Welcome to the Silver Screen – European Film Festival for Generations

History and concept

The European Filmfestival for Generations is an activity from the Heidelberg University, located at the Institute of Gerontology and directed by the media-gerontologist Dr. Michael Doh. This festival started 2010 in Heidelberg and Frankfurt, Germany and grew rapidly from year to year. Today it involves approx. 100 venues (cities and communes) all over Germany with more than 13.000 audiences. In 2013 the festival received the “Deutscher Alterspreis” [German Award of Ageing] from the Robert-Bosch-Stiftung. For communes and other countries (i.e. India) this festival offers possibilities and a new perspective for implementing strategies and policies for demographic change and ageing.

This film festival will sensitize the civil society for themes of demographic change and ageing. It promotes the idea of active and healthy ageing and intergenerational dialogue. Entertaining and informative fiction and documentary films will transport positive images of older people with a great variety of age-relevant themes like healthy and care, sports and activity, partnership and social network, music and creativity, spirituality and identity, housing and mobility, media and technology, developmental tasks, and  life-long learning.

The festival considers films as a communication bridge for an intergenerational exchange. Hence, an important aspect of the concept is the discussion after the screening with the audience and age experts from science, policy, and municipality. Hereby older and younger people get in contact and exchange different perspectives of ageing. All generations come together and can discuss future issues for a better cooperation and solidarity between young and old. Furthermore together they can reflect about good and successful ageing in her community. 

The festival aims

Contact: