The MiWorld Young Film Festival – MiWY is the first and only film festival for schools in Italy entirely dedicated to intercultural exchange and to exploring the societies and cultures of Africa, Asia, and Latin America—as well as multicultural Italy. It serves as a window to the world, showcasing a multifaceted and plural panorama designed to dispel stereotypes and promote fresh perspectives and self-awareness regarding both oneself and the present.

The film selection draws from a vast repertoire of titles, feature films, and short films that are not confined to the youth film circuit, but rather belong to the international festival circuit—specialized in auteur cinema, both emerging and established—and pertain to the cinemas that are increasingly making their mark on the global stage: prominent new trends spanning Mediterranean countries, Africa, the Middle and Far East, and Latin America.

The richness of these productions offers a glimpse into the world on two levels: on one hand, it provides an unconventional insight into diverse geographical and cultural contexts; on the other, it presents an alternative cinematic narrative, characterized by nontraditional aesthetics and unexpected expressive choices. Consider an open ending, a slow pace, or a blend of comedic and dramatic tones. Moreover, presenting films in their original language with subtitles facilitates an encounter with the work’s diversity and originality, and for multiethnic classes, it serves as an effective tool that values and encourages the participation of students with non-Italian origins or migratory backgrounds.

The 30-year experience of the School Space at the African, Asian, and Latin American Film Festival – FESCAAAL, from which MiWY originated in 2019, has fostered an ever-growing sensitivity among classes towards these productions. Over the years, students and teachers have embraced the novelty of these representations, the opportunity to engage with directors, and the exchange among peers and across different classes—experiencing the richness and positivity of collective screenings in theaters and participatory discussions. Above all, they have demonstrated interest, curiosity, and both emotional and intellectual resonance with some of the film narratives, gaining new self-awareness and fresh insights into their roles, contemporary challenges, and cinema.

MiWY builds on and enriches this positive experience by placing its very recipients—teachers and students—as the protagonists of the event, not as passive and unprepared spectators but as active and critical interlocutors. The presence of directors and experts further helps to create an atmosphere of attentive listening, focus, and engagement.

MiWorld Young Film Festival – MiWY is a project by COE ETS initiated thanks to the National Plan for Cinema and Images for Schools – CIPS, promoted by MIM and MIC and aimed at lower and upper secondary school classes. With its offering of quality films, with a particular focus on cinema from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, this festival seeks to develop critical film analysis skills and enhance the use of cinema in education, especially within the framework of civic education and global citizenship curricula.