“As the event begins, we are ready to roll up our sleeves and engage in what we do best!” With these words, ECFA President Pantelis Panteloglou concluded the official note on the occasion of the 2nd edition of the Workshop Warehouse. That is exactly what happened… 56 professionals from 21 countries rolled up their sleeves – and not just because of the heat! – and made their choice among eight workshops on offer. Two and a half days later, after around 25 hours of training and professional exchange at an average temperature of 35 degrees Celsius, they can look back on another wonderful edition of the Workshop Warehouse.
When, in 2023, the European Children’s Film Association (ECFA) joined forces with the Cineteca di Bologna and Il Cinema Ritrovato to organise our first ECFA Workshop Warehouse event, the aim was to bring together film education professionals through the hands-on experience of workshops, motivating and inspiring their kindred spirits from other European countries. For ECFA, it was most important that the mindset of participants would be one of sharing.
The event’s success paved the way for this second edition two years later. Again, the Cineteca di Bologna provided valuable resources (in terms of finances, labour, and the commitment of the Schermi e Lavagne team, under Elisa Giovannelli) and offered the fertile ground of Cinema Ritrovato for the Workshop Warehouse to anchor itself in.
This made the Warehouse Workshop 2025 (June 27-29) another huge success. First and foremost, due to the outstanding range of workshops on offer, as confirmed by the (anonymous) first reactions of participants: “I thought the selection of workshops was excellent – diverse in both content and target groups. In every workshop, I found something interesting or inspiring! The hands-on approach made the sessions engaging and practical. I especially appreciated the time set aside for questions and reflection at the end.” Others refer to the valuable elements they took home from the Warehouse, “from practical methods and techniques to new focus areas and fresh perspectives on film education. It was incredibly inspiring to meet and connect with so many passionate and creative people!“
All this could only be achieved with the help of another crucial partner, which was found among ECFA’s members: The Screen The Future European Children’s Film Festival Network, consisting of seven children’s film festivals (Cinekid, the Netherlands; Cinemira, Hungary; JEF, Belgium; Olympia Festival, Greece; Schlingel, Germany; Young Horizons, Poland; and Zlin Festival, Czech Republic) and co-funded by the European Union through the Creative Europe MEDIA programme, came in to profess that synergies are not only beneficial to their partners, but are the only viable way to move forward with important initiatives in a field that has always been underfunded.
Would all this provide ECFA with enough reasons to continue this Workshop Warehouse initiative in the future? ECFA President Pantelis Panteloglou: “Although film education is at the heart of any media or audiovisual education, training, or literacy initiative, professionals in this field are commonly underestimated and considered good-hearted hobbyists. This seems directly related to the fact that academia has not fully recognised the need for film education, leading to its sidelining in formal education. Meanwhile, some decision-makers tend to assume that, due to the realities formed by the dominant position of media in modern society, it is either obsolete or unnecessary to intervene in the market and engage in film education. Of course, this is no reason for us to stop doing what we can prove is right. Our experience clearly shows: The overwhelming media landscape calls for navigation tools for younger generations, and film and media education plays a crucial role in this process.”
And if ECFA needs one extra reason, this can also be found in the evaluation of one participant: “ECFA is a highly committed and important organisation for film education, making a significant contribution to the circulation of knowledge and expertise within Europe, as well as to the creation of networks among film educators and organisations. Without ECFA, Europe would be much poorer, and overcoming national borders would be more difficult. ECFA has rejuvenated in recent years, while it is still made up of a large number of nice and warmhearted people.“
We hope to see you soon at the next edition of the Workshop Warehouse. Let’s roll up those sleeves!
The Workshop Warehouse 2025 was organised by the European Children’s Film Association and the Cineteca di Bologna, in collaboration with the “Screen the Future” European Children’s Film Festival Network. Co-funded by the European Union, this edition took place on June 27-29, 2025 in Bologna, Italy.
Participating workshops:
Photo’s: thanks to participants & Cinema Ritrovato