CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS

Selection of 12 young people for the cross-border youth camp within the REEL Project

“A Cinematic Journey through Italy and Croatia”

funded by the INTERREG Italy-Croatia 2021-2027 Programme

Project ID: ITHR0200356

INTRODUCTION

Within the framework of the REEL Project — “A Cinematic Journey through Italy and Croatia”, funded by the INTERREG Italy-Croatia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2021-2027 — a cross-border youth camp will be organized for young people and aspiring professionals in the audiovisual sector. The main objective of the camp is to provide specialized training in audiovisual skills, with a particular focus on digitalization, delivered by experienced industry professionals and directors.

The youth camp will be held in Dubrovnik, Croatia, from 13th to 19th October 2025, coinciding with the Dubrovnik Film Festival. Through this call, Public Institution Dubrovnik Cinemas invites applications from the Programme’s eligible areas to participate in this unique cross-border learning opportunity.

The selected participants will have the opportunity to refine their audiovisual skills, engage in hands-on learning, and collaborate with peers and professionals in an international and creative environment.

The project REEL is financed under the First Call for Standard projects of Interreg Italy – Croatia Programme 2021-2027 (Programme priority “Culture and tourism for sustainable development”- Specific Objective 4.1 “Enhancing the role of culture and sustainable tourism in economic development, social inclusion and social innovation”).

REEL addresses the common challenge of diversification and delocalization of touristic flows in Italy and Croatia through investing in alternative routes, that is film destinations. Film-induced tourism (exploring locations which have become popular due to their appearance in films and tv series) is one of the fastest growing sectors of the tourism industry and is seen as a new way to market the destinations and attract young people, who are avid consumers of movies and serials. The project aims to introduce a new sustainable tourism offer, testing innovative models to better promote the cultural and natural assets of territories and thus maximizing the synergies between the audiovisual and tourism sectors. With a total budget of €2,039,217.00 and an overall duration of 30 months, the REEL project implements a comprehensive program of cross-border initiatives in the audiovisual and tourism field such as the creation of movie tours and apps, the joint production of short movies shot in the project area by young directors, the organization of training modules for youth and the implementation of a common joint methodology to boost tourism through the audiovisual industry.

The activities contribute to setting up collaborations at different levels, gathering key actors in realizing new creative productions and investing in the qualification of new human capital. The transnational nature of the audiovisual industry makes it necessary for the partners to collaborate across borders to leverage the potential of the entire Programme area. Thus, the adoption of a cross border approach, the share of best practices, knowledge, and resources will result in a more efficient, effective and coordinated development of the sector and promotion of movie tourism. In terms of originality, REEL makes use of the audiovisual sector and its ability to generate interest and emotion, for promoting and marketing new tourist destinations. At the same time, technology and digital solutions will provide visitors with interactive and immersive experiences of the cultural and natural heritage sites of the Programme area.

In addition to the Public Institution Dubrovnik Cinemas, the REEL project consortium includes the Apulia Film Commission (Lead Partner), along with the City of Venice, the Istrian Cultural Agency, Art-kino, and the Municipality of Rimini as project partners. The Municipality of Pazin and the Croatian Audiovisual Centre participate as associated partners.

OBJECTIVES OF THE YOUTH CAMP AND WORKING PROGRAMME

Among the activities foreseen in the Work package 3: Cross-border training to enhance the audiovisual sector development, and in particular Activity 3.1: Cross-border training activities for youth and aspiring professionals of the audiovisual sector, the Public Institution Dubrovnik Cinemas will host cross-border youth camp in Dubrovnik involving 12 young people and professionals.

The cross-border youth camp aims to:

• Provide participants with knowledge and practical skills in the audiovisual field, with a particular focus on digitalization processes.
• Enable participants to collaborate with peers from Italy and Croatia, discover diverse working methods, and engage in intercultural exchange, as well as to be guided by industry professionals.
• Improve participants’ digital knowledge and skills and refine their professional techniques through practical sessions.
• Foster the creative and technical abilities of young people interested in pursuing careers in the audiovisual sector.
• Support the creation of a cross-border network of emerging professionals in the audiovisual and creative industries and increase participants’ professional networks by providing direct contact with experts and key stakeholders during the Dubrovnik Film Festival.
• Encourage cross-border cooperation and intercultural dialogue among young people from the Italy-Croatia Programme area.

The youth camp will take place in Dubrovnik, Croatia, from 13th to 19th October 2025, in parallel with the Dubrovnik Film Festival. The programme will include both practical and educational activities, designed to stimulate creativity, technical skills, and cross-border cooperation. The expected working schedule is as follows:

• 13th and 14th October 2025 (morning): Arrival of participants.
• 14th October 2025 (afternoon): Official opening of the camp and group dynamic activities.
• 15th – 18th October 2025: Full working days dedicated to training sessions, workshops, and collaborative project work.
• 19th October 2025 (morning): Presentation of project work on Dubrovnik Film Festival and closing ceremony.
• 19th October 2025 (afternoon): Departure of participants.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The purpose of this call is to select 12 young participants, preferably students currently enrolled in related to film, media, digital arts, or related fields, as well as young professionals active in the audiovisual industry with a demonstrated interest in digitalization, technology, and related topics. Candidates should be motivated to enhance their skills under the guidance of experienced industry professionals and directors.

To ensure equal opportunities and balanced participation, the selection will include:

• 6 participants from Croatia.
• 6 participants from Italy.

This call is open to young individuals of all genders. To be eligible for participation, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be between 18 and 30 years old and not have reached the age of 30 by the start date of the camp (i.e., before 13 October 2025).
• Be officially residing in Italy or Croatia.
• Have an interest and/or initial experience in the audiovisual sector.
• Possess a good command of English, which will be the working language of the camp.
• Be available to participate in the entire duration of the youth camp, from 13th to 19th October 2025 in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
• Be open to collaborative and intercultural work in a cross-border setting.

Participation in this call is free of charge, and each candidate is allowed to submit only one application.

CONDITIONS FOR SELECTED PARTICIPANTS

The selected participants will be provided with the following support for the entire duration of the youth camp:

• Travel expenses – To promote environmental sustainability, Public Institution Dubrovnik Cinemas encourages the use of “green travel” options, such as trains or buses, whenever possible. This aspect will be taken into account when organizing participants’ travel arrangements.
• Full board and accommodation – Accommodation and three meals per day will be provided throughout the camp.
• Local transportation – All local transfers related to the camp’s official programme will be covered.
• Additional costs – Any other expenses directly related to the implementation of the official camp activities, as outlined in the camp’s official programme, will be covered.

Please note that personal expenses incurred during the youth camp will not be covered by Public Institution Dubrovnik Cinemas.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Each applicant is allowed to submit only one application. The application must include the following documents:

1. The Application Form (Annex 1), duly completed in all its parts, dated, and handwritten signed.
2. A personal CV in English, including basic personal information, educational background, relevant professional and/or volunteer experiences (if available), participation in training courses, non-formal and informal learning activities (e.g., workshops, seminars, youth exchanges), soft skills, and personal interests.
3. A portfolio (optional) including up to a maximum of 5 relevant works, if available.
4. A motivation letter in English (maximum 2 pages), dated and handwritten signed, explaining the applicant’s interest in participating and personal expectations.
5. A self-declaration on English language proficiency (Annex 2), dated and handwritten signed. If the applicant possesses an official English language certificate, it can be attached together with the self-declaration.
6. A photocopy of a valid identity document (Identity Card or Passport).

The entire application package must be submitted in English and in PDF format. Applications that do not include documents listed under points (1), (2), (4), (5), and (6) or that are incomplete will be considered ineligible.

DEADLINE AND SUBMISSION

Applicants must submit their applications, under penalty of exclusion, no later than 20/06/2025 (23:59 CEST).

Applications must be submitted exclusively via email to: reel@kinematografi.org

The e-mail subject line must be: Interreg IT-HR REEL – Call for the selection of 12 young people to participate in the youth camp

Applications sent after the deadline or in a format different from the instructions above will not be considered.

EVALUATION PROCEDURE

Upon conclusion of the call, all received applications will be evaluated by a Cross-Border Evaluation Commission appointed by Public Institution Dubrovnik Cinemas and Apulia Film Commission.

All applicants will be selected based on merit and motivation, in full respect of the principles of non-discrimination and equal opportunities, without distinction based on gender, ethnicity, religion, or other personal characteristics.

The evaluation will be carried out based on the information provided in the Application form and the attached documentation. The assessment will follow the criteria and scoring system detailed below, for a maximum of 100 points:

Criteria	Description	Max Points
Motivation and attitude	Quality and clarity of the motivation letter; interest and motivation expressed towards participating in the youth camp, particularly in exploring the dynamic field of audiovisual and cinema arts, with a focus on creativity, storytelling, and technical skills; willingness to collaborate in a cross-border and intercultural environment to enhance collective projects and share diverse perspectives on visual media and film production.	30
Soft skills and learning attitude	Ability to work in a team, openness to learning, adaptability, and strong communication skills, as demonstrated through the CV and motivation letter, with a particular emphasis on collaborative projects in audiovisual and cinema arts. This includes working in creative teams, being receptive to new techniques and technologies in film production, and communicating ideas clearly in both visual and verbal formats to contribute to dynamic, cross-disciplinary projects.	15
Educational background	Relevance of educational background (formal or informal) to the topics of the youth camp (film, media, digital arts, audiovisual, technology).	20
English language proficiency	Self-declared and/or certified knowledge of the English language, considering that English will be the working language of the camp.	10
Relevant experiences	Participation in professional, volunteer, training, or non-formal learning activities related to the audiovisual sector (for instance:  youth exchanges, workshops, film festivals, film production projects, editing and sound design training, scriptwriting seminars, or any other film-related activities that enhance knowledge and skills in areas such as cinematography, directing, storytelling, or digital media production.	15
Portfolio (if provided)	Relevance of the submitted portfolio (up to 5 works) related to audiovisual, film, media, or digital arts.	5
Residency in Programme area	Points awarded to applicants officially residing in one of the NUTS III regions covered by the Interreg Italy–Croatia Programme 2021–2027.	5
Total		100

Following the evaluation, the Commission will establish a final ranking list of candidates who have obtained a minimum score of 50 points out of 100. From this ranking, the first 12 participants will be selected.

In case of equal total scores, priority will be given to candidates residing in the Programme area and to the younger applicant.

The decision of the Evaluation Commission is to be considered final and not subject to appeal.

The official list of selected participants, as well as a possible waiting list, will be published online on the website of Public Institution Dubrovnik Cinemas: https://kinematografi.org/

This publication will constitute the official notification to all applicants.

ADMISSION AND WITHDRAWAL

Within 7 working days from the publication of the list of selected participants, the selected candidates must confirm their participation in the youth camp by sending a confirmation email to the following address: reel@kinematografi.org

Failure to confirm participation within the specified deadline, or voluntary withdrawal by the selected participant, will result in the loss of the assigned place.

In such cases, Public Institution Dubrovnik Cinemas reserves the right to contact the next eligible candidate on the waiting list, following the order of the final ranking.

PRIVACY PROTECTION

All personal data collected within the framework of this call will be processed in accordance with the applicable legislation, in particular with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (the “General Data Protection Regulation” or “GDPR”), solely for purposes related to the selection and participation process of the youth camp.

The data will be processed securely and confidentially and will not be used for purposes other than those strictly related to this call.

CONTACTS AND INFORMATION

For any further information or clarification regarding this call, please contact Public Institution Dubrovnik Cinemas at: reel@kinematografi.org

Please specify the following subject in your email: Interreg IT-HR REEL – Youth camp call

ATTACHMENTS:

1. Application form (Annex 1)
2. Self-certification of English language proficiency (Annex 2)

Dubrovnik, 16.04.2025

Signature and stamp

Nikša Konsuo

Director

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