Stu­dents’ Plat­form - Our Sec­tion for the Next Gen­er­a­tion of Filmmakers

Since 1985, the forum has been ded­i­cat­ed to screen­ing films that sen­si­tive­ly por­tray cur­rent, his­tor­i­cal, socio-polit­i­cal, and cul­tur­al phe­nom­e­na. Estab­lished in 2015, the Stu­dents’ Plat­form emerged as a par­al­lel pro­gram that opens up space for the lived real­i­ties and expe­ri­ences of young and emerg­ing film­mak­ers that are devel­op­ing exper­i­men­tal, and socio-polit­i­cal­ly engaged cinema practices.

The Stu­dents’ Plat­form invites works from stu­dent and debut film­mak­ers, media artists, and visual anthro­pol­o­gists from across the world, with the aim of fore­ground­ing the diver­si­ty, cre­ativ­i­ty, and crit­i­cal engage­ment of the next gen­er­a­tion of film­mak­ers. Rather than func­tion­ing as a com­pe­ti­tion, the Stu­dents’ Plat­form exists as a forum for dia­logue, reflec­tion, and exchange. Screen­ings are accom­pa­nied by in-depth dis­cus­sions where film­mak­ers engage with audi­ences, prac­ti­tion­ers, researchers, and fellow artists.

Our under­stand­ing of a “stu­dent” extends beyond insti­tu­tion­al frame­works. We con­sid­er stu­dentship as a posi­tion of learn­ing, unlearn­ing, exper­i­men­ta­tion, and risk-taking. Anyone who con­sid­ers them­selves a stu­dent of cinema, regard­less of back­ground or age, is welcome. 

Through the coex­is­tence of stu­dent films and debut fea­tures, the Stu­dents’ Plat­form hopes to foster con­ver­sa­tions around long-term artis­tic and cin­e­mat­ic engage­ment, evolv­ing prac­tices, and the chal­lenges of sus­tained filmmaking.