Celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2025, this annual two-day film festival at the Barbican is programmed entirely by young people aged 16 to 24 as part of the arts centre’s Young Film Programmers scheme. The free-to-attend, six-month talent development scheme sees the group determine the themes, film selections and connected public events ranging from poetry readings to panel discussions.
This year’s programme is cruated around the theme ‘Against All Odds’. The young curators have selected films including the UK premiere of José María Cabral’s Tiger, a coming-of-age tale about a teenager’s act of defiance towards machismo culture in the Dominican Republic; a double-bill screening of East African films, Apostles of Cinema and Talking About Trees; and director Neo Sora’s sci-fi drama Happyend. The festival culimates with a screening of Seeking Mavis Beacon, a Jazim Jones cyber documentary that looks for the woman who fronted of a popular ‘90s typing video course, with surprising results.