This year’s International Youth Media Summit took place in a virtual environment from July 31 to August 8. It brought together 70 diplomats, filmmakers and consultants from 23 countries on online platforms who participated in the 15th edition of IYMS. The organizers are the Croatian Film Association and the Karlovac Cinema Club.
The 15th International Youth Media Summit was held online from July 31 to August 8, 2020. The official closing ceremony concluded a nine-day online program with over 70 filmmakers and diplomats from 23 countries. Seven short films were shown in which one of the world’s problems was highlighted: Discrimination, Environment, Health, Poverty, Violence, Women’s Rights and Youth Empowerment. Along with delegate declarations, these films will be screened in schools, universities, libraries, institutions, organizations and communities around the world.
The new Summit project, the web series SANATIONE: A Time For Healing, bringing together filmmakers from 22 countries, was also presented. The first episode of that web series has been released, following Iranian protagonists: a nurse and a filmmaker fighting for women’s rights. The project aims to uncover many positive human actions and outcomes around the world, and to complete a feature-length documentary in mid-2021.
The program was hosted live by the hosts and organizers of this year’s Summit: Antonio Britvar, Rebeka Čuljak and Ora Kovač with the technical support of Karlo Špoljar and the mentorship of Sanja Zanka Pejić, head of festival and educational programs at CFA. In the very introduction of the ceremony, they expressed satisfaction with the successful implementation of the online version of the Summit, which was supposed to take place in a physical two-week edition in Karlovac. IYMS President Evelyn Seubert could not hide her satisfaction either, saying in her speech: “When we are in trouble, do not waste time in worry, but plant the seeds of hope. Neither the global pandemic nor quarantine could stop us from spreading our branches so that we could touch each other. ”
As part of the Summit, eight masterclasses on diplomacy, media and film were held, and the lecturers were experts from all over the world. Access to the masterclasses was open to all interested individuals and attracted a large and diverse audience. Birgitta Olsson, Chairperson of the IYMS Advisory Board, especially thanked the mentors of the seven groups who, with delegates, went deeper into each of the issues through discourse and personal insight.
More than 1,500 delegates from 66 countries have participated in the 15 Summits so far, with the ultimate goal of using the media to achieve real sustainable change in their own communities and around the world. So far, the participants have made more than 130 short films together. These films have been screened at the United Nations, for country officials, on television programs and extensively on websites and social media. The Summit is supported by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Croatian sponsors of this year’s version were the Croatian Association of Technical Culture, the Croatian Audiovisual Center and Karlovac County. Sapan Hamal, the Executive Director of IYMS, thanked them in particular and praised the organizers: “This was a great event – we thank you for leading it in the best possible way. The work to drive change has been significant again, and I think that consistency in coming together, caring about global issues and using our resources to improve is exactly what makes this platform a great place for years to come. ”
In addition to connecting our young talents with peers from different parts of the world, the active role of Croatian representatives is extremely important and influences the positioning of Croatian youth creativity in the world. In 2020, the IYMS host additionally rounded the long-term cooperation between IYMS and the organizers of the Croatian Film Association and the Karlovac Cinema Club, which will physically organize the Summit in 2021.
The entire stream of the closing ceremony can be viewed at https://youtu.be/luc-nvN5Noo
