On June 21, 2024, the Inotek EU Innovation Centre Cahul launched EUvision StoryHack, an exciting hackathon dedicated to young people passionate about video storytelling. The aim of the contest was to create compelling video stories that highlight the fundamental benefits of the European Union, such as democracy, diversity, solidarity, and collaboration.

Over 18 intense hours, 10 teams developed projects, applications, and creative ideas with a single goal: promoting EU values in the southern region, specifically in the municipality of Cahul. The initiative aimed to support civic engagement, promote a pro-European mindset among young people, and encourage and creatively express their vision of the European Union.

During the EUvision StoryHack, young participants benefited from the expertise of mentors who guided and instructed them over these two days:

• Ludmila Noni, a mentor in personal branding and European integration, talked about the importance of building an authentic and coherent personal brand, strategies for promoting European values, and how the values and opportunities of the European Union can be integrated and reflected in professional and personal development.
• Sergiu Cudobețchi, an expert videographer, provided his in-depth knowledge in video production, helping the teams create high-quality materials.
• Natalia Munteanu, an expert in video storytelling, contributed to refining the scripts and shaping the messages conveyed through the videos, ensuring clear and impactful communication.

"Emotions, energy, enthusiasm, willpower, attitude, passion, perseverance... these are what I saw and felt alongside the participants of the EUvision StoryHack. It was interesting to identify common values between Personal Branding and the European Union, European values, and trends showcased in short videos, created according to their own ideas, scripts, filmed and edited by members of the 10 teams, following recommendations on what storytelling means, frames, angles, light, and other technical aspects of visual materials mentioned by mentors in the theoretical part." - Ludmila Noni, Personal Branding & European Integration Mentor

"Over these 2 days, together with the participants, we discussed and developed the theme of the European Union integration in the Cahul region. I was very interested and pleasantly surprised to see that the youth are active, know what they want, and are informed about what is happening in our region. The stories that were told in the videos were unique, each one was special, and they developed an idea from start to finish. They managed to fit into 2 minutes and showed what is happening in our region. I believe that we should not just be mentors, but understand that in these 2 days we have given an impulse, a spirit to the new generation, for the young people to develop in the field of videography, scriptwriting, and promoting the region. They heard us, and they were heard." - Sergiu Cudobețchi, Videography Mentor

Three exceptional teams were declared winners and received valuable prizes, including electronic devices and unique surprises.

1st Place: DOM Videographers

• Olga Mevșa
• Maxim Oboroc
• Dumitru Buzdugan

2nd Place: Bad Guys

• Dilear Frolov
• Nadejda Murja
• Mirela Urdea

3rd Place: Imbasiki

• Cristina Pîrău
• Tatiana Barahtean
• Anastasia Pleșcu

"Participating in EUvision StoryHack was an extraordinary experience, full of satisfaction and valuable lessons. As the team leader, I had the privilege of closely observing the collaboration and creativity of my colleagues, who demonstrated a remarkable passion for videography and storytelling. Although we were pressed for time and initially had divided opinions and ideas, we managed to overcome these obstacles through calm, patience, and effective communication. I learned that through close collaboration and mutual trust, a united team can achieve amazing things. All the hard work, stress, and efforts paid off, proving that perseverance and dedication led us to victory. We came to take first place, and we succeeded!" - Olga Mevșa

"I had the honor of participating in the EUvision: StoryHack competition with my team, where we managed to win 1st place! This experience was incredible and left me with positive emotions. The competition was an excellent opportunity to showcase my skills in video editing and videography and to learn from collaborating with other team members. The effort and dedication of each of us were essential to achieving this success." - Maxim Oboroc

"I am pleased to have had the opportunity to participate in this hackathon, gaining new experience in video creation and teamwork. We had two productive days full of new information that I will certainly apply further in my videography career. Thanks to the mentors and those who instructed us from creating a personal brand to conveying the idea in a video clip, I changed my vision of what it means to create a film from scratch." - Dumitru Buzdugan

EUvision: StoryHack was organized by the Inotek Foundation with financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The content is the responsibility of Inotek and does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.