Film Culture as an Elective Subject for Seventh and Eighth Grade Students in Elementary School

The National Council for Education, upon the proposal of the Institute for Education, has established the elective subject "Film Culture" for seventh and eighth grade students in elementary school. The proposed elective program was developed based on research by the Montenegro Film Center, "The Role of Film in Teaching and Developing Viewing Habits among Primary School Children," conducted in 2025. The Film Culture elective aims to develop film and audiovisual literacy, systematically introduce students to film works, their understanding, analysis, and evaluation, as well as to encourage creative expression through moving images. The program's particular importance lies in its interdisciplinary approach – film culture connects artistic forms with the development of visual culture, media literacy, critical thinking, creativity, social awareness, and digital competencies, which are especially important for life and education in the 21st century. Through this elective, students will have the opportunity to learn basic elements of film language, distinguish film forms, genres, and stylistic trends, understand the historical development and social significance of film, and develop analysis and creative expression skills through practical tasks. The Ministry and the Institute expect that introducing film culture into elementary education will contribute to creating generations of students who will see film not only as entertainment but as an artistic, social, and communicative phenomenon that fosters understanding of the world, critical thinking, and creativity.