Look@Me Youth Filmmaking
Look@Me is Cork International Film Festival’s flagship film education and outreach initiative, launched in 2022 to empower young people to tell their own stories through the creative power of film.
By providing hands-on filmmaking workshops led by experienced industry professionals, the programme nurtures confidence, creativity and collaboration, giving participants the skills and platform to share their unique perspectives with new audiences.
In 2025 and 2026, Look@Me was delivered in partnership with Cork Migrant Centre (CMC), thanks to the support of Rethink Ireland’s Impact Fund for Munster Fund in 2025 and Community Foundation Ireland in 2026. Over six weeks, young people from migrant communities across Cork worked alongside filmmakers Maximilian Le Cain and Chris Hurley of the Cork Film Centre to develop, write and produce their own short films. Their work culminated in a special premiere at the 70th Cork International Film Festival, where participants experienced the excitement of seeing their films screened before Festival audiences.
Over the summer this year, the young people worked with Max and Chris, alongside mentors from the CMC, to create their own short films which will be premiered at the 71st Festival in November. We can’t wait to see what brilliant films they will produce!
More than a filmmaking programme, Look@Me reflects Cork International Film Festival’s commitment to making cinema accessible, inclusive and participatory. By investing in young people’s creativity and amplifying voices that are too often underrepresented, the project helps foster confidence, connection and a lifelong engagement with the arts.
Look@Me 2026 was supported through funding by Community Foundation Ireland.
About
Look@Me empowers young people to share their stories, providing a platform for their voices. The project also enables professional filmmakers to deepen their practice in the role of film as a communication tool for marginalised groups, whilst youth leader mentors and volunteers gain practical experience and develop community filmmaking skills.
The programme engages young people by demystifying the filmmaking process and furthering engagement in the arts, encouraging greater awareness of creative career paths and the power of this popular medium to explore sometimes difficult topics such as health and wellbeing.
Community volunteers and youth workers are also engaged to view the film and learn about the programme, and the finished film will reach a wide audience, including peers, families, film/arts community groups, and Festival audiences.
In addition to this, Look@Me supports the development of new artistic work, created together by all involved, shared widely with peers.
Previous editions of Look@Me were created in collaboration with Strawberry Hill National School, supported by Bank of Ireland’s Begin Together Arts Fund in association with Business to Arts. Working alongside students from the University College Cork Film Department, fifth-class pupils wrote, produced and premiered The Magical Tortilla Chip (2022) and Make Sense (2023), demonstrating the power of creative collaboration across generations.
For enquiries, please contact schools@corkfilmfest.org
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