Teen Filmmaking Workshop: Collaboration & Creativity
Join director duo and multi-disciplinary artists Jess X. Snow and Ashima Shiraishi, for a filmmaking workshop for teens focused on collaboration and creativity through multiple mediums. This workshop will delve into the process behind their narrative shorts as well as their latest collaborative experimental documentary, Tamashi (part of the Festival’s Shorts 1: Human Flow program), co-directed with artist and world record-breaking rock climber Ashima Shiraishi.
Open to students ages 13–18.
Biographies
New York City native Ashima Shiraishi (b. 2001) was born to Japanese immigrants. Their father, a former butoh dancer, coached and mentored her early career as a child prodigy rock climber. In the full-length documentary ASHIMA (2023) (DOC NYC, Visions Du Réel, SFFILM Schools at Doc Stories), Ashima’s world record breaking first female ascent of a V15 at the age of 14 is captured on screen. Now, Ashima is focused on storytelling, and exploring the intersection of climbing, art, culture, ecology, and social justice. They recently wrote and co-directed the short documentary MUGA (2024) where they climb and listen to the ancient gneiss of the Ticino Valley, exploring the liminal space where the boundaries between the self and the stone dissolve. Their most recent short documentary, TAMASHI premiered at International Film Festival Rotterdam.
Jess X. Snow (b.1992) is a Chinese-Canadian filmmaker, multi-disciplinary artist committed to bringing the healing journeys of queer diasporic people to the big screen. Named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film, their genre-bending short films are currently streaming on the Criterion Channel. Previously they screened at festivals including BFI London Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, BlackStar and Durban (Special Mention of the Jury). They are a Film Independent fellow for When the River Split Open; their debut narrative feature. They served as producer and cinematographer on the Academy Award-shortlisted documentary, We Were the Scenery (2025 Sundance Short Film Jury Award for Non-Fiction, 2025 SFFILM) currently available on Vimeo Staff Picks and Short of the Week.
