20-YEAR HISTORY OF THE EUROPEAN YOUTH FILM FESTIVAL

KICKOFF
The Council of Europe proclaimed 1988 as the European Year of Film and Television.

This decision was taken by the Council and the Ministers of Cultural Affairs in 1986 on the following grounds:

• Audiovisual media are among the most important means for transferring information and cultural knowledge to European citizens and contribute to the reinforcement of European cultures and European identity;
• Europe must take part in the production and distribution of audiovisual products in order to contribute to the foundations of a unique union of European cultures.

That year, it already became clear that 10 years after the "International Year of the Child" (1979) the Convention of the Rights of the Child would finally be drafted and ratified. This was achieved in 1989.

National organizations in the field of children's films and youth films considered these international events to be the perfect occasion for putting their heads together and for meditating on the possibility of an "international festival for children's films and youth films" in Belgium.
We actually say Belgium as besides the organizers of "Jeugdbioscoop Antwerpen" and representatives of "Jekino Films", our colleagues from "Action Ciné Jeunes" were also members of the brainstorming team.

In addition to a range of activities (distribution, screenings, educational activities,.) the initiators wanted to organize an annual festival for children's films and youth films but the big (and inevitable) issue was of course money!

After a few nocturnal meetings and notwithstanding many contingencies, the initiators decided to take the plunge. Antwerp was to be the festival location, the festival was to be called the "European Children's and Youth Film Festival". We decided on this name as the festival would fully endorse the objectives of the Council of Europe and so as to take up a unique position. Many "international children's film festivals" did already exist; a festival screening only European films, was something unique and would distinguish our festival from the majority of the festivals.

The first edition of the European Children's and Youth Film Festival was held at cinema Cartoon's in 1989. At that time, a non-profit organization had not been established yet; the festival was organized by the Jeugdbioscoop and Jekino Films and arts centre De Rix in Deurne under the guidance of Hugo Elsemans. Felix Vanginderhuysen programmed the festival films.

PEOPLE & LOCATIONS
Taking this first step was the most important aspect: the rest is a varied history of staff members and locations.

Hugo Elsemans continued to lead the festival for 5 years; subsequently it was Jan Vandierendonck's turn to lead the festival and to programme the films. Another five years later he was succeeded by Katrijn Korten who dedicated herself to the further development of the festival for a period of six years. Over the last few years, the festival has experienced a high staff turnover, but Pieter Boeckx and Lien Meeuws have not slipped our minds. At present, the festival is flourishing thanks to Mieke Vanderhaeghen, Tine Van Dycke and Iris Verhoeven.

The festival has moved several times and has been organized at a range of venues in the Antwerp metropolitan area, even underground. After several festival editions at Cinema Cartoon's, the festival was held at the following venues: the Brabo-Tijl-Wapper cinema in the basement of the City Center near Keyserlei, the Antwerp Film Museum at the Royal Palace on the Meir, Arts Centre De Rix in Deurne, Arts Centre De Kern in Wilrijk, Metropolis and UGC.

Last year's successful festival edition was held at MuHKA_media. Hopefully we have finally found an appropriate and suitable home for the festival.

SECOND FESTIVAL LOCATION: BRUGES
The expansion and decentralization of the festival to Bruges can be considered as a striking characteristic of the festival history. In 1999, an enthusiastic group of young people from Bruges (Q-tag) proposed to expand the European Youth Film Festival to Cinema Lumiere. The enthusiasm of these young people defeated scepticism so that it is our pleasure to announce that besides the 20th anniversary of the festival in Antwerp we will also be celebrating the 10th festival edition in Bruges.

20 YEARS OF FILMS
In addition to staff members and locations, films are of course of the utmost importance for a film festival. We can be proud to say that the European Youth Film Festival has been the starting point for many European productions which are indelibly printed in our memories, for instance "Into the West" (IRL), "Killer" (FRA), "The falcon's summer" (DEU), "Lazarus" (POL), "Eye of the eagle" (DNK), "Only clouds move the stars" (NO), "The Italian" (RUS) and many other magnificent films. Hundreds of films have been screened in Antwerp and Bruges, some of which have actually been distributed in Belgium or have been shown on Flemish television.

Over the past 20 years the group of friends who started the festival, has grown into a non-profit organization, the "European Youth Film Festival of Flanders". Thanks to the support of the European Union, the Flemish Community, the province of Antwerp and the city of Antwerp, the European Youth Film Festival has achieved an important and distinct position in the international film scene.

Felix Vanginderhuysen
President
January 2008