ACTION! — Last year’s summer film camp participants working to film their projects.
Applications due May 15
After a week of class, a student can make short videos. That’s part of the premise behind the Alexander Valley Film Society’s (AVFS) Summer Film Camp, which runs two weeklong boot camps for kids interested in learning about film. At the end of the week, participants will have created a one- to two-minute commercial — a tangible representation of their work.
“We are not the educators. But if we can help facilitate the kids’ learning, we can help broaden the community,” said AVFS Founder and Executive Director Kathryn Hecht about the film society’s decision to host film boot camps for students.
While the AVFS staff don’t lead the programs, they bring in experts in the field to teach participants about filmmaking.
In previous years, the summer film camp only had a beginning level class. However this year, the AFVS have added a second, intermediate-level program. To be placed in the higher level, students should have either attended the 2018 summer film program, or be in this year’s beginner program.
Any student between sixth and 12th grades can apply, and the workshops are geared toward “folks who don’t have digital media opportunities in their schools, or kids who don’t have time in their schedules to (take those classes),” Hecht said.
According to Hecht, the summer classes have historically consisted of primarily north county students, however the camp is open to kids throughout the county.
The camps this summer will be taught by Malinalli López, the Windsor-based CEO and founder of XQL Media, who also teaches film in the American Multicultural Studies and Chicano/Latino Department at Sonoma State University.
Hecht is excited to have López as the workshop teacher because it “offers an opportunity for us to bridge a cultural gap,” she said. “Latinx kids, kids of color can come in and work with a teacher of color.”
As part of partnering with the community, the boot camps will be held in the Cloverdale High School Maker Space and students will have access to formative video editing programs.
“If nothing else, these kids are going to be working with at least three professional filmmakers,” Hecht said. “The more caring adults you can have in a kid’s life, the greater the experience.”
Hecht also hopes that the boot camps can help curb some of the effects of the summer slide.
Classes are $100 for a week of courses; there are scholarships available for those who need it. The beginner bootcamp will take place from June 17 to June 21, 9 a.m. to noon. The intermediate bootcamp will be from June 24 to June 29, 9 a.m. to noon.
Applications can be found at avfilmsociety.org/summer-film-camp and are due by May 15.
