Cinema for Change Festival: Over 30,000 schoolchildren learn about the Sustainable Development Goals

Published on 3 February 2025 at 09:53 - Modified the 3 July 2025 at 11:03

Nearly 500 schoolchildren from across the Principality met at the Théâtre des Variétés on Thursday 30 January to vote for their favourite short film, as members of the jury for the Children's Prize at the ‘Cinema for Change’ Festival, supported by the Prince's Government. In the evening, students from the Menton Campus of Sciences Po Paris debated and voted for their favourite film in the Student Prize.

Each year, the ‘Cinema for Change’ Festival presents short films from around the world illustrating the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in September 2015. For this 14th edition, the Government of Monaco is supporting the three Youth Prizes (Children, Secondary School Students and Students) to raise awareness of development and international solidarity.

Marc Obéron, founder of the festival, presented the 6 short films in competition for the Children's Prize to 22 classes from 6 schools in the Principality. The votes of Monaco's schoolchildren will be added to those of the Festival's other child jurors, from schools in France and seven partner countries of the Monegasque Cooperation*.

In the evening, students from Sciences Po Paris, on the Mediterranean-Middle East campus in Menton, were also able to take part in the Festival by watching, voting on and debating the four films shortlisted for the Student Prize.

This activity is part of a partnership agreement signed in 2014 and renewed at the end of 2024, under which the International Cooperation Department and the Campus undertake to work together to raise students' awareness of development issues, the law and the fight against poverty in the world.
Taking into account the juries of the three Youth Prizes supported by the Principality, more than 30,000 schoolchildren will be made aware of the SDGs during this 14th edition. The Cinema for Change awards ceremony will be held on Saturday 12 April at the Good Planet Foundation in Paris.

^{* Burkina Faso, Burundi, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia}