FestiSkills Hunters observation event in Imatra brought participants into real festival work

The FestiSkills Hunters project carried out its first major observation and job-shadowing event on 22–25 August 2025 in Imatra and surrounding South Karelia. The programme gathered Estonian and Finnish students for four intensive days of festival learning, practical tasks, and hands-on experience within the Saimaa Film Festival and its satellite locations.

The event served as a practical extension of the FestiSkills Hunters training programme, officially launched during these days. Participants received an overview of festival operations, explored real working environments, and rotated across logistics, audience engagement, accessibility, sustainability, volunteer coordination, and production tasks. They worked in five mixed groups, each with its own leader and responsibilities. Throughout the programme, students were encouraged to be proactive, ask questions, and support the festival production team.

The first day introduced the participants to event management and the Saimaa Film Festival context. Students were divided into five thematic working groups and received practical instructions for the upcoming tasks. They also had the chance to join the festival opening, visit the Festival Club, and observe evening screenings.

Over the following days, groups worked at several festival locations in Imatra, Luumäki, Lappeenranta, Ruokolahti, and Rautjärvi. Their tasks included audience feedback collection, visitor support, volunteer coordination, waste management, assisting with technical operations, promoting evening events, and observing festival workflows across different venues. Students also took part in lectures about Nuijamies cultural venue and met festival organisers and guest speakers. Optional programme elements included networking at the Festival Club and a meeting with Netflix actors.

On Sunday, the programme continued with parallel activities at Ruokolahti Harbour and B&B Hiitolanjoki, where participants also learned how the historical Border Guard House was converted into a cultural venue. Job shadowing continued until late evening at selected locations.

The observation event successfully connected theoretical learning with real festival environments, giving participants firsthand insight into event production, teamwork, public interaction, and sustainability practices. It also strengthened collaboration between Estonian and Finnish partners, marking a meaningful step in the implementation of the FestiSkills Hunters training programme.