Cambridge Film Festival Youth Lab
** CFF Youth Lab is recruiting now! **
Join the Cambridge Film Festival Youth Lab
The Youth Lab is one of the Cambridge Film Festival's proudest achievements over recent years and is a key focus as we move into the next 40 years of CFF.
The Youth Lab is an exciting, young person-led film education initiative that focuses on developing young people’s film evaluation and criticism skills while encouraging communication and network building. It is open to individuals aged 16-24, with a specific focus on participation from underrepresented communities and those at risk of social exclusion.
Participants have opportunities to learn about careers in the film industry, conduct interviews, develop critical and writing skills, or work on film production and exhibition.
"Joining the Youth Lab is a massive advance for local youth wanting to get into film. I've met industry professionals and experimented with various aspects of filmmaking in less than a year"
Rotem Perry
Guest Presentations
The Youth Lab runs regular film discussion groups, workshops, networking events, and presentations by industry professionals. Previous guests have included Academy Award-winning director Asif Kapadia (known for his documentaries Amy, Senna, and Diego Maradona), as well as film critics Mark Kermode, Beth Webb, and Simon Mayo, among many others.
Over 80% of participants go on to employment or higher education within the film industry!
In addition to developing film knowledge and industry connections, participants build self-confidence as they progress through the Youth Lab programme. In fact, both our Short Film Programmer and Programming Panel Lead for CFF41 and CFF42 are previous Youth Lab participants.
Youth Lab Jury Award
A key contribution of the Youth Lab is its role in selecting and presenting the prestigious Youth Lab Jury Award. This award allows the group to spotlight a film that resonates deeply with them, reflecting their fresh perspectives and unique insights. By championing a film of their choice, they honour exceptional storytelling and amplify the voices and values of a new generation of film lovers.
Learn more about the Youth Lab Jury Award
"Being in the Youth Lab has been a lovely experience. I've met incredible people, built my confidence and had opportunities I never thought I would have. It's a supportive group that I am exceptionally grateful to be a part of."
Rhianna Roe
The Youth Lab is for everyone!
We actively recruit individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those with disabilities, minority communities, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. It is completely free of charge, and we have bursaries available to support young people in Cambridge and Cambridgeshire to attend the sessions.
The Youth Lab is kindly supported by
CFF Education is supported by
