By Pola Folwarczny
Creativity, accessibility, passion and recognition – these are the values crucial to the organisers of the upcoming edition of the Amsterdam Student Film Festival (AmsFF), revived after a year-long break. Happening on 4 February at FC Hyena, AmsFF strives to provide aspiring filmmakers with a space to showcase their very own short productions. What its participants might have forgotten, however, is that what now operates as an independent organisation was first an initiative of AUC students.
In June 2022, members of CUT put together what can be called the predecessor of AmsFF. The overarching aim was to bring student-made films out of the classroom and onto a bigger screen. Open only to AUC students and organised with the help of AUC film professors acting as the jury, the event was a great success – so great, in fact, that it inspired CUT to turn the festival into its own, much bigger initiative.
The new project materialised in June 2023, with the first official edition of AmsFF held at Kriterion. Emma Byvanck, a former AUC Humanities major and member of this year’s AmsFF core team, recalls that the main reason behind expanding the scope of the festival was the desire “to raise the credibility of student films as something that is really worth watching and appreciating.” As an aspiring filmmaker herself, Byvanck recognises the difficulties of trying to stand out in the Dutch film industry, which makes her all the more eager to facilitate the process for her peers.
That year, audience members flooded all three screening rooms of Kriterion and left none of the 350 seats available, which marked a great success and important milestone for the AmsFF team. According to Byvanck, the audience filed out of Kriterion satisfied and hungry for more, and the sponsors and partners open to future collaborations with AmsFF. Meanwhile the stars of the show – the filmmakers themselves – were left buzzing with excitement after seeing their productions on the big screen. What the event brought into existence, and what Byvanck stresses, is a “platform for upcoming filmmakers to meet each other and create this space where [they] can all learn and build together, share work, connect.”
This vision is what motivated Byvanck and the rest of the team to bring the festival back after plans of a 2024 edition fell through. This time, unlike the festivals held at the dorms and Kriterion, AmsFF operates fully independently, having separated from CUT and AUC to expand its horizons. “CUT has many goals, and all of those goals are directed towards the AUC community,” explains Damien Robledo Poisson, a third-year Science major and one of the AmsFF organisers who was also involved in the 2023 edition. He recalls that the festival captured most of the committee’s attention in the preceding months, making it harder to focus on their usual tasks and projects, which eventually inspired the separation from AUC.
While it allowed AmsFF members to focus all their efforts solely on the festival, at the same time it made them all the more aware of all that goes into its organisation. Financial support, collaborations and promotion all proved to be challenging, ultimately contributing to the delay in this year’s edition’s intended date. And yet, despite the obstacles, the core team – made up from one current and four former AUC students – did not give up. “With teamwork and ambition, you can make an event out of nothing,” claims Olivia Lance, a member of the AmsFF core team and former AUC Humanities major, “No budget and little credibility as an organisation but if you email enough people, you’ll find some who will say yes.”
And among those who have “said yes” this year are Cineville, Mubi, Subbacultcha and FC Hyena, becoming collaborators of AmsFF. “To be able to work with their teams and make the festival come to life is a great feeling, not only for us but hopefully for the participants and audience members as well,” admits Alya Yumrukçal, another AmsFF organiser and former AUC Humanities major, referring to the gift packs that will await all guests.
Additionally, AmsFF has used this opportunity to make their vision and mission clearer than ever before. This year, they want to focus on providing networking opportunities – which was not the main priority in the previous editions – just as much as on audience enjoyment and the festival’s entertainment value. “It’s about access, giving filmmakers confidence and more credibility as they begin their careers,” Lance says, “As well as introducing them to people in the industry who can advise them and hopefully give them opportunities for the future.” Because of that, the upcoming edition includes a networking event for the participating filmmakers to connect with industry professionals, which will be followed by film screenings and an afterparty open to the audience.
Making connections is an overarching – and most significant – goal highlighted by all AmsFF organisers and reflected in the less competitive structure of this edition. Instead of selecting a Jury Winner and an Audience Winner, as was the case in 2023, this year all nominees will be rewarded and celebrated, especially in light of the sheer diversity of submissions coming from all over the world. As Poisson explains, the previous system relied on comparison, which is hardly productive when a claymation and an iPhone documentary are placed next to each other. Byvanck adds that this time the curatorial team is also looking at potential, and not only quality. This means giving equal consideration to films that might have not had the means of professional production, but nonetheless told an impressive story.
Not only that, but the films that were not chosen for the festival will also receive detailed feedback from the curators tasked with the selection process in the spirit of appreciation, as Byvanck explains. Nadia van der Krogt, another AmsFF member and former AUC Science major, clarifies that the festival is also about fostering diversity. “It’s really important to have more spaces like this,” she says, “Where we really allow people from all backgrounds, skills, money and opportunities to show what they’re creating. We need more voices to be heard.” In line with this idea, this year’s jury consists of several film industry professionals – including the AUC Film Lab professor, John Loughlin – all coming from different backgrounds to provide all-encompassing feedback.
Propelled by ideas of appreciation, accessibility and respect, AmsFF strives to create a space for up-and-coming filmmakers to share their three-to-fifteen-minute productions with a wider audience. In the future, the AmsFF team would like to see the festival grow even further, perhaps turning into a multiple-day event, allowing the screening of longer features or creating separate categories for the films to be assessed under. Striving to spread the word about the festival to a wider audience, Yumrukçal hopes it can “become the staple for [student] directors to submit their works to.” As van der Krogt concludes, their main objective is, unchangeably, “to be able to give a platform to more filmmakers.”
For now, tune in for the upcoming 2024 edition happening on 4 February at FC Hyena. For more information visit FC Hyena’s website and AmsFF Instagram (@amsfilmfestival).
The Herring 