Who is Young Film Academy?

Young Film Academy’s mission is to inspire the next generation of filmmakers.

Founded in 2004, Young Film Academy (YFA) is the UKʼs leading provider of filmmaking courses, practical schools programmes, community filmmaking projects and filmmaking outreach events to young people aged 6-19.

Based in London, YFA works nationwide to help over 15,000 young people each year complete their first digital films, from intensive filmmaking residential camps through West End-premiered movies to curriculum-linked film projects in schools.

Young Film Academy is a hub partner in the British Film Institute (BFI) Film Academy Network, helping to find top UK emerging talent. YFA designs and delivers high quality educational film projects for the UKʼs largest arts institutions, right down to small groups of kids who just want to have fun making movies at home.

You can read more about Young Film Academy here: https://www.youngfilmacademy.co.uk/about/

What is Project Paradiso?

Project Paradiso is a crowd-funded filmmaking project from YFA, offering a select group of our most promising students (past and present) the chance to create a stunning short film in a cinematic location in Sicily, Italy, in February 2023.

A nod to the Sicilian classic Cinema Paradiso, this unique collaborative project aims to unite educational training with a real-world film industry opportunity – offering participants the experience of a lifetime and the calling-card they need to build their creative careers.

We have gathered 25 of our most talented students and young alumni who we believe have the most to offer - and gain from - this ambitious and exciting project. Your contributions will directly impact the start of the careers of all of our students, helping them to make a film that we aim to premiere at an international film festival and will serve as a cornerstone of their budding portfolio.

What do you need and what do I get?

To make this project happen, the team needs to raise £75,750. Making films at an industry level is expensive. There’s no getting around it. YFA have designed this project to keep the costs for Project Paradiso as low as possible and subsidised rates wherever possible, whilst also maintaining the highest production production values for the movie and offering participants a wonderful life experience.

Our budget breakdown is below:

This is an all-or-nothing campaign, meaning that for our project to be green-lit, we need you! If we don’t reach our target, all monies are refunded to donors automatically by Indiegogo and the project won’t take place (sadface).

Contributors (individuals or businesses) to our campaign can take advantage of a number of different perks. From naming rights for a character to producing credits on IMDb to attendance at a VIP screening, we want our contributors to proudly join Team Paradiso! We intend to keep all contributors in the know about how we’re getting on through our social media channels, and we look forward to fulfilling the perks.

How does my contribution impact Project Paradiso?

To put it simply, donating to this project is investing in the future of film. Our 25 young people are the talent of tomorrow, and Project Paradiso is intended to bridge the gap from student project, to a professional one. For those who may go on to be the future of our film and TV industry, this is professional filmmaking that serves as not only a learning opportunity, but a life-changing experience.

The impact of your contributions will be felt and seen for years to come as our burgeoning students enter into the film industry. You’ll be able to say, “I knew them when…”

Young Film Academy’s mission is to inspire the next generation of filmmakers, and by donating to this campaign, you’ll be helping to fulfil that mission in a very real way.

I can’t donate, what else can I do?

We understand that financially donating might be impossible for some at the moment. You can help Project Paradiso become a reality by spreading the word! Share our campaign link on all your social media channels, by carrier pigeon and through smoke signals! Tell everyone in the line at the coffee shop!

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for any little bit you can do to help get the word out about Project Paradiso.