The EU Youth Cinema: Green Deal project is entering its second phase this autumn, featuring a brand-new streaming platform, an expanded selection of cutting-edge European films focused on the environment, water, and sustainability, and the inclusion of additional partner countries.
A Sustainable Europe at the Core
Following two successful years of educating and raising awareness about environmental and sustainability issues among young people in Austria, Croatia, North Macedonia, Romania, and Slovenia, the EU Youth Cinema: Green Deal is set to begin its second edition this autumn. This pioneering initiative places a sustainable Europe at the center of its unique educational offerings. With its multicultural approach and an innovative, multilingual streaming platform operated by new project partner Cincopa, the project makes a significant contribution to appreciating and understanding the EU's climate strategy. The platform boasts a carefully curated collection of over 50 European films, complemented by cinema visits, up-to-date teaching materials, workshops, and discussions. This year-round educational program is particularly aimed at addressing environmental challenges for young people, promoting green habits, and encouraging a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.
The second edition of the EU Youth Cinema: Green Deal is organized by Innovation Generation (Ukraine), LET’S CEE Film Festival (Austria), EPEKA (Slovenia), Go Green (North Macedonia), and Chapter 4 Communications (CEE/SEE). The project is primarily funded by Creative Europe, the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation, and Technology, and the Vienna Insurance Group (VIG) with its local brands, including KNIAZHA, KNIAZHA LIFE and USG. Additional essential support is provided by the Collecting Society for Audiovisual Media (VAM) and Cineplexx, the exclusive cinema partner across 11 countries and 33 cities.
“An intact ecological and social environment is essential for a good quality of life and successful economic activity. Therefore, sustainable development is in the interest of all of us in the face of progressive climate change. Initiatives such as the EU Youth Cinema: Green Deal make an important contribution to spreading knowledge and raising awareness of the EU's climate strategy. We are happy to support them, especially as sustainability is also an integral part of our business model”, says Hartwig Löger, CEO of Vienna Insurance Group.
Expanding Horizons Across the Ukraine and beyond
Building on the success of its initial phase, the project is expanding this autumn to include new partner countries: Ukraine, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Montenegro, Serbia and South Tyrol. Teachers and educators from these countries can now register their classes or youth groups for access to the film platform, cinema screenings, and didactic materials in their respective national languages including Ukrainian. All teachers can register at any time for free at https://youth-cinema.eu/ua to stream the entire green film collection, organize cinema trips, meet environmental experts, and discuss pressing global challenges.
In the challenging conditions of Ukrainian society, which is currently fighting for independence and resisting the aggressor, it is of particular importance to raise the level of environmental awareness of modern youth, provide educational resources and practical tools for teaching young people the principles of sustainable development.
“Thanks to this project, thousands of Ukrainian teachers, lecturers, students and schoolchildren will have access to an innovative European platform that will greatly facilitate the acquisition of useful environmental knowledge and responsible consumption skills. Together with our partners, we are pleased to announce the launch of a project in Ukraine that will help Ukrainian youth learn and take an active part in the post-war recovery of our country, building global models of sustainable development, taking into account global and local climate change”, said Volodymyr Serheiev, Head of the Innovation Generation NGO (Kharkiv, Ukraine).
Seeing Water Differently
In addition to the relaunch of the streaming platform, new European documentaries will be continuously added to the program. The film program will also align with the EU's #WaterwiseEU campaign, launched in May, which focuses on water sustainability and raising awareness about the importance of water as a vital resource.
Highlighted films include:
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"INTO THE ICE" (2022): A German-Danish documentary by Lars Ostenfeld, following three leading glacier researchers deep into the Greenland ice sheet.
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"UNTIL THE LAST DROP" (2023): A Polish documentary by Ewa Ewart, showcasing the dire conditions of European rivers and the extraordinary efforts of activists to protect them.
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"LAKE OF APPLES": A short film by Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov, produced in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, highlighting the destruction and restoration of regional ecosystems, such as Lake Prespa in North Macedonia, Albania, and Greece.
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Other Noteworthy Films: "TIME FOR UTOPIAN IDEAS" (2018), "START UP FOR A REASON" (2022), "ACTIVIST," та "LA BUENA VIDA" (2015).
These films and the accompanying educational materials are suitable for a wide range of subjects, including social studies, geography, biology, philosophy, and foreign languages, making them adaptable to different educational levels.
A Global Green Journey
Finally, the EU Youth Cinema: Green Deal offers a selection of films and multimedia content available without registration to a global audience. Anyone, anywhere, can explore the breathtaking European films and embark on a green journey by visiting www.euyc.green.
Contact person:
Roman Nesterenko
Project manager, Innovation Generation NGO
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
+380997044802
