The initiative was presented at the Cannes Film Festival and Giffoni was represented there by Giovanni Brancaccio from the management team. Funded by Creative Europe Media, the European Film Club consists of a film platform and a network of film clubs aimed at enabling young people to come together to watch and discuss films. This will also inspire them to make their own films. According to a survey, 84% of young people surveyed would like to watch more European films while 94% want the film industry to make it easier for them to watch such films. Additionally, 79% think cinema is an important way to create a sense of European identity.

The European Film Club program will address this need by enabling the viewing of films from different cultures and countries through a variety of platforms and venues, ranging from a dedicated website to schools, cinemas and festivals. This major initiative will start in June 2022 and will involve 38 partners from 30 countries including national film centers/institutes in the Netherlands, Iceland, Slovenia, the UK, Hungary, Lithuania and North Macedonia, film academies in Portugal and Austria, high-profile film festivals in Poland, Kosovo, Norway, Greece, Romania, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Switzerland and Croatia, as well as a film university, a national film museum, film commissions and children's film and cultural agencies and organizations.

"Films offer an insight into the lives of others and into different cultures and show us what it means to be European. Building a love for European cinema does not only mean investing in the future of film industry, but also in young people's cultural future", explained project director Matthijs Wouter Knol. "The Academy is developing a number of innovative initiatives to support European cinema and filmmakers".