform’s internal chat.
Together with a network of more than 70 partners, from Georgia to Portugal, and from Finland to Malta, European Film Club brings European films to cinemas as well every year, building on the success of the Young Audience Award. Last November, young film lovers from more than 30 European cities took part in the Young Audience Film Day and 99 of them were selected to be part of the jury that chose the winner from three nominated films.
What’s next? A partnership with the LUX Audience Award, presented by the European Parliament and the European Film Academy, to showcase some of the films on europeanfilmclub.com, an update of the platform, and a special campaign dedicated to schools across Europe. If you want to find out more on how to set up a film club on europeanfilmclub.com, here’s a booklet for download.