Biografilm Campus

Biografilm Campus - Education at the Heart of Cultural Events

What does the future hold for cultural events? What role do they play in the social fabric of the communities that host them and help them grow? Biografilm believes that the answer lies in investing in education. As a cultural landmark for cinematic storytelling, documentary language, and social engagement with life’s critical themes, the Festival has steadily expanded its educational initiatives over more than 20 years of activity. Biografilm firmly believes it has a responsibility to give back to the community the trust it has received by investing in younger generations and supporting those at the forefront of education.

This vision gave birth to Biografilm Campus, the Festival’s educational department, now in its fifth year. Numerous projects have been implemented or are in development in collaboration with national institutions, including the Ministry of Education and Merit and the Ministry of Justice, as well as regional and local organizations such as schools, universities, associations, NGOs, and social cooperatives. Biografilm Campus represents the Festival’s concrete commitment to promoting education through cinema, offering training paths that nurture young generations’ talent and creativity, empowering them to become active participants in society’s present and future. Through building local networks, its goal is to spread cinematic culture as a tool for education on diversity and global citizenship.

Since 2012, Biografilm has developed numerous educational projects for social inclusion in collaboration with local organizations, targeting primarily youth and migrants (Biografilm School, Biografilm Kids, Biografilm Welcome, Bring The Change) as well as those over 60 (Biografilm Old School). Today, Biografilm collaborates with secondary schools, universities, film schools, juvenile detention centers, educational institutions, social communities and cooperatives, migrant centers, libraries, associations, foundations, and local institutions. This engagement extends beyond educational projects to strengthen the Festival’s programming efforts, fostering reflections on its content and organizing side events and debates together.

BIOGRAFILM CAMPUS offers a wide range of cinema-related educational programs that, starting from the core principles of inclusion, participation, and dialogue, aim to nurture and support the talent and creativity of young people, making them protagonists of society’s present and future. These educational projects are designed with a long-term perspective and, while adapting to various audiences and contexts, share common activities:

• Film viewing and documentary storytelling education: Documentary cinema as a stimulus for critical thinking. Using films from the Biografilm Festival’s program, Biografilm Campus’s educational offerings include literacy and storytelling workshops as well as tailored viewing paths for different contexts and audiences. These initiatives provide beneficiaries with tools to interpret reality, foster critical thinking, and engage in dialogue free from stereotypes and prejudices.

• Active participation in Biografilm: The Festival as a formative experience. Biografilm Festival aspires to be more than just a cultural event—it seeks to create a collective social experience capable of building communities. Educational projects often include a module for onsite participation at the Festival, not just as attendees but also as jurors, interviewers, debate moderators, and “storytellers” more broadly.

• Practical workshops on videomaking, storytelling, and writing: Exercises in storytelling and self-expression to celebrate diverse talents. These programs often culminate in the creation of one or more artistic projects, enabling beneficiaries to immediately apply their newly acquired skills, showcasing their abilities, and experimenting hands-on with various storytelling techniques. Practical workshops are custom-designed for the specific profiles of participants, considering their backgrounds and conducted in a participatory manner, with goals defined collaboratively and, where possible, involving their communities.

Additionally, Biografilm designs and co-designs specialized training programs to prepare professionals for the production processes involved in organizing a film festival. These initiatives address the high demand for such expertise from festivals and film events at both regional and national levels. The goal is to nurture young talent and support their entry into the job market.

For more information or to propose a collaboration, please contact Chiara Boschiero, head of educational projects: boschiero@biografilm.it