Audiovisual Connect LAB (AC LAB) is a European cooperation project addressing a critical cultural challenge: while young people consume audiovisual content daily, many lack the tools to understand film language, recognise authorship and perspective, and actively discover European cinema beyond global platforms and algorithms. The project positions film literacy as a strategic cultural and policy issue, essential for cultural diversity, democratic resilience, and the future of European audiovisual works.

Project Aim

AC LAB aims to strengthen film literacy among young people aged 15–19 and to support long‑term audience development for European cinema by combining education, research, and advocacy. The project seeks to:

• empower young people to become conscious, critical, and culturally aware viewers,
• equip educators and cultural institutions with tested, transferable methodologies,
• generate evidence and tools that inform cultural and educational policy at national and European levels.

Within the project, film literacy is the capacity to engage with film as an artistic, cultural, and social practice - understanding audiovisual language, authorship, and context, and navigating film culture beyond algorithm‑driven access.

HOW THE PROJECT WORKS

National LABs

The project operates through eight national laboratories (LABs) in eight European countries, each bringing together cultural organisations, schools, educators, researchers, and students, functioning as testing and learning environments, adapting activities to local contexts while contributing to a shared European framework. LABs work in tandem with local partners and festivals, such as Netwerk Film Edukatie (NL), Kino Úsmev (SK), Visegrad Film Forum (SK) and others on their project activities.

Project Days

Intensive learning formats in which young people actively engage with European films through viewing, analysis, discussion, and creative work, serving both as educational experiences and as a basis for researching film literacy development.

Teacher Innovation Circles

Collaborative professional‑learning formats that bring together educators and cultural professionals to reflect on, test, and adapt film‑education approaches, strengthening long‑term capacity for film literacy education.

Workshops for Peers, Cultural Organisations and Policymakers

Transfer and advocacy‑focused formats that share tested film‑literacy methodologies, research results, and audience‑development strategies with the wider European cultural and policy ecosystem, supporting long‑term adoption and systemic impact. These activities were kicked-off in Prague with a 2-day workshop in cooperation with the Association of Cinema Operators in late January 2026.

Research, Evidence, and Policy Value

AC LAB combines primary research (tests, interviews, questionnaires) with secondary research on film literacy, viewing habits, and audience development. This evidence base allows the project to: move beyond anecdotal impact; compare approaches across countries and provide policy‑relevant insights on how young audiences engage with European cinema.

Digital Platform: A public resource

A central output will be an open, user‑friendly online platform offering:

• film literacy testing tools,
• access to selected European films,
• methodologies for educators and cultural organisations,
• research summaries and data entry points.

Advocacy and European Relevance

The project explicitly links practice, research, and advocacy:

• demonstrates why film literacy matters for cultural diversity and democratic participation,
• provides concrete data and examples for decision‑makers,
• formulates recommendations for cultural, educational, and audiovisual policy,
• supports recognition of film literacy as a key pillar of audience development for European works.

Duration: 01/2026 - 12/2027

Coordinator: krutón z.s. Prague CZ

Partners:

Centrum Kultury Filmowej Im Andrzeja Wajdy (CKF), Warsaw PL

Diethnes Festival Kinimatografou Olympias (Olympia), Pyrgos GR

Nemzeti Filmintezet Kozhasznu (NFI), Budapest HU

Interfilm Berlin Management (Interfilm), Berlin DE

Stichting Eye Filmmuseum (EYE), Amsterdam NL

Boiler (Boiler), Bratislava SK

Cinema And Culture Development (Kisff), Kyiv UA

Project Manager: Michal Brenner

Contact: michal@krutonfilm.cz