We’re happy to announce the launch of POLYGLOT: on the way to Turku, an online video contest on the theme of multilingualism. All young and creative-minded Europeans are eagerly welcomed to express themselves and share ideas on the topic of multilingualism through short films. Participants can now upload their works online, where the public will view, comment and vote on them.

NISI MASA – the European network of young cinema is organising an online video contest about multilingualism!

Submit your short to win your place aboard POLYGLOT – on the way to Turku, an itinerant filmmaking event travelling across the archipelago of Turku, Finland!

We are accepting entries are in two categories:

Video Portraits (Documentaries on My multilingualism) – Do you speak different languages on a regular basis? Describe the linguistic environment you live in, and how it affects you personally.

Video Poems (Fictions on The language I dream in) – Use the audiovisual medium to its full artistic potential. Share with us your most original and creative ideas about language.

Contestants must be resident in a European country (EU or non-EU) and aged 18-35. Works of maximum 5 minutes length, produced since 1st January 2008 are eligible.

- Submission deadline 15th December 2010 -

18 winners will be selected to attend an all-expenses-paid 2-week “Cine-Boat” itinerant filmmaking workshop in June 2011 in Turku and the Åland Islands (Finland), during which they will travel by boat around the beautiful archipelago, visiting the island communities and shooting films about the local forms of multilingualism. The region is home to many Swedish Finns, who have their own distinct cultural identity.

The filmmakers will then present their work during a POLYGLOT film festival, as the city of Turku celebrates its status as European Capital of Culture. All short films of the project will later be diffused through a DVD compilation and follow-up screenings across Europe.

POLYGLOT – on the way to Turku is organised by NISI MASA, the European network of young cinema, with the support of the Turku 2011 European Cultural Capital.

For queries about the information on this website, or to be put on our mailing list, contact

polyglot-turku@nisimasa.com

NISI MASA is a European network of associations currently present in 23 countries. These associations consist of young professionals, students and enthusiasts with a common cause – European cinema.

Our main aims are to discover new film talents, to develop cross-cultural audiovisual projects, to foster a European awareness through cinema and to create a platform of discussion and collaboration for young European filmmakers.

Our activities include filmmaking and scriptwriting workshops, conferences/seminars, screenings, producing DVDs of short films, and editing publications (books, film festival dailies).

Find out more about us at www.nisimasa.com.