© Barak Shrama

Youth 4 German Cinema Program 2023
Attention Young Movie Fans!

The Goethe-Institut’s Step Into German program and the Berlin & Beyond Film Festival are seeking students from across the US, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean (ages 14-18) to participate as jurors in the tenth annual program of Youth 4 German Cinema. This offers the opportunity for young people with an interest in German arts and culture to come to San Francisco and be part of the 27th Berlin & Beyond Film Festival in March 2023. Three applicants will be selected.


2023 Program Application 
Before the Film Festival
Participants will form the Youth 4 German Cinema jury. They will screen selected German films online (with English subtitles), engage in discussions, and choose one film to be shown at the festival.

As Part of the Film Festival Experience:
Participants will:

• Present the Youth 4 German Cinema Awards and play an active role in an onstage Q&A with talents from the winning films.
• Walk the red carpet and go behind-the-scenes of North America’s largest festival of contemporary German cinema.
• Attend an exclusive workshop by a film arts professional.
• Visit one of the world’s most exciting cities: San Francisco!

Participation in this program will not only make a great addition on the student’s resumes and college applications, it will also allow students to learn the fundamentals of film analysis, film production, and how to network and make connections for future endeavors.

Important Dates:

• Deadline for Application: January 12, 2023 at 10:00 AM (Pacific Standard Time)
• Participants Announced: January 19, 2023
• Screening Period for Films: January 19 - 30, 2023
• Winning Films Announced: January 31, 2023
• Stay in San Francisco: March 23 - 26, 2023

Travel & Accommodation:
A very exclusive and grand opportunity: Each participant will be provided roundtrip airfare to San Francisco, accommodation and food.  *Please note that due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, unforeseen travel restrictions and health and safety measures might occur. **Please note that in case regulations around COVID-19 change, we may have to reject applicants who are not vaccinated against COVID-19.

Schedule in San Francisco:
Arrival in San Francisco: March 23, 2023
Festival Opening Night: March 23, 2023 (evening)
Youth 4 German Cinema Screenings: March 24, 2023 (morning)
Youth 4 German Cinema Workshops: March 25, 2023 

Youth 4 German Cinema

Youth 4 German Cinema takes high-school students backstage for a glimpse into the workings of the international film festival Berlin & Beyond. In doing so, students are introduced to the German language cinema landscape and learn about filmmaking, film criticism and international films as a whole. 

Chosen from a pool of applications from across the US, Canada, Central America and the Caribbean, Youth 4 German Cinema allows select high-school students to participate in and to go behind the scenes of an international film festival; to meet industry professionals; to participate in artistic workshops; and to increase their cross-cultural awareness. Finally, they also help select the two winning films which are screened at the festival for hundreds of visiting students from across the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California.

Meet a jury from Youth 4 German Cinema:
 

© Barak Shrama
Youth 4 German Cinema

Youth 4 German Cinema (Y4GC) takes high-school students backstage for a glimpse into the workings of the international film festival Berlin & Beyond. In doing so, students are introduced to the German language cinema landscape and learn about filmmaking, film criticism and international films as a whole. 

Chosen from a pool of applications from across the US, Canada and Central America, Youth 4 German Cinema (Y4GC) allows select high-school students to participate in and to go behind the scenes of an international film festival; to meet industry professionals; to participate in artistic workshops; and to increase their cross-cultural awareness. Finally, they also help select the two winning films which are screened at the festival for hundreds of visiting students from across the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California.

Youth 4 German Cinema 2022 – it’s a wrap!

The eighth season of Youth 4 German Cinema (Y4GC) was another big success! Organized by the Goethe-Institut San Francisco’s Language Department, Berlin & Beyond Film Festival and the North American youth portal Step Into German, this special program brings together young film enthusiasts in vivid appreciation of German cinema, language, and culture.

This year’s winners of Youth 4 German Cinema Y4GC) received an all-access experience to the festival, including a walk on the red carpet on the Opening Night, the introduction of their film selection, a Q&A session with the lead actor of “Wet Dog”, Doguhan Kabadayi, and the participation in a film workshop with filmmaker Liz Anderson.

We thank you for the numerous and interesting applications. Congratulations to:

Geraldine Nadia Clausen Garcia from Mexico; Jason Alexander Dement from Ohio, USA; Aubrey Belcher from Missouri, USA; and Nandita Suri from Georgia, USA.

The 2022 Youth 4 German Cinema Y4GC) jury chose Barbara Kronenberg’s feature directorial debut “Mission Ulja Funk” as this year’s winning film. It’s a film about 12 year-old astronomy lover Ulja who, after her deeply religious grandmother prevents her from following her passion, steals the family hearse to go on a road trip through Eastern Europe to watch the impact of an asteroid.

Damir Lukacevic’s “Wet Dog” (“Ein nasser Hund”) garnered the jury’s runner-up award. Based on Arye Sharuz Shalicar’s autobiography, this film takes us on the journey of 16 year-old Soheil’s search for identity, when he is met with rejection after his friends learn about his Jewish ancestry.    
Meet a jury from Youth 4 German Cinema (Y4GC):