EFA Young Audience Summit to unite young cinephiles

Just before this year’s EFA (European Film Academy) Young Audience Award (YAA) once again presents three nominated films to 12-to-14-year-olds across the continent, the focus at the EFA Young Audience Summit on 17 April goes beyond this annual event: Created with and co-hosted by a group of former YAA participants, the summit brings together young cinephiles all over Europe to explore what film means to them and how best to engage them in a film-related discourse.

The summit will discuss plans to develop a European Film Club as well as exploring questions such as:

• Should films be given a higher priority in schools?
• How important are films to young people?
• How much are films for entertainment vs a form of social and cultural education?
• Can we create a sense of European culture through cinema?

The summit will also host a Q&A with Spanish filmmaker, creative director and cinephile Pablo Maqueda and screen two short films being selected by the Youth Council.

In preparation, the European Film Academy has been deliberating with a youth council of nine former YAA participants. Among these are…

Anissa Llewellyn (14) from Lewes / UK, who says: “the European Film Club will give young people a chance to watch films from other countries in Europe, learn about other cultures through film, and, mainly, connect with other young people. At the moment, we are all very separated – for a number of reasons- and film could help bring us all together.”

Clara Quero Molina (15) from Sevilla, Spain who says: “Every frame by itself is a door to other worlds, an insight into the lives of others. Films let us see the world from different points of view.”

And Raluca Nemeti (15) from Cluj-Napoca, Romania who says: “I like the fact that I can express myself a lot better through film and also the fact that it allows me to escape the ordinary world. It’s a great way of expressing my creativity.”

Instead of studied experts discussing what they think the young generation wants and does, the European Film Academy invites the young people themselves to discuss. 12-16-year-olds who have Young Audience Award or other film engagement experience or interest, can now apply.