The Sámi film industry is at a crossroads. The demand for Sámi films has exploded and the number of productions is growing rapidly. One of the biggest challenges facing the industry today is a shortage of labour. There are simply not enough skilled workers. The Sámi film industry is not able to respond to the growing interest and needs with sufficient volume and speed.

One of the main issues facing Indigenous communities is the lack of opportunities for young people to study or work in their home regions. The key to building a sustainable professional foundation for the film industry lies in education. Developing permanent, high-quality education is also a solution to the industry's labour shortage. In addition, larger production companies and more production traineeships are needed. Educational solutions in the coming years, increased funding and cooperation are key in growing the Sámi film industry in accordance with the values and ethics of the Sámi community.

Objectives:
The objective of the project is to develop film education in the Sámi region in cooperation with Sámi Education Institute, Kalix Folkhögskola and International Sámi Film Institute. We want to ensure that film education better meets the needs of the rapidly changing and developing film industry, and especially the Sámi film industry. The objective is to adapting film education and training to labour market needs and increasing the flexibility of opportunities for Sámi youth.

Activities:
We are developing cooperation and sharing best practices through excursions and film industry company visits. We create an innovative cross-border traineeship programme for Sámi film productions, which is open to students from SAKK and Kalix Folkhögskola but also for young people from all over Sápmi. By collecting feedback from the pilot, we can make recommendations about good practices and implementation of the traineeship programme for film productions more broadly.

Desired results:
All partners work long-term in the film industry. The project will develop film education to become more cross-borderless and meet the needs of the rapidly developing film industry. This will also increase the attractiveness of film education and opportunities in the film industry for young people will increase. The Sámi film industry will get the workforce it desperately needs, more people who understand the language and culture will work in the film productions.

Target groups:
-Students of SAKK’s media education
-Students of Kalix Folkhögskola’s film and series production programme
-Young people from all over Sápmi
-Personnel at ISFI
-Personnel from Sámi Education Institute
-Personnel from Kalix Folkhögskola
-Indigenous partners in the film industry

Erasmus+ KA220 project:
The primary goal of Cooperation Partnerships is to allow organisations to increase the quality and relevance of their activities, to develop and reinforce their networks of partners, to increase their capacity to operate jointly at transnational level, boosting internationalisation of their activities, and through exchanging or developing new practices and methods as well as sharing and confronting ideas.

This project is a continuation of the previous Erasmus+ project "Capacity building in the indigenous Sámi film industry and media education in a context on new digital media technologies. The project was a small-scale Erasmus+ partnership project coordinated by the Sámi Education Institute (SAKK) partnered with the International Sámi Film Institute (ISFI).

Information:
International Sámi Film Institute (ISFI): www.isfi.no

Kalix Folkhögskola: www.kalixfolkhogskola.se

More information about the Erasmus+ programme: erasmus-programme-finland-2021-2027

Report:
Saamelaiselokuva-alan koulutus- ja työelämätarpeista sekä opintopoluista ammattilaiseksi_FI
Education and employment needs in the Sámi film industry and study paths to becoming a professional_EN

Project Title: Creating cross-border collaboration in film education in the Sámi region and piloting an innovative traineeship programme model for Sámi film productions

Field: Vocational Education and Training

Project Duration: 1.9.2023-31.8.2025, 24 months

Budget: 250 000 €

Programme: Erasmus+

Action Type: KA220-VET - Cooperation partnerships in vocational education and training

Project Coordinator: Sámi Education Institute (SAKK)

Partners: International Sámi Film Institute (ISFI), Kalix Folkhögskola

Contact Information:
Tiina Jäppinen, project manager
Tel. 040 5559650
Email. tiina.jappinen@sogsakk.fi