Docs4Teens is a European network created in 2021 to bring documentary cinema closer to younger audiences and strengthen the international circulation of films aimed at teenagers.
The project brings together five leading festivals, which throughout the year host a shared programme of school screenings, debates, masterclasses, and educational resources: FIPADOC (France) January; Krakow Film Festival (Poland) May–June; Docudays UA (Ukraine) June; Festival dei Popoli (Italy) November; and Porto/Post/Doc (Portugal) November.
MAIN OBJECTIVES
· Audience Development – Encourage teenagers’ interest in documentary cinema through curated screenings, film analysis guides, and meetings with filmmakers.
· Promotion of European Circulation – Each partner annually selects and shares a set of youth-appropriate documentaries, ensuring screenings at all festivals in the network.
· Creation of Intercultural Bridges – Parallel activities (workshops, online debate clubs, and school exchanges) foster dialogue on shared social challenges among young people from different countries.
OPERATING MODEL
· Joint Curatorial Selection – In September, pedagogical coordinators and programmers from the five events meet to select up to 14 titles that combine artistic merit, thematic relevance, and age-appropriateness.
· Annual Circuit – The set of films begins its journey at FIPADOC (January) and concludes at Porto/Post/Doc (November), benefiting from translation, subtitling, and standardised teaching materials. Each festival enhances the screenings with local activities.
· Evaluation and Sharing of Best Practices – Post-screening surveys, teacher reports, and student focus groups allow for impact measurement and methodological refinement.
EXPECTED IMPACT (2024–2026)
· 20,000 young viewers in theatres and online.
· 300 teachers involved in film literacy training.
· 30 new European documentaries circulated across at least five territories.
Docs4Teens thus establishes itself as a collaborative platform that makes documentary cinema a tool for civic engagement and discovery of the other, preparing the next generation of critical and informed viewers.
