Youth films are the reel deal

This month sees the tenth staging of Reel Youth, which is making a strong case to become Ireland’s national youth film festival.

Twelve short films, produced by youth projects from disadvantaged areas across Dublin, will screen. Stuart Carolan, the creator of Love/Hate and some of the show’s cast members will be in attendance. The theme for this year’s festival is mental health issues and how they affect young people.

“The stories from it every year are about what’s rocking kids’ interests,” says Niamh Geoghegan, spokesperson for Reel Youth 2013. “It gives young people a medium to share what’s going on for them in their lives.

“The films can deal with any subject. You can have your teen pregnancies, your robberies and drug abuse and suicide. Then there are comedies. Car chase scenes are always quite popular. And you can’t beat the zombie movies, too — they’re very popular. Their films cross the board in genres.

“What’s nice is that it’s their relationship to a theme. It’s a chance to see how they perceive things in their lives — how they’re affected by certain things that you mightn’t have thought about before. They’re giving the audience insight into where they’re at; it’s a really nice exchange.

“Their sensitivity to subjects is interesting. Young people often get tarred with a certain brush. For example, there was a film last year from St Andrew’s. There were no words in it, just sound. There is a perception that all young people with their hoods up are all gurriers. In the film, all the characters had their hoods up and they were passing around a glass-box thing. It looked like it had drugs inside it, but at the end it turned out to be an invitation to a prom.

“Young people see as well that they’re being looked at in a certain way that they don’t deserve, when they mightn’t be doing anything. It’s about challenging our own perceptions and judgement of young people.

“There was another film last year and it was about a guy who gets in trouble at school, but then the home environment for this young person was appalling. There was no parental support and no food and he was sleeping on the floor. You think, OK, this is the person who is being seen as a troublemaker and is being bullied by other young people. So they’re not afraid to address difficult subjects, and there’s a maturity to their perceptions that maybe we don’t give them credit for.”

Over the years, the comedian Des Bishop has given Reel Youth’s filmmakers workshops on acting; Roddy Doyle has helped out through his Fighting Words Centre on story development. Glen Hansard and Amy Huberman have attended previous years’ screenings.

There’s been a big success rate with the youths involved, who age from 13 upwards, says Geoghegan, with many going onto further education, volunteering and work projects with DCTV, RTÉ and film studies.

“It’s very empowering for the young people involved. They’re learning new skills. They’re integrating with other young people. There wouldn’t be much mixing inner city normally, even across the road. You’d have Crumlin and Kimmage; Rialto and Fatima. They’re right beside each other, but they don’t necessarily mix.

“They have to work as part of a group and communicate, and see a project through the creative process to the end. There are challenges and frustrations. And it just gives confidence, and the feeling of achievement. You see a huge positive progression with the young people involved.”

* Reel Youth 2013 is at 6.30pm, Sept 26, Liberty Hall Theatre, Eden Quay, Dublin 1.