EUROPEAN SUMMER FILM SCHOOL (ESFS)


European Summer Film School (ESFS) is an event organized by the film and television chairs of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia and Secretariat for Culture in City of Belgrade.
Conceived as a forum of exchange of knowledge, experience and talents, the Summer School aims to draw 8 of the most talented film and television directors from the Balkan region and from around Europe for a two-week stay in Belgrade, where they would acquire additional knowledge from renowned film directors and mentors and create their own short film under their auspices.
These participants will represent the cinemas, the tradition and reputation of the film schools in their respective countries of origin; They would exchange knowledge and their individual talents, learn from each other, establish long-lasting friendships, and will one day become the future and the strength of international filmmaking.


What, where and how?

This year, the European Summer Film School (ESFS) will be held at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, Belgrade, Serbia, at the begining of July.
In addition to receiving theoretical and individual lectures from a visiting professor, participants will be given the opportunity to shoot their own short feature or documentary film, in agreement with their lecturer.

Also, each participant will be given the chance to pass on the knowledge and basic principles of their respective schools through selected inserts of their works. This would enhance the scope of influence of certain school principles and would help permeate and pervade various approaches of study of this art form. Attendees would benefit from a multitude of useful information and advises, they would be able to use them in their subsequent studies or post-graduate programs, and ultimately opt for the institution, which in their opinion, is best adapted to their needs, all in the interest of promoting new academic trends and an easier and thorough understanding of the variety of cultural identities, in a context of dynamic and fast fluctuation of knowledge, students and professors.

On top of lectures and individual work, other activities have been envisages as well, including the presentations of first and second film funds, organization of seminars; visits of various film authors, days out, concerts, social events...
At the end of the event, students will receive their ESFS certificates.
ESFS will cover the cost of accommodation and meals for all the selected candidates, as well as the costs of lectures and shootings.
ESFS reserves the right to all the works created during the ESFS event, but at the same time, it wishes to share and to cede the authorship to all schools whose members had attended the ESFS.


Objectives of the school

ESFS is a cultural and educational project for international artistic cooperation. Under the auspices of mentors, who project their own understanding of the film art, the future top international directors would become acquainted with the prospects of regional, European and international co-productions and cinematography cooperation. The films emerging from this school will remain lasting cultural and artistic assets. The perception of the world and cinema from an author’s angle is what differentiates ESFS from similar events: Participants are given the chance to express their own film experience through practical work, while small and regional cinemas would ensure stronger and continuous presence in international cinema structures.
During the ten-day exchanges with the mentor, students would acquire the knowledge otherwise unavailable in their regular studies – a knowledge which would provide them an insight as to how to shape up their work into a definite art form. Whereas most academic institutions teach film direction as a predominantly technical skill and a command of basic direction techniques, ESFS focuses on identifying and defining author and creative principles of distinguished directors, thereby enabling attendees to perceive the string of thought and creative proceedings of their mentors, to join in their deliberation of aesthetics of films and create their own relationship toward the art of cinema.