After eleven days of the Venice Film Festival, it has sadly come to an end. The experience of being on the young filmgoers jury for Venice Days has really had a huge impact on me for so many reasons.
I got to see over thirty films, mostly premieres, in the space of ten days, which is my idea of time well spent. Being in attendance at a film with the cast and crew is such a moving experience, especially when the films are good. I really appreciated the work that had gone into the films when I saw the directors in tears at the end of their films.
Being focused on Venice Days, the sidebar of the festival, I really learned the true importance of festivals. They're not just about the buying and selling of films. Since I was part of the '27 Times Cinema' initiative, debates and discussions were organised with filmmakers and critics, and therefore I had a platform to learn more about the films and the directors' approaches and methods.
On the jury, I had the opportunity to meet a person of my age from each EU state. Having a common favourite film with a Finish girl and Lithuanian guy, and agreeing with all 26 other nations that Somewhere should not have won 'Golden Lion', I realised just how universal cinema is as a medium. I have made twenty six new friends and film contacts all over Europe.
I'd like to thank Europa Cinemas and IFI for really looking after me and supporting me during this unforgettable experience.
Conall O Duibhir
Member of the Young Cinephiles Jury
Venice Film Festival
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