NEW ECFA MEMBER: STICHTING EN… ACTIE!

ECFA’s new Dutch member Stichting ‘En… Actie!’ (And… Action!) is the silent driving force behind several film education projects, of which ‘Hollywood in The Class’ is the most successful one. With a basic concept that remained more or less unchanged since the project’s launch in 2005: Making short films (max. 5’) that can not only be appreciated by children (aged 10-12) but also by a neutral audience.

This credo, sounding simple but not easy to achieve, resulted in several film festivals organised by ‘En… Actie’ for multiple organisations. Like the ‘4th UNICEF Kids Rights Film Festival’, with its 800 participating school groups is by far the biggest ‘hands on’ film festival in The Netherlands.

En… Actie! has outlined an entire course for young filmmakers, starting with the free ‘Mini Movie Maker’ app that was developed, and that introduces children to the basics of cinema (scenes, shots, rhythm…) through making their own film about ‘children’s rights’. The 60 best ‘mini movies’ get a ‘remake’, guided by one of En… Actie!’s film coaches. Those remakes premiere in various Pathé Cinemas, with a big finale at the end of the school year. On YouTube these films are modest hits with over 8.3 million views.

En… Actie! participates in the Young European Audience Development project YEAD, based on the exchange of youngsters (aged 16-25) with EU partners. Furthermore, they are running a small cinema in Rotterdam South and are involved in making documentaries with young people. Spokesperson Filip Braams: “We are proud to be a small, creative, independent organisation working with a group of freelancers. This allows us to react and respond very quick and flexible.” And then… Action!
More info: www.stichtingenactie.nl, www.hollywoodindeklas.nl, www.krff.nl