GET INVOLVED!
NOT JUST WATCHING, BUT PARTICIPATING: »GET INVOLVED!« is the name of the participatory projects on offer before, during and after the festival week. You can get involved in a practical way to experience and understand film.
WHAT IS »GET INVOLVED!«?
Our own film series, our moderation, my film review: participation for young people is a top priority at LUCAS. Whether for cinema newcomers or dedicated cinema enthusiasts from Frankfurt, Rhine-Main and Europe, school classes or festival guests – at every level of LUCAS there are »Get Involved!« programs that are the ideal starting point for an in-depth engagement with the medium. Discussing with filmmakers on equal footing, gathering knowledge, exploring together why and how what happens on screen lets us get to know worlds, experience and feel things: young people learn a lot about themselves and the world through »Get Involved!« 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 in a playful, analytical, practical or intuitive way.
Contact and advice:
E‑mail: s.schmidt@dff.film
Tel: +49 69 961 220 – 672
Offers for Individuals
Juries
Swapping the classroom for the cinema for a week and evaluating films – that’s the privilege of the LUCAS juries. While the young jury members in the »Kids« and »Teens« competitions select the best feature and short films in their section together with adult industry professionals, in the »Youngsters« competition six European teenagers discuss and decide among themselves which feature film left the strongest impression on them. In addition to screenings at the cinema together with the festival audience, jury meetings and shared lunches round off a typical festival day. Always present: a jury supervisor who shows the way and provides the necessary refreshments. In short press appointments, initial interview experience can also be gained. As a crowning conclusion, the juries present their winning films at the awards ceremony.
Interested participants can apply for jury participation from February each year with a review of a film of their choice. What matters is not the most prior knowledge, but a diverse mix of different voices.
ReelTalk – Your Film Review
FRI, Sept. 25 2.30–5.30 p.m. and SAT, Sept. 26 | 10 a.m.–6 p.m. at the DFF
The film selection for a cinema visit must be carefully considered. Often, a quick glance at the rating by trusted voices tips the scales for one’s own decision. In the new format »ReelTalk«, participants themselves become influencers and express their view on strengths and weaknesses, on narrative highlights and aesthetic features in video reviews aimed at their target audience.
Friday afternoon the group watches the film THE ALTAR BOYS from the competition »Teens«. Saturday the group discusses their impressions and develops their review together, which is then filmed, edited and designed – easily with smartphone and apps. Whether in front of or behind the camera: everyone can contribute their own ideas and strengths. They share the finished reels on the LUCAS Instagram account and invite exchange in the digital space.
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 15 to 20 attend a monthly screening of their choice from the current DFF cinema program. In a relaxed setting over a suitable drink, the group discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the films afterwards. 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 (lucas-filmclub@dff.film).
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 at LUCAS.
As part of this »Get Involved!« 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 before the festival. During LUCAS, the »YECs« present their film series, which they have curated independently according to a specific theme or genre.
Fired up for an intense exchange this year are teenagers and young adults from France, the Czech Republic and Germany. The cinephiles’ theme for LUCAS #49: “Justice”!
More about the »Young European Cinephiles« 2026 and their film series:
FR 2019. D: Zabou Breitman, Eléa Gobbé-Mévellec.
DE 2019. D: Nora Fingscheidt.
PK 2022. D: Saim Sadiq.
Offers for School Classes and Groups
Film Patrons
Curtain up for the »Film Patrons«! The »Film Patrons« classes design the cinema screening of a competition film at the festival in an individual way. Preparation at school begins several weeks in advance. After viewing, discussion and film-analytical parts under professional guidance, the heart of the project begins with creative processing in small groups. Whether re-enacted scenes, developed dialogues, analysis of the film music or character portraits: in the project work, students have great freedom and can contribute their own talents and preferences. This creates individual presentations that offer real added value to the film experience for cinema guests and the festival audience, as well as enriching the patrons class with a film-cultural experience.
Background information and timeline:
In consultation with teachers, the LUCAS team selects a suitable film for the mentorship at the end of the summer holidays. In addition to the age level, thematic and aesthetic references as well as current learning objectives are incorporated into the film selection. At the following 4–5 workshop sessions at school, the presentation is created, which accompanies the cinema screening during the festival week at the conclusion of the project.
Screen Talks
A »Screen Talk« offers the ideal opportunity to extend the cinema visit at LUCAS with an intensive film discussion with guests. In the undisturbed atmosphere of a workshop room under film-educational guidance, the group can freely pepper the filmmakers with questions: Why was this camera perspective chosen, what idea is the screenplay based on, what message is behind the ending?
Background information and timeline:
In the run-up to the festival, teachers agree with the LUCAS team on a cinema screening with a subsequent »Screen Talk«. The duration of the »Screen Talk« is 60–90 minutes.
Focus.Film.Class
In what film-historical context does a work stand? And what characteristics does it bring to find its place in film history? Children and teenagers ask themselves these questions in their content-related and aesthetic examination of a selected contribution. In anticipation of the upcoming DFF temporary exhibition “Shadows” (from December 9), the »Focus.Film.Class« takes the animated film FRANKENWEENIE (US 2012. D: Tim Burton), a loving homage to the early horror cinema of the 1930s, between morbid charm and quirky humor.
Background information and timeline:
In consultation with teachers, the LUCAS team selects a work in the context of the DFF special exhibition in spring. Accompanied by film educators, the school class prepares the cinema screening at the festival at five workshop sessions after the summer holidays at school.
More information about the »Focus.Film.Class« at LUCAS #49.
US 2012. D: Tim Burton.
On Display: Your Film Poster
Whether at bus stops or advertising columns: film posters can be found everywhere in public spaces – they are hard to miss on the way to school too. With a single graphic, they convey information, transport mood and arouse curiosity without revealing too much. In the project »On Display: Your Film Poster«, participants get hands-on themselves and design film posters for a selected competition film with their own ideas. In workshop sessions in the run-up to the festival, they watch the film exclusively in advance and learn during a visit to the DFF poster archive how outstanding examples from film history promise a concrete cinema experience. Inspired by great works, they design their individual visions and then compare them with the official version. As a highlight, the group exhibits their posters in the DFF cinema foyer throughout the festival week and illuminates their approaches at the corresponding film screening.
Festival Report
Professionally interviewing directors, cast and producers of children’s and youth films, watching current cinema films and getting a taste of festival atmosphere? Anyone who wants to be right there as a roving reporter with the filmmakers is in exactly the right place at the »Festival Reporters« project. On the path from the developed shooting plan to the finished report, a school class is accompanied by media educators through all production steps.
The teacher actively participates in the implementation of the project and supervises a production group after a full-day training. Subsequently, the finished report is broadcast via the Media Education Center South via TV and livestream and is also available at mediathek-hessen.de. »Festival Reporters« is a project of the Media Education Center South in cooperation with LUCAS – International Festival for Young Film Fans.
Background information and timeline:
The selection of the corresponding »Festival Reporters« class runs through the Media Education Center South. After a preparatory workshop, the group films their reports during the festival week.