April 29, 2024: Children’s Jury at work: Munich school classes judge the programmes of PRIX JEUNESSE INTERNATIONAL
PRIX JEUNESSE INTERNATIONAL is the most renowned festival for children’s and youth programmes from all over the world. Usually it’s the adult media professionals who watch and evaluate these programmes at the festival – but the target group’s opinion is of course just as relevant. Therefore, the Munich based non-profit organization Feierwerk has been organising a PRIX JEUNESSE Children’s Jury for 24 years. Munich school classes are currently watching the international programmes and giving grades. We dropped by at the screening in the Feierwerk-Südpolstation cinema.
27 excited third-graders from Gänselieselstraße Primary School take their seats in the Südpolstation cinema on a Tuesday morning. Judging films instead of doing maths – the children like that. Of course, there are lots of curiosities: “How many films are we watching today?”, and also: “What do I do when it gets scary?”. The two interns Merle and Lasse patiently answer the questions. They also explain the context of complicated films and discuss the topics covered with the teachers in advance. After all, this year’s PRIX JEUNESSE final programmes address exclusion, racism, physical disability and death as well as friendship, solidarity, gender identity and cultural exchange.
Elaborate voiceover project with volunteer speakers
In order for the children to be able to view and evaluate the competition entries submitted in English or with English subtitles, they must first be translated and provided with German-language audio tracks via voiceover. On a voluntary basis and with a great deal of commitment and passion, 120 people of all ages who enjoy speaking and acting lend their voices to the characters of the PRIX JEUNESSE films so that German-language versions can be produced for the school classes to watch. This is why Lasse asks the group right at the beginning: “Do any of you know the difference between synchronisation and voiceover?” – ” It does sound a bit like maths,” thinks one of the students.
Children rate the films and write recommendations to the programme makers
The pupils from Waldperlach are going to watch four out of the 32 final programmes in the 7-10 age category today. After each film, the children complete a questionnaire: How did they like the programme? Were the story and its topics explained understandably? How did they like the design of music, language and images? And most important: Would they recommend the film to their friends? The children eagerly award school grades from 1 to 6 and conclude: “Now we’re just like our teacher when she grades us.” Fairness is important here, as Merle reminds them: “You also want your teachers to grade you fairly!” However, the pupils often agree in their judgement anyway: “I only give A’s here!” shouts one boy across the room, while the pupil sitting next to him adds: “I’ll even put a plus!” At the end, each child is given the opportunity to write a recommendation to the makers of the film as to what they could perhaps improve. At the PRIX JEUNESSE festival, the recommendations are presented to the programme makers. In total, the screening and subsequent evaluation take about two hours per class. However, when the two class representatives are presented with the certificate for the jury group at the end, the children agree: “That went by far too quickly!”
The Children’s Jury will make its final decision mid-May
There’s only one last question from the children that Lasse and Merle are unable answer today: “Which film is in first place?” As new classes are judging the films every day, the ranking changes constantly. With their ratings, the pupils will ultimately preselect the films for the Children’s Jury, which will take place at the Südpolstation in mid-May. There, the 20 programmes rated best by the school classes will be watched again, discussed, and then judged once more. This is also where the final decision will be made as to which two programmes are going to be awarded the “Golden Elephant” by the Children’s Jury itself at the PRIX JEUNESSE Awards Ceremony on 29 May.
More information on the PRIX JEUNESSE Children’s Jury project can be found under www.prixjeunesse.feierwerk.de.
Personal registration for PRIX JEUNESSE 2024 is still possible until 6 May at https://prixjeunesse.de/prix-jeunesse-international-2024/personal-registration/. There is no registration fee. Further information on the competition and photos are available at www.prixjeunesse.de.
Contact: Kirsten Schneid, festival coordinator
kirsten.schneid@prixjeunesse.de / Tel: +49-89-5900-42058
Patricia Bodensohn, Project Manager Children’s Jury