“On the film teams, students aged (so far) 8–16 learn methods from the National Film School Of Denmark.”

“On the film teams, students aged (so far) 8–16 learn methods from the National Film School Of Denmark. They learn all the roles involved in making a film – directing, screenwriting, acting, producing, cinematography, editing, and sound – and they throw themselves into it with enormous enthusiasm. They really want this”, Maria explains.

In Naturens Rige, it is the world of film that draws children and young people in

In the country’s only municipality with a film strategy, children and young people in Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality have wide opportunities to get started making films and acting – among other things through the Culture School’s popular talent track and in small roles in feature films shot on location in the municipality. On November 22, the spotlight will once again be on young talent at the Film Fest in the West film festival in Ringkøbing Cinema.

When the red carpet is once again rolled out for a film premiere at Ringkøbing Cinema on November 22, it will be local children and young people who have produced the short films being shown on the big screen. Likewise, it is children and young people who host the film festival – and who, together with a professional jury of experienced film professionals, have helped select the best films.

It has gradually become a recurring tradition that a handful of schools in Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality dedicate the week leading up to the autumn holiday each year to film production. The only difference this year is that there is even greater student participation in the festival itself than before – and that even more schools than previously signed up under the film banner.

This means that students from the schools in Hvide Sande, Tim, Ringkøbing, and Tarm, as well as students from the independent schools in Velling, Lyne, and Grønbjerg, have this year spent week 41 developing ideas, writing scripts, setting up lighting, rehearsing lines, and producing their own short films for the Film Fest in the West festival. In addition, students from the Culture School’s film classes have submitted films to the festival.

Film production in week 41 is just one of many initiatives designed to give children and young people in Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality their first step into the world of film.

As the only municipality in Denmark, Ringkøbing-Skjern has a film strategy. And just as the municipality’s film consultant, Rebecca Molders, works to attract professional film productions to the area, there is also a focus on the pool of talent among the municipality’s children and young people.

Film as a popular leisure activity

In addition to the approximately 500 students who are currently finishing editing their films for the Film Fest in the West festival, film has become a popular leisure activity:

All film workshops at the Ringkøbing-Skjern Culture School are sold out until summer 2024, and the school has continuously opened new film-acting classes to meet the expectations of the many children and young people on the waiting list.

“We have opened an additional film-acting class in Tarm, so there are now three film-acting classes for children and young people, including a talent class. In Ringkøbing we have also opened two new classes, including a talent class,” says actress, expert in creative processes, and project manager for both Film Fest in the West and the Culture School’s film initiative, Maria Guggenheim.

She adds that the two film summer camps offered to children and young people just before the summer holidays also sold out very quickly.

“These are not just young people making little films like TikTok videos. These are real films we’re talking about; the other is just noise to my eyes and ears. On the film teams, students aged (so far) 8–16 learn methods from the Danish National Film School. They learn all the roles in a film – directing, screenwriting, acting, producing, cinematography, editing, sound – and they throw themselves into it with enormous enthusiasm. They really want this,” she explains.

It is only a few years since it became possible to learn professional filmmaking at a child-friendly level in Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality. Since then, the clapperboard has been busy, and ambitions are high:

“I myself grew up in a small town without the opportunity to explore the world of film. But with my own story and experience, I can see how important it is to develop art and culture outside the big cities. We must create art and culture at such a high level that young, ambitious talents can unfold their creativity no matter where they live,” says Maria Guggenheim, adding:

“Several of my students have said that they think it’s wonderful that you can take film as a leisure activity – and not only handball and football. In addition, we hear from parents that their children’s self-esteem has been boosted by doing film, standing on a stage, and learning to express themselves verbally and non-verbally.”

Maria Guggenheim also points out that the film work at the Culture School brings a number of other benefits:

“Improvisation and film acting can, among other things, teach children and young people to listen actively and collaborate as a team, to respect each other’s viewpoints, to be open to new ideas and flexible in relation to change, to take risks and overcome doubt – and to develop stories and use creativity and imagination,” she explains, pointing out that especially creativity and the ability to tell stories are in short supply at a time when children and young people are very quick to reach for a screen if they are bored or lack inspiration.

Local children and young people in the cast

In addition to developing talent, Maria Guggenheim also supports the local children and young people who are finding their way into the professional film world through the growing number of on-location productions in Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality:

“More and more students from our classes are going to professional castings and getting extra roles and small parts in short films and feature films,” she says, emphasizing that it provides invaluable experience when students get out onto real film sets.

Statements from parents underline that many students and parents are happy about the opportunity to gain a guided insight into the world of film in professional yet safe surroundings:

“First and foremost, Maria looks after the best interests of the students and the parents. She herself has extensive experience, and you can talk to her about any questions about the film industry. That creates a sense of security, since we don’t know the industry and don’t know what pitfalls to look out for,” says, for example, the father of a girl in the talent class.

Read more about Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality’s film programs for children and young people on the homepage here of the Municipality: https://kulturskolen.rksk.dk /fag/filmskuespil-film