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La Semaine de la Critique reaffirms its desire to share and pass on knowledge to as many people as possible, in particular through film literacy workshops designed for young audiences. To that end, La Semaine organises a variety of educational programmes throughout the year, and during the Cannes Film Festival, aimed at high school students, apprentices, and secondary school pupils.
These initiatives include screenings of selected short and feature films, encounters with film critiques and members of the Semaine de la Critique selection committees, discussions about film analysis, writing workshops on film criticism, and an introduction to the profession of film critic.
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French-German Youth Office
For the twenty-first consecutive year, La Semaine de la Critique, in partnership with the French-German Youth Office (FGYO), is also organising a French-German foundation workshop in film criticism from May 18 to 21, 2026, during the Cannes Film Festival. This workshop brings together twenty French and German high school students from underprivileged schools. Through a series of screenings and writing workshops, this programme aims to foster the exchange of ideas and promote an intercultural dialogue between young people from both countries, thus broadening access to culture and educating younger generations about film and film criticism.
The FGYO is also on social media: 
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The Île-de-France Region
La Semaine de la Critique organises a one-day workshop in film criticism for the “Lycéens et apprentis au cinéma” [Film for high school students and apprentices] scheme in the Île-de-France region. For many years, this workshop has allowed about thirty high school students to try to write their own feature film that will be screened at La Semaine de la Critique. The workshop is held in Paris in autumn and led by two professional film critics, in collaboration with CIP (independant Parisian cinemas).
Among its activities the French Union of Film Critics has been organising foundation courses and training workshops in film criticism since 2019 as part of the Ile-de-France Region’s educational programme.
The purpose of this 4-day programme designed for 4 classes of 2 high schools located in the Ile-de-France region, is to learn (acquiring cinematic and journalistic vocabulary, discovering new works), to practise (film criticism writing workshops), and to discover new crafts through meetings and debates over film screenings with industry professionals (film journalists and critics, directors, and producers).
This year, this course is supported by two cinemas: Le Vincennes in Vincennes, and Le Méliès in Montreuil.
SUD/Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region
La Semaine de la Critique, a selection explicitly aimed at cinephiles, has for many years been carrying out cultural outreach programmes in schools in collaboration with the nonprofit Ecrans Sud, inviting 200 high-school students from the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region to its Cannes screenings. Sixty high-school students will also have the opportunity to meet a professional film critic during the Cannes Festival and discuss a film seen at La Semaine de la Critique.
The Departamental Council of les Alpes-Maritimes
For several years, La Semaine de la Critique has been organising an introductory workshop to film criticism for secondary school pupils in the county. Through this programme, 6 secondary school classes,- around 180 pupils - discover short and feature film formats through La Semaine de la Critique’s selection, the profession of film critic, and develop their analytical skills.
Paris City Hall
Since 2025, La Semaine de la Critique organises training workshops in film criticism for secondary school pupils, in collaboration with the City of Paris and “CIP collège” [independent cinemas in Paris that focus on secondary school pupils]. These workshops will take place over 18 half-day sessions, and will be led by journalists and critics from the French Union of Film Critics. Pupils will watch two short films selected by La Semaine de la Critique and sharpen their analytical skills by recording and listening back to their reviews in small groups. Eight classes - nearly 200 pupils - will take part in the programme.
International School specialised in arts management
For the third consecutive year, IESA and La Semaine de la Critique partner up to offer Master’s students in Film, an introductory workshop in film programming and criticism. The workshop will begin at IESA, where the students will discover two short films selected by La Semaine, presented by the short-film coordinator. This first day will prepare them for their experience at the Cannes Film Festival, where they will attend the screening of both short-film programmes and take part in a meeting with international students and the short-film committee coordinator on the beach of La Semaine de la Critique
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Université Côte d’Azur
For the second time, La Semaine de la Critique has partnered up with Université Côte d’Azur - Campus Georges Méliès to organise a week-long introductory course to film criticism designed for third-year BA students in Art, Film and Audiovisual Studies. Led by a professional film critic - also a member of the French Union of Film Critics - this week-long course was the opportunity for students to make their first steps as film critics with the screening of three films selected at La Semaine de la Critique, and to meet film professionals who have worked on those films: illustrators, composers, etc. An introduction to writing reviews but also speaking about film, as they recorded a radio programme of their reviews.
After this week-long programme, the students will be invited to La Semaine de la Critique during the Cannes Film Festival to discover the feature and short film selections, and to meet international students and the coordinator of the short-film selection committee on the Semaine de la Critique’s beach.
Ministère de la Justice
In 2026, La Semaine de la Critique will organize, for the first time, two group screenings at the Villepinte and Beauvais correctional facilities. By bringing people together, these screenings of films selected for Critics’ Week and the introduction to film criticism provide an opportunity to share a positive collective experience, foster social connections, and spark discussions.
International Festival of Film School Productions
In 2026, the city of Cannes is launching the International Festival of Film School Productions (FIFEC) in partnership with the Poitiers Film Festival, in which La Semaine was invited to participate. La Semaine de la Critique will screen the winning short film of the French Critics’ Discovery Prize at the latest Poitiers Film festival. This screening - for students and the general public - will be presented by a professional film critic, member of the Semaine de la Critique short-film selection committee.
Esquirol Saint-Maurice Hospital
La Semaine de la Critique is opening its film literacy and film criticism workshops to patients and caregivers at Esquirol Saint-Maurice Hospital across three units: psychiatry, child psychiatry, and pediatric rehabilitation. Through this film criticism awareness program, patients and caregivers have the opportunity to discover short films selected for Critics’ Week, accompanied by a film critic.