EducaTIFF 2023 films and workshops

This year's selection of EducaTIFF films includes 12 titles. All EducaTIFF screenings are followed by discussions, including some with special guests, to encourage curiosity and critical thinking among young viewers.

The programme includes three films selected at this year's Berlinale: Totem (d. Lila Avilés), winner of the Ecumenical Jury Prize, Delegation (d. Asaf Saban) and Dancing Queen (d. Aurora Gossé), from the Generations programme. Young Plato (d. Neasa Ní Chainaín, Declan McGrath), a critically acclaimed production, is an Irish film that follows a school principal's attempts to improve the lives of a run-down urban community. Another story about the difficulties of education is First Rule (d. Massimiliano D'Epiro), which will be screened in the presence of the cast. The selection also includes Juniors (d. Hugo Thomas), about two young video game addicts who, in order to raise money from online donations for a new video console, concoct a disease; The Hullabaloos! (d. Reetta Huhtanen), where the dog of twin children is mistaken for the president's dog; or Belle and Sebastian (d. Pierre Core), about a 10-year-old boy determined to help a sheepdog. This year’s list also includes a Romanian film, David (d. Radu Muntean), about the summer camp organised by Tibi Ușeriu, which led to the family trail route “David's Road”, and a Romanian co-production with Germany, The Three Investigators (d. Tim Dünscheder), about the adventures of young detectives in Transylvania. In terms of animation, Rosa and the Stone Troll (d. Karla Holmbäck) will delight the little ones, and the celebratory compilation 100 Years of Disney Animation - a Shorts Celebration will be a delight for all ages.

EducaTIFF workshops will be held for the first time in Cluj-Napoca and Floresti. Children and young people will have the opportunity to learn from professionals about film journalism or creative writing, to take part in animation and acting workshops, stop motion with LEGO or art therapy. Details about each workshop and registration can be found at tiff.ro/educatie.

The festival's initiative to bring film education to schools is followed by Reshape education, two days of meetings (15 and 16 of June) focused on debates on topics such as successful models in film education, social action in film, platforms and films for young people. Special guests include Laufey Gudjonsdottir (director of Icelandic Film Center for 20 years) who will talk about the Icelandic model of film education, or Sergio Marques (manager of Cinema Insuflavel, Play Film Festival Lisbon selector) who will talk about curating films for young people. This essential step in the development and sharing of information between experts is organized by the Cinema Class, an online programme for high school teachers and students, which introduces film as a study tool in the classroom.