The first-ever National High School Student Film Festival Aurora is set to launch in Lithuania, organised by a team of cinematographers and a film enthusiast.
As the first and largest festival of its kind in the country, Aurora aims to inspire young people to create, share ideas, build connections, and find inspiration. In addition to screenings of two student film competition programs and awards, the festival will offer a rich variety of activities, including educational workshops on scriptwriting, film editing, sound design, and animation, as well as professional short film screenings and networking events for nominees. All festival activities are free of charge and open to everyone interested, creating a safe and open platform where emerging talent can showcase their creativity, be heard, and shape the future of Lithuanian cinema.
The Lithuanian education system has long neglected art education, leaving a significant gap in opportunities for young people to engage with high-quality cultural content, especially in regional areas. This lack of access not only limits creative development but also perpetuates a societal perception that culture is not a priority. In response, private initiatives like “Aurora” aim to address these issues, though such efforts remain rare due to the difficulty of securing funding for arts-focused projects.
The festival founders – cinematographer and film teacher Lina Margaitytė, media education centre Lojoteka director Rūta Grišinaitė-Bernotienė, and cinematographer and educator Marius Krivičius – initiated the project to encourage young people to explore filmmaking. They believe that young voices and their chosen themes are an essential part of Lithuania’s cinematic culture, deserving recognition and support.
“Young people often lack a safe space to share their work, where their stories can truly be seen and heard, especially on topics relevant to them,” notes Marius Krivičius. “In challenging times like today, with post-pandemic instability and geopolitical tensions, filmmaking provides an outlet for expression and connection, enabling both creators and audiences to find common ground and foster a sense of community.”
Organized by the Lojoteka media education center in partnership with the British Council Lithuania, the Lithuanian Film Center, and AVAKA, Aurora will become Lithuania’s largest film industry event for school students and the education community. The festival will run for two days, April 11–12, 2025, across various cultural venues in Lithuania’s capital Vilnius.
The first edition of the festival launches with the slogan “Tavo istorijai reikia kino” which translates to “Your Story Needs Cinema.” In Lithuanian, the word istorija carries a dual meaning, encompassing both “story” and “history.” As Rūta Grišinaitė-Bernotienė explains, “Every young person’s story, whether from a bustling city or a remote village, is worth sharing and transforming into film.” This slogan also reflects the festival’s broader mission: to create a safe space where young people, regardless of their social status or ethnic and cultural backgrounds, can share experiences, build connections, and find inspiration for their creative and personal journeys. Who knows – cinema might just be the spark that changes a young person’s history.
The festival invites Lithuanian students under 19 to submit films to two competition programs: Discoveries and Cultural Connections. The Discoveries program welcomes films of any genre, reflecting the creators’ lives and pressing topics. Meanwhile, Cultural Connections focuses on films exploring the culture and daily life of Lithuania’s ethnic communities, promoting dialogue, connecting diverse communities and breaking stereotypes through cinema.
Each program’s best film will receive a €1,000 prize and a special festival award. Additionally, awards of €500 each will be presented for the best cinematography and editing, recognizing the crucial contributions of individual creators to the filmmaking process.
“Acknowledging individual efforts within a collaborative work is vital,” says Lina Margaitytė, “as it motivates creators to continue honing their skills and pursuing their passions.” Margaitytė herself credits her career path to winning a similar student film award in the past, which gave her the confidence to dream big.
A jury of film professionals, educators, and student representatives will select the competition programs and winners, ensuring diverse perspectives and themes are represented. The festival will conclude with an awards ceremony on April 12, 2025.
While this inaugural edition of The National High School Student Film Festival Aurora is focused on celebrating young Lithuanian talent and fostering a national dialogue through cinema, the festival’s vision extends far beyond. Future editions aim to collaborate with international initiatives, inviting participants and submissions from abroad. By building these connections, Aurora aspires to grow into an international event, providing a platform for diverse voices and ideas to converge, and further enriching the creative journeys of young filmmakers.
