MITMISCHEN!
NOT JUST WATCHING, BUT PARTICIPATING: »MITMISCHEN!« is the name of the participatory projects on offer before, during and after the festival week. You can get involved in a very practical way, experience and understand film.
WHAT IS »MITMISCHEN!«?
Our own film series, our moderation, my film reviews: participation for young people is a top priority at LUCAS. Whether for cinema novices or die-hard cinephiles from Frankfurt, Rhine-Main and Europe, school classes or festival guests – there are »Mitmischen!« offers at every level of LUCAS, which are the ideal starting point for an in-depth exploration of the medium for everyone. Discuss at eye level with filmmakers, gather knowledge, explore together why and how the events on the screen allow us to get to know worlds, experience and feel things: Young people learn a lot about themselves and the world at »Mitmischen!« and experience international film culture together. The focus of all film education projects at LUCAS is to give young people space for their own ideas, criteria, working methods and decisions and to deepen the film experience, sometimes playfully, sometimes analytically, practically or intuitively.
Contact and advice:
E‑mail: s.schmidt@dff.film
Tel: 069 961 220 672
LUCAS Film Club
If you still haven’t had enough of movies after the festival week: how about watching a movie together once a month free of charge at the DFF Cinema? If you feel directly addressed, welcome to the »LUCAS Film Club«!
Founded by LUCAS-Alumni, it offers a regular cinema experience and a subsequent exchange about the viewing experience. Together, the young participants aged 14 to 19 attend a monthly screening of their choice from the current DFF cinema program. Afterwards, the group discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the films in a relaxed atmosphere
over a suitable drink. They express the results of their discussion in corresponding film reviews, which are published on the festival’s own Letterboxd channel. They also report on their meetings and recruit new members on their own Instagram channel.
Would you like to become part of the »LUCAS Film Club«?
Send us a DM on Instagram: @lucasfestival.filmclub or an email to: lucas-filmclub@dff.film.
Critics
As soon as the lights go up, the whispering starts in the movie theater. How did you like the movie? Best movie ever or rather a disappointment? While a brief verdict is quickly passed, a movie review aims to provide a more in-depth assessment of what you have seen. The content and narrative style should be put into words with a personal touch. A look at the visual language and sound level as well as social references round off a successful film review. In the appropriate workshop during the festival week, the participants learn the necessary craft, view selected competition films in the cinema and work on their texts. With the daily publication of their reviews on the LUCAS website, they share their perspectives and thoughts with the audience.
You can read the film reviews from the last few years here:
LUCAS#47 (2024)
LUCAS #46 (2023)
LUCAS #45 (2022)
LUCAS #44 (2021)
Film Talks in Advance
How did the idea for the fantastic opening sequence actually come about? And how many times did it have to be filmed? It’s best to ask the filmmakers themselves. In the run-up to the festival, young people meet the people behind the camera and clarify their questions about the creation, shooting and technical refinements of the film. Preparatory workshops provide the necessary tools, while you come up with the content. Whether as a video format or a podcast, the exchange about competition films is primarily intended to spark a desire to go to the cinema at LUCAS.
All pre-recorded film talks are available on the LUCAS YouTube channel.
Young European Cinephiles
The »Young European Cinephiles« are an annually changing group of young film-loving Europeans who curate and present their own film series – and thus bring a young, international attitude to life to LUCAS.
As part of this »Mitmischen!« project, six young people who have already been involved in projects at other European film festivals, cinematheques or film institutions will network in the months leading up to the festival. During LUCAS, the YECs present their film series, which they have curated independently according to a specific theme or genre.
This year, teenagers and young adults from Bulgaria, Greece and Germany are on fire for an intensive exchange. The theme of the Cinephiles for LUCAS #48: “Growing”!
More about the »Young European Cinephiles« 2025 and their film series.
FR/US 2007. D+SC: Vincent Paronnaud, Marjane Satrapi.
CA 2023. D: Ariane Louis-Seize.
BR 2013. D+SC: Alê Abreu.