Storytelling for the young audiences is different from storytelling for grown-ups, but it's just as (if not more) important. With a generation that is deeply aware of the world around them and all the issues that come with a complex society, it is important to tell stories that can help navigate through troubled waters. The narrative power of film making can not only make us see something new, but it can also diversify our understanding of the world around us. Within this 90 Minute session, we want to present best practices that tell real live stories for young audiences from different perspectives and show us why storytelling matters. We will dive into the experience of pitching a project in front of a jury of young experts and decision makers at the m:brane initiative REALYOUNG and how that had a positive impact on the outcome in its storytelling. Furthermore, we will talk about one’s own perspective in telling biographical stories of the past for an audience of today and investigate the filmmaker’s own perspective on his subjects. The track is moderated by Elisabeth Wenk, KIDS Regio Speakers Andre Hörmann, director: Andre Hörmann studied political science and directing and graduated the Professionals Program in Screenwriting at UCLA, Los Angeles. His films have been shown and awarded at many prestigious international festivals such as Sundance, IDFA, DOK Leipzig, Hiroshima Int. Animation Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, TIFF Toronto. He teaches film and works as a director, producer and writer in LA, Munich and Berlin. His last Documentary Ringside premiered at Berlinale and was released in the US on Showtime in 2020. He just finished his first Live Action Feature Night Forest. Ilze Burkovska Jacobsen, director: Ilze Burkovska- Jacobsen is a Latvian born film director living and working in both Norway and Latvia. She has done eight documentaries and more than 20 hours of TV animation-/ documentary series. The last ten years Ilze, and her production company Bivrost Film, have worked on “My Favorite War” as well as on several animated documentary series for children with topics like abuse and violence. She and her team won an International Emmy Award for “My Body Belongs to Me” in 2018. Martijn Blekendaal, director: Martijn Blekendaal was born in Amsterdam. He studied History and Art History at the University of Amsterdam. After that he worked for several Dutch broadcasters (NTR, VPRO, VARA) as a director and researcher. In 2009 he won the IDFA Mediafundprice documentary. In 2018 his short documentary THE MAN WHO LOOKED BEYOND THE HORIZON was awarded with the Special Jury Award for youth documentary at idfa This program point is supported by Creative Europe Desk Berlin-Brandenburg