Film Themes
The themes for the three documentaries are,  'Construct' , 'Wonder' and 'Peeping' taken from issues 15, 19 and 22 of Foam Magazine respectively. They give an exclusive view behind the scenes of the photographers' work, bringing each theme to life. The results are an inspirational resource for all aspiring photographers who want to turn their passion into a career.
On 5  June, Foam will kick off with Michael Wolf's documentary 'Peeping'. Two weeks later  the documentary 'Wonder' with Jessica Backhaus will be available and again two weeks later the documentary 'Construct' of Melanie Bonajo will appear.

Inspiration
The films, shot in Amsterdam, Berlin and Paris, are also a starting point for the production of new images. Foam For You has created themed groups on Flickr (Peeping, Wonder and Construct) to encourage amateurs to make and share their own photography based on the films' themes. Users can access the first Flickr group here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/foam_peeping/

The best results from these groups will form part of a curated collection on the website, foam.org. In this way, Foam For You not only builds an online community of artists that have a close relationship with Foam, but it also encourages the general development of photographic practice for a new generation.

Education
At www.foam.org/foamforyou comprehensive training materials for all levels of education can also be found. A number of instruction and assignment videos for students of primary, secondary and special education are available to improve viewers' understanding of photography. A variety of lesson plans can also be created using an extensive teachers manual, which helps put theory into practice.

Biographies
Michael Wolf ( Munich, 1954). He grew up in the United States, Europe and Canada, and studied at UC Berkeley and at the Folkwang School in Essen, Germany. He moved to Hong Kong in 1995 for a period of intensive study of Chinese cultural identity and the complexities of Chinese urban architecture. His professional interest in people and human interaction began when he accidently blew up a detail from glazed buildings he had been photographing in Chicago. Transparent City (Aperture 2008) juxtaposes images from the buildings and pixellated details with blown-up details of the life within. Wolf's curiosity about accidentally captured human situations led to work with the immense image archive of Google Street Views. With great precision he isolates scenes from the streets of Paris. By framing and directing our gaze, Michael Wolf helps us discover small details. The images capture both the humour, beauty and absurdity of daily life and raise questions about the constant surveillance of public spaces.

Jessica Backhaus (Cuxhaven, 1970). She moved to Paris at the age of sixteen, where she studied visual communication and photography and worked as a picture editor. Eight years later her passion for photography drew her to New York, where she assisted photographers and developed her own style. Focusing on quiet moments and easily overlooked details, Jessica Backhaus' visual language is intimate and delicate. In 2008 Jessica Backhaus published two books, What Still Remains, a photo series of 65 works created since 2006 in various locations and One Day in November, a visual tribute to her friend and mentor, the photographer Gisèle Freund. Jessica Backhaus's work has been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including shows in The National Portrait Gallery in London and the Martin-Gropius-Bau in Berlin. She is represented by Laurence Miller Gallery in New York, Robert Morat Galerie in Hamburg and The Photographers' Gallery in London. Jessica lives and works in Berlin.

Melanie Bonajo (Heerlen, 1978) works as an artist, performing and exhibiting her photographs in major art institutions such as Institute Neérlandais, Paris; Museum Kröller-Möller, De Hoge Veluwe; SMBA, Amsterdam; Van Zoetendaal, Amsterdam; Fons Welters, Amsterdam; Foam, Amsterdam and a solo show at Fette Gallery, Los Angeles 2008. She won the Dutch Young Artist Award for 2003 and in collaboration with Kinga Kielczynska won the Pup Award 2007. Her work has been published by Capricious, Eye-magazine, Glu, Livraison, Famous magazine, Mollusk and many more. Since 2004 she has been the Creative Editor of Capricious, the photo magazine for young emerging photographers.

For more information, visit www.foam.org/foamforyou

Note to editors: For information and visual material please contact the communications department, e-mail foam[at]foam.org or phone +31 (0)20 5516500.

Foam is sponsored by the BankGiroLoterij, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, Delta Lloyd and the VandenEnde Foundation.

This project is sponsored by  VSBfonds, the Nederlandse stichting voor het gehandicapte kind, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds en Stichting Do Ut Des Cultuurfonds.

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