I moved to Brașov in the fall of 2022, worn out by life in Bucharest. After two years of pushing a stroller through streets without sidewalks and raising a child without access to green spaces or safe playgrounds, I felt exhausted. The idea of a smaller city, closer to nature, where I already knew a few inspiring people, was deeply appealing. When my partner got the chance to work remotely, we decided to give ourselves a reset — to try a different kind of life. In Bucharest, none of the futures I could imagine felt right anymore.
At the same time, the climate crisis was weighing heavily on my mind. I don’t have a background in environmental science or research, but I knew I wanted to contribute. By 2020, I was already feeling disconnected from my previous work in the creative industries, where I had spent 15 years supporting the growth of the cultural sector. The pandemic, the war, and becoming a mother changed everything for me. They hit hard — emotionally and professionally.
And motherhood gave the future a face: my son’s. That clarity pushed me to act. I wanted my work to have a more meaningful impact — to be part of the solution, even if I had to start from scratch. So I began developing a new project, one rooted in climate awareness, education, and the belief that cultural work can drive social change.
I am lucky to have worked with many extraordinary people, both professionally and personally, and when I told Raluca Bugnar and Marea Oprișiu what ideas we had, the idea of a film festival for children and young people on environmental topics was born. I did not find a model that inspired me, and all the studies I had read indicated that the need was real. At that time, Brasov had the ambition to become a European Green Capital, so I imagined that I would find support and partners in the local government.
I saw this project as a refreshing and exciting challenge. I had already worked with children and teenagers through EducaTIFF and One World Film Clubs, and I was deeply curious about how Greta Thunberg’s environmental activism was resonating with young people in Romania.
What makes working with kids so rewarding is that they haven’t yet absorbed the cynicism that tells us change is too hard or too late. They don’t come with fixed ideas about what's "impossible." Instead, they bring curiosity, questions, and the time and energy to get involved in extracurricular initiatives.
And frankly, they have every reason to be upset — or even angry — about the state of our planet. The messages scientists are sending us, whether through IPCC reports or national assessments of Romania’s climate situation, are urgent and deeply concerning. These young people are not only our future — they are already powerful voices for the present.
Our festival spans five days and features a rich program of short films and feature films tailored for different age groups — from preschoolers to high school students. We showcase award-winning titles from major international festivals like Berlinale, New York International Children's Film Festival, Cannes, and Zlín Festival, all tied together by one theme: the environment.
The films explore thought-provoking and relatable stories, such as:
Every screening is followed by a guided conversation with a skilled cultural mediator, helping young audiences process what they’ve seen. After each feature film, we also invite environmental experts to share real-world perspectives on issues like Romania’s dolphin populations, youth climate activism, or the challenges of wolf-sheep coexistence.
Through this format, the festival becomes more than a viewing experience — it's a space for dialogue, learning, and inspired action.
At CULMEA, we give children the chance to explore environmental themes through creative, hands-on workshops. Whether it's drawing animals that could exist in the future, taking a guided tour of Tâmpa Mountain to discover the biodiversity around us, or following a bat trail using robots, each activity connects artistic exploration with ecological awareness.
In 2024, we secured funding from both AFCN and Brașov City Hall to bring Cinematheque CULMEA to life. Through this project, we developed a curated film catalog focused on four key themes: biodiversity, food waste, fast fashion, and activism. We also trained teachers on how to use film as a tool for environmental education and hosted monthly screenings, each paired with a community-driven activity — from a second-hand clothing fair and a communal meal featuring local ingredients, to a climate walk as part of Street Delivery Brașov.
We remain deeply committed to the belief that the arts can open minds, build connections, and spark the empathy, creativity, and critical thinking needed for real change.
The cinematheque project was carefully designed and had real potential to engage and grow a youth community in Brașov — and possibly beyond. Unfortunately, our experience with the Brașov City Hall created serious challenges. Despite being approved for funding, the city failed to deliver the promised support on time, leaving us — and many other grantees — in a difficult position.
To keep the project alive, we had to cover nearly €20,000 from personal and organizational resources. The funds eventually arrived — six months late — but by then, the damage was done. The delay caused significant financial strain and created unnecessary stress for our team. More importantly, it deeply eroded our trust in the City Hall as a reliable partner for cultural initiatives.
We deeply believe in the power of the arts to open minds, build bridges between people, and foster empathy, critical thinking, and creativity. But for young people to truly benefit from this impact, a few key ingredients are needed.
First, children need early and diverse exposure to creative experiences — from theater and concerts to art films and exhibitions. Just as important is the presence of cultural role models: people around them for whom attending artistic events is a natural part of life, and others who work in culture professionally, showing that the arts are not just a hobby, but a meaningful career path.
Finally, it’s essential that cultural experiences are not consumed passively. With the right professional guidance, young audiences can learn to approach art critically — to question, reflect, and understand the deeper messages behind what they see and hear.
Film is one of the most powerful ways to tell stories, spark debate, and nurture empathy and critical thinking. Why? Because watching a movie in a cinema is more than just entertainment — it’s a shared artistic experience. And shared experiences naturally lead to conversation.
After any film, it’s almost impossible not to have a reaction: maybe you loved a performance, didn’t understand the ending, were moved by a scene, or got frustrated with a character’s choices. These reactions become the starting point for deeper discussions.
We build on this collective experience to introduce both cinematic literacy — exploring how the story was crafted, what techniques were used, how to interpret visual language — and to open up space for bigger questions. One of the most urgent? The climate crisis and how we relate to it.
Film helps us ask not just what is happening in the world, but how we feel about it, and what we can do together.
We collaborate with experienced cultural mediators who know how to guide meaningful conversations with children and young people. Over the past two years, Raluca Bugnar and Teo Minea have spoken with thousands of young viewers at events like CULMEA, TIFF, Astra, and many other film screenings. These moments give kids the chance to ask questions, reflect on what they've seen on the big screen, and connect those stories to their everyday lives.
We believe it’s essential to remind young audiences that it’s okay — even important — to watch things that might feel unfamiliar or uncomfortable. That’s how we shape our taste and broaden our understanding of the world.
Our approach to these conversations is always optimistic, encouraging, and focused on solutions. We never underestimate the power children and young people have to positively impact their communities. At the same time, we’re careful not to overwhelm them with fear or anxiety about the future.
It’s a delicate balance: we aim to present the seriousness of today’s challenges while highlighting actionable solutions. And these often go beyond the typical media focus on recycling or waste collection. Instead, we emphasize civic engagement — writing petitions, speaking with authorities, organizing community actions — as powerful tools for real change.
At the same time, children and young people know that we are in a lousy situation, it makes no sense to lie to ourselves that they do not realize that their future is in danger. What they lack is the information on how they can contribute in a constructive way to solving the problem and imagining a better future.
A 2023 report co-funded by the European Union and implemented by the Association for Sustainable Development Assistance and Programmesshows3 out of 5 young Romanians consider climate change to be a priority. Inanother survey of 2021conducted in 23 European countries, including Romania, the IPSOS research agency shows that climate change and environmental degradation have been ranked by young people in the highest place as the worst problems facing humanity.
Noua began as a collaboration between the ORICUM Association and Biodeck. In 2021, Biodeck awarded us a grant that gave us the chance to explore the idea of a journalistic platform focused on environmental topics for children and young people. At the time, I was still on maternity leave and dove into the project with excitement and curiosity — despite having no prior editorial experience. From the start, our dream was to eventually create a physical community space for film screenings and workshops, in partnership with other organizations.
Although we struggled to secure additional sponsors, we were fortunate to be accepted into the Digital Activism program by Funky Citizens. This experience was incredibly valuable — we had inspiring conversations with mentors and received small grants that helped us support our team, continue the new.care newsletter, and even launch a podcast in collaboration with Info Sud Est and the Între Vecini – Hot Choices team.
That said, sustaining the Noua project long-term has proven challenging. The world of independent journalism is more complex than I had imagined. Still, it has brought me in touch with some truly amazing and talented professionals — Marian Ignat, Patricia Cîrtog, Ștefania Gârțu, and Oana Racheleanu — people I’d happily work with again in any context.
I truly hope we’ll find a way to keep noua.grijă going. It’s a valuable journalistic platform that sheds light on the climate crisis and the path toward a just transition — and it deserves to grow.
The culmination would be to be able to open a community space in which to organize film screenings and workshops, alongside other organizations.
More realistically, I hope to get funding for the 3rd edition as well and develop a catalogue of films for schools, with which to develop long-term partnership relationships.
Ahhh and let's expand CULMEA to other cities and countries as well. We have already had screenings in partnership at Câmpulung, Cluj and in Genoa, Italy and the feedback was very good!
Read more about how to build communities in Oana Filip's newsletter, Glue in the community (in Romanian)
