StrangerFestival
StrangerFestival is a celebration of young people's videomaking, with a skills academy, an award show, video workshops, an interactive website, a DVD, a travelling exhibition, Europe-wide debates, a video competition... StrangerFestival is video, is young people, is Europe today.
From 14 to 17 October 2009, Amsterdam set the scene for the 2009 edition of StrangerFestival. 150 young video makers from across Europe had the chance to develop their skills in the StrangerAcademy.
Both experienced and inexperienced young videomakers took part in workshops and masterclasses, met with professionals and showed their work to a broad audience.
The 2009 StrangerFestival explored new geographical ground in Amsterdam East: the StrangerAcademy was held in the charming cultural hub of the film-art-house Studio K and the adjoining StayOkay Hostel.
The Stedelijk Museum for Modern Art will had a Construction Cabin in front of Studio K., with special projects and exhibitions, people could drop in for a free cup of coffee and meet artists and museum staff, or visit the program that was compiled especially for StrangerFestival 2009.www.stedelijk.nl. This year Strangerfestival joined forces with The British Council´s INDIE project. Read more
On Saturday October 17, StrangerAcademy was concluded with the StrangerAward Show (broadcasted live on the StrangerFestival website) and an after-party at Studio K in Amsterdam. Visit the Stranger website to learn more about the programme and see the videos. You can see who won on the StrangerFestval website and read the reactions of the participants on the StrangerFestival Blog on the LabforCulture website.
StrangerExhibition on tour in Italy
The StrangerExhibition is a travelling video collection which carries a selection of the best work of the StrangerFestival 2008 competition. In Italy the exhibition, which is showcased by MUSAE, tours the country from May to October. Read more
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Order your free copy of the StrangerFestival DVD
The StrangerFestival DVD features a 'best video' pool, 14 really inspirational workshop ideas, portraits of young film makers and interviews with the professional team behind the Stranger project. This DVD is a great tool if you are working with young people and video or are planning to do so, and offers a unique chance to be part of Stranger and attend the next festival.
Click here for more information on ordering this DVD.
REPORTING BACK AFTER THE VERY SUCCESSFUL FIRST EDITION
Launched by ECF President, H.R.H. Laurentien of the Netherlands, the 3-day festival positively sizzled with creative energy and encounter. 300 young people from all over Europe took part in workshops at which they refined some skills and learned new ones. An expert meeting was also held, involving DEMOS, BBC, MTV and others.
Maciek Salamon from Poland was announced as the winner of the Official StrangerAward 2008 for his video ‘The Walk'. Check out the winning videos for the various Award categories (MTV, Amsterdam, Audience, etc...) at http://www.strangerfestival.com/. On YouTube you can view all the videos entered as well as those made during the wokshops. You can also see great pictures of the Festival on Flickr. A behind-the-scenes look, with great personal stories by video maker Javier Garcia & new media specialist Anette Wolfsberger, can be found at the Stranger Blog on Labforculture.
Stranger Festival is one of the flagship projects of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008 (EYID). For more info, go to our press section or to the official EYID website. Our main corporate funder for this event was Boeing.
In the run-up to the festival there were national video competitions, as well as a Stranger website. Outcomes will include a European fund for audiovisual youth expression. 
Graphics by Jules David
The young have an unbelievable amount of potential for positive social change - their fresh and honest take on things could help us all in learning to live with diversity.
Stranger is dedicated to the self-expression and self-empowerment of young people in today's Europe, helping them to show and share their world. By placing individual visions in a large trans-national context, Stranger hopes to encourage a sense of European belonging among young people of very different cultural backgrounds.
As well as being shown for its intrinsic merits, the video work acts as a starting-point for debate. It is a debate that is badly needed in a MySpace-and-youtube world of ready communication but little analysis. Young people are everywhere demonstrating their mastery of new media: now is the time to talk about what is being expressed. With Stranger, the debate is being led by young people themselves.
For the individuals taking part, Stranger is a platform and a learning ground. Their creative skills and intercultural experience will be valued as part of a large and crucial European debate. For the organisations participating or looking on, Stranger reveals new ways of working with young people, of sharing skills and experience, and will lead to new organisational partnerships being formed.
MORE INFO?
Check the official Stranger website www.strangerfestival.com
Contact ECF : Raya Ribbius or Giusy Chierchia coordinators for the Stranger Festival at the ECF
Press contact at ECF: Mascha Ihwe +31 20 573 38 68
Download background paper, including concept, targeted ourtcomes etc.