First Cut! Youth Film Festival provides young filmmakers between the ages of 12 and 24 with a platform for screening their short films. It is committed to fostering the creative development of young filmmakers from every background and provides a broad range of programming from animation workshops and screenings for primary school students right up to events aimed at emerging filmmakers entering the film industry in their early twenties.

First Cut! is youth centred, placing great emphasis on bringing young filmmakers together. It is a positive story centred around young people and their extraordinary creativity. Diversity and inclusion are core values for this festival. All events are free to ensure accessibility for the widest possible youth audience.

The festival creates a space where young filmmakers can share their passion for making films with their peers. Whether working individually or as part of a school or youth group, panel discussions with participating filmmakers allow young audiences to take inspiration from the experiences of their contemporaries.

Its youth-centred approach is also reflected in the First Cut! Youth Advisory Council, a rotating group of young people who have acted as festival advisors for each edition. They are also responsible for selecting a Youth Advisory Council Award for films in the open call screenings. This prize is one of the range of awards that First Cut! presents every year in a dozen categories including Best Film, Best Director, Best Young Adults Film, Best Schools Film, Best Animation, Best Music Video and Best Documentary.