The 7th International Student Competition for the Creation of Educational Board and Digital Games, organized by EKKOMED, brings Greek cinema to the center of student creativity, connecting cinematic heritage with education, gaming, and new technologies.

For the seventh consecutive year, EKKOMED – the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Center, under the Ministry of Culture, is organizing the International Student Competition for the Creation of Educational Board and Digital Games “The Lesson… is a Game,” an institution that connects education with game-based learning, audiovisual literacy, technology, and creative expression.

The 7th Competition is held under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports and the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and is carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Governance, the Department of Communication, Media and Culture of Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, the Department of Early Childhood Education of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the Association of Information and Communication Technology Engineers, the partner organizations of Scratch Game, and, starting this year, the Greek Gaming Academy.

For 2026–2027 school year, the Competition’s theme is “Greek Cinema: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow,” bringing together in the same creative field the history of Greek cinema, contemporary audiovisual creation, and the possibilities of the future. From the earliest film works to contemporary Greek production, and from traditional cinematic storytelling to new technologies, Greek cinema constitutes a broad field of knowledge, research, and creativity.

Greek cinema through gaming & play

This year’s theme allows students to explore different periods and aspects of Greek film history, get to know important Greek filmmakers, films, and film genres, and examine how cinema captures the social and cultural reality of each era.

At the same time, the focus shifts to the present and future of audiovisual creation. Changes in cinematic storytelling and production, the evolution of digital media, and new technologies are shaping a constantly changing environment, in which the relationship between image, narrative, and technology takes on new dimensions. Thus, cinematic heritage is not treated as a static historical object, but as a starting point for creation and for a dialogue between the past, present, and future of Greek cinema through technology and new forms of audiovisual storytelling.

Within the framework of the Competition, research and knowledge are transformed into creative design. Student teams work on a topic, search for and evaluate information, select the content they will use, and transform it into a game with educational content.

The goal is to create an original board game, augmented board game, or digital educational game, in which the content and game mechanics work together.

This process brings students into contact with basic principles of game design and gamification, and allows them to actively participate in every stage of the creative process: from the initial idea and research to design, rule-making, and the final development of their proposal.

At the same time, the process cultivates creativity, imagination, critical thinking, collaboration, digital literacy, computational skills, and the basic principles of game design (gamification).

This year’s theme: “Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow”

The choice of Greek cinema as the thematic focus takes on particular symbolic and timely significance ahead of the international 39th European Film Awards, which will be hosted in Athens for the first time on January 16, 2027 — an event expected to boost the international visibility of the Greek film landscape and highlight Greece’s role on the European cinematic map. The new theme seeks to build a bridge between education, cinema, technology, and the creative industry, bringing the educational process closer to a modern and dynamically growing field: game design. In the same spirit, it connects Greek cinematic heritage with the new generation of creators.

The lesson becomes a game. Cinema becomes inspiration. And the new generation creates the next frame.

An institution with seven years of history

The International Student Competition “The Lesson… is a Game” has now completed six editions, having established itself as a stable meeting point between education, gaming, technology, and creativity. Participation by students from Greece, Cyprus, and the Greek diaspora has highlighted the institution’s momentum and the school community’s interest in new forms of learning and creative expression.

See previous editions and awards of the Competition here: https://www.ekkomed.gr/el/ekpaideysi/diagonismos-dimiourgias-paixnidioy-to-mathima-paixnidi/

Information and participation:

Submission deadline: Friday, March 12, 2027

Application form: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/2Sh1grr7j3

See the trailer for the 7th Competition here: https://shorturl.at/Y2frW

See the 2026–2027 Call for Entries here: https://www.ekkomed.gr/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/prokiryksi-7os-diagonismos-paichnidioy-392026.pdf

Information: educate@ekkomed.gr