(ANS – Rome) – The Don Bosco Global Youth Film Festival (DBGYFF) 2024 is approaching its grand finale, set for October 17 and 18, 2024, with celebrations happening worldwide. This year’s competition has been more diverse and expansive than ever, featuring various categories including 2-Minute Short Films, 5-Minute Short Films, 5-Minute Animation Films, 5-Minute Music Videos, and 10-Minute Documentaries. An impressive 1,287 films were submitted from 110 countries, showcasing the incredible talent of young people who are using the power of cinema to address the critical issue of climate change.
Students from our member institutions, including Universidad Politécnica Salesiana del Ecuador, Assam Don Bosco University, Salesian College Sonada & Siliguri, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco (UCDB), and Institut Supérieur Don Bosco Togo, are among the 120 finalists for this year’s Film Festival. These talented young filmmakers have risen to the top finalists, using their creative talent in film to address the issue of climate change.
The films submitted to the Don Bosco Global Youth Film Festival 2024 represent six distinct regions, reflecting the festival’s truly global reach. From Africa Madagascar, there were 71 submissions, while the America South Cone contributed 164 films. East Asia had 114 entries, and the Europe & Middle East region stood out with an impressive 509 submissions. Interamerica added 88 films to the competition, while South Asia contributed another 341 entries. This diverse participation highlights the wide-ranging impact and appeal of the festival, offering unique cultural perspectives on environmental issues from around the world.
Following a rigorous evaluation process by 114 preliminary jurors from 49 countries, the top 120 films were shortlisted for the grand finale. These finalists were then judged by a distinguished panel of 15 renowned Grand Jurors.
As the grand finale draws near, one of the most exciting elements of this year’s festival is the announcement of the 60 Regional Best Awards, which recognize the ten best films from each region. These awards showcase the unique cultural perspectives and storytelling approaches from each region, emphasizing the festival’s mission to celebrate global diversity.
Congratulations to all the winners. Each movie nominated for the Regional Best Award will receive €1,000. These regional awards are just one part of the many accolades to be presented during the festival. This year’s DBGYFF boasts a prize pool of €120,000, which will be awarded across several categories, including 15 Global Best Awards for films that have made a significant impact, 8 Category Awards for excellence in different genres, 7 Young Best Awards celebrating emerging filmmakers, and 5 Jury Choice Awards, selected for their artistic merit and compelling messages.
The grand finale will be a global celebration, with screenings held at multiple locations worldwide, allowing communities everywhere to come together to appreciate youth creativity and environmental advocacy. The announcement of the winners will take place at the Loreto Theatre in New York, offering a global audience the chance to share in the excitement and inspiration of the event.
As the world eagerly anticipates the culmination of this remarkable festival, it is evident that the DBGYFF is more than just a celebration of filmmaking talent. It is a powerful platform for young filmmakers to express their dreams for a greener, cleaner world and to inspire global audiences to take meaningful action on environmental issues. With the countdown to October 18 underway, the Don Bosco Global Youth Film Festival is poised to shine a spotlight on the incredible achievements of these young visionaries, whose creativity and passion are driving the movement toward a more sustainable future.
Source: ANS – “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana”