For “Film the Future,” a national competition chaired by Jamel Debbouze, around twenty young people from the French Riviera have mobilized to create several 90-second films. With the help of a smartphone, they had 48 hours to explore the theme of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“Bring the trophy home,” declares Maty Diouf, deputy delegate for combating discrimination, women’s rights, humanitarian actions, and cooperation, to the group of young volunteers from priority neighborhoods. “Film the Future” stops in Nice for two days before continuing its tour through the rest of France until August 25. Last year, Nice was close to victory. Indeed, a few young people made it to the finals.
This national filmmaking competition is organized by the association “Les Amis du Comedy Club”, chaired by Jamel Debbouze, in collaboration with France Télévisions and the Ministry of Culture. More than a competition, it is a program of image education workshops. The goal: to give a voice to young people from the neighborhoods and provide them the opportunity to express themselves through a camera. Born out of the first lockdown in 2020, this traveling initiative boasts over 1,350 young people trained, 250 films shot in 53 cities in France.
Here, at the House of Associations in Nice, the profiles are varied and mixed, reflecting the professions offered by the 7th art. From stage manager to makeup artist, costume designer, photographer, or electrician, the goal of Aurélie Cardin, artistic director of “Film the Future,” is to show that all jobs exist in cinema and that regardless of gender, they are all accessible.
Creating Vocations
Some already have a vocation as cameraman or stuntman, others need to refine their goals, and some are there to begin learning. Wessale, 18 years old, is not new to filming. He follows the Marseille session with the Nice one and plans to participate in the Vitrolles session. Used to being more in front of the camera than behind in his experiences as a photo model, he also enjoys having the opportunity to direct. “The story we’re going to shoot, I wrote it. I preferred for a girl to embody the main character,” explains the Marseillais.
For Sofia, a former sociology student of 23 years, it is also not a first. Her experience in 2022 convinced her to try cinema once again on July 31 and August 1. “It’s cool that something is finally happening culturally for young people in Nice,” she rejoices. For this short film, she takes on the lead role, a new exercise she approaches with a lot of willingness and seriousness.
“I really feel the passion because all the young people here are here for the right reasons. They weren’t forced to come; you can feel they want to be here, and for that, we’ve already won,” shares the co-founder of the Extra-Muros association, which has been organizing the CinéBanlieues festival since 2006.
90 Seconds to Highlight Para-sports
For this third edition in the City of Angels, the rules are the same: produce a 90-second short film, using a smartphone, in a team, in less than 48 hours. The subject, however, changes. With the approach of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the young participants are invited to create a video around the theme “Dream Your JOP”.
The best realizations will be selected for the CinéBanlieues festival in Paris. An opportunity to travel to the capital to attend the screening of their short film at the UGC Ciné Cité Paris 19. Moreover, the best creation from France will allow its team to win a camera, as well as writing and production mentorship to produce a first professional short film.
Johnatan, Maxence, Sofia, Younes, and Wessale have decided to highlight para-sports. The team met over pizza at Garibaldi Square and imagined their script. In total, there are five of them, aged between 18 and 24. Their pitch: throughout the film, the camera focuses on a boxer who appears to train like an able-bodied athlete, and only in the final seconds does her wheelchair appear on screen.
Armed with a wheelchair, a pillow, and a lot of determination, the team heads to Franck May’s Dojo. The director and head coach of Nice Boxing takes on the role of consultant for the occasion. The schedule is tight. The teams are on the starting line. The short films must be shot, edited, and ready for viewing by 5 p.m. But they are not left to their own devices. Director Zoel Aeschbacher is present to guide them and provide his expertise.
