The Arkansas Cinema Society, The Women’s Foundation of Arkansas Girls of Promise Initiative and the JM Associates have announced the fourth annual Filmmaking Lab for Teen Girls will be held in person in July 2022. 

 

Applications to join the free lab will be available through ACS from Dec. 16 through Feb. 6. Chosen applicants will also participate in a phone or Zoom interview prior to selection. 

 

Students will write and produce a short film that will be screened at Filmland, ACS’s annual four-day celebration of cinema. 

 

The Filmmaking Lab for Teen Girls gives young women a chance to experience screenwriting, cinematography, editing, costume design, lighting and sound recording while being able to ask questions about careers in cinema. Students will learn a range of on-set jobs including those historically held by men such as grip or rigging camera gear. The Lab is taught by working film professionals and it begins with the students developing lookbooks and pitch decks focused on stories rooted in women’s empowerment and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math).

 

“The Lab is the heart of the ACS mission — exposing the next generation of Arkansans to the entire process of filmmaking through hands-on training with working industry professionals,” says Kathryn Tucker, executive director of ACS. “Women need to feel empowered to pursue film as a career. Their voices need to be heard, their stories told. We want the Lab to give the girls a head-start in the industry and the confidence to pursue a career in traditionally male-dominated crafts.”

 

While the Lab is free for participants, ACS will accept donations from the general public through its website to help with additional funding needed. Donations range from sponsoring the full month or one day for a participant, providing the cost of transportation for a guest lecturer, or providing a meal. ACS hopes to continue expanding its educational programs statewide to reach more of the underserved populations in our diverse state. 

 

“The opportunities provided by the Filmmaking Lab for Teen Girls set young women up for future success,” says WFA Executive Director Anna Beth Gorman. “Confidence, teamwork, knowledge and experience empower girls to pursue education and careers that put them on the path to achieve economic security as women. The WFA is proud to partner with ACS to empower future female filmmakers and work toward parity in all STEAM fields.”

 

For more information, or to apply visit the ACS website

 

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