Happy birthday Youth Cinema net- work

9 September 2022 was a big day for the Youth Cinema Network family! The book 10 YEARS OF YCN, 20122022 was presented during the Four River Film Festival in Karlovac, Croatia, telling the story of the Network’s development since its very first days.

Presenting the book were Helena Enright (editor), Hermann Greuel (one of the YCN’s founding members), Marija Ratković Vidaković (YCN co-ordinator) and Sanja Zanki Pejić (long-term member and representing one of the publishers, the Croatian Film Association - Other publishers were Fresh Film Festival and Cinema Club Karlovac).

YCN is a worldwide network of youth film festivals, organisations and film & media educators which started as an informal gathering at the Nordic Youth Film Festival in Tromsø. The book, the crown of 10 years work, consists of six chapters: • In the Beginning – Connections and

Possibilities; • The YCN Award – Recognition; • Collaboration & Exchange: An Infor-

mal Education; • Give & Take; • Festivals in Pandemic – What a

Challenge; • The Future of YCN – The New Generation.

These chapters summarise the YCN’s activities, mission and goals through a series of interviews with YCN members, combined with short quiz-questions, giving an insight into the world of films made by children and youth. As Helena Enright points out: “I have enjoyed working on this book as I had the opportunity to talk with a variety of people from the network and hear how important it has been to them. How it has been a source of friendship and a space where they can collaborate, exchange ideas and learn from one another without agenda. It was clear that the young people are at the heart of what they do and that their passion and enthusiasm for creating informal spaces of learning is not only inspiring but also much needed as young people are faced with growing up in an increasingly challenging world.”

In its 10 years, the YCN’s greatest contribution is primarily found in the distribution of films made by children and youth around the world. Additionally, YCN is the primary source of implementation of many collaborative youth film projects for many of its member organisations. Such exchanges are enabling new experiences to numerous young people.

Beside the printed version, the book is to be found on the following link. So what else is there to say than… enjoy your reading!

Marija Ratković Vidaković