SFFILM Education’s Youth Filmmaker Camp is an intensive summer program for teens ages 14–18 to learn from world-class film professionals in a fun, interactive, and collaborative environment. The program is broken up into two experience levels: the Starter Lab, which is for beginner students looking to learn the basics of filmmaking and enhance their storytelling skills; and the Advanced Lab, which is for students who want to build upon their existing skills. All students dive deep into the filmmaking process by learning about screenwriting, storyboarding, production, cinematography, sound, editing, and much more.
Through a combination of lectures, hands-on exercises, guest speakers, discussions, and workshops, campers form a deeper understanding of the production process from conceptualization to post-production, transform their ideas into proper screenplays, and create group short films of their own. Throughout the duration of camp, students create a short film and rotate roles to experience all positions on a film set including director, cinematographer, sound, and grip. Students will gain technical skills such as editing with Adobe Premiere Pro, screenplay formatting, learning how to use professional cameras, as well as lighting and sound equipment. Camp culminates with a screening of the student’s final films and a walk on the red carpet!
The curriculum is supplemented with guest speakers of SFFILM supported and Bay Area filmmakers. In recent years guests have included Academy Award nominated Jim Lebrecht (Crip Camp), Bret Parker (Pixar), Academy Award nominated filmmaker Trevor Jimenez (Weekends), Alice Wu (The Half of It), and Breaktide Production co-founder Reaa Puri.
Starter Lab
July 14 – 25, 2025
9 am–4 pm
Advanced Lab
July 28 – August 8, 2025
9 am–4 pm
Location
University of San Francisco
Cost
$1,250 (non-SFFILM members)
$1,200 (SFFILM members)
To be considered for a scholarship please submit here.
Make A Gift
Want to make a positive impact on the next generation of storytellers? You can help SFFILM Education serve students in need by making a fully tax-deductible gift in support of Youth Filmmakers Camp Scholarship Assistance.
For questions about enrollment or scholarship applications please contact SFFILM Education Manager Soph Schultz Rocha at sschultzrocha@sffilm.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you provide financial assistance for this camp?
We want to make it possible for anyone to attend this camp. We offer sliding scale and full scholarships for students/families who would benefit from the assistance. Both scholarships include the cost of the camp only. Scholarships will be awarded based on merit and availability of space in both the Starter and Advanced Labs. Please complete the scholarship application linked here.
What’s the difference between Starter and Advanced Lab?
The Starter Lab is for students with little to no experience with filmmaking. In this session we start with the basics and fundamentals of filmmaking. The Advanced Lab is for students who already have experience with filmmaking whether that is through our Starter Lab, another camp, workshop, or through school classes. Students are expected to have a basic understanding of each stage of creating a short film, basic use of a DSLR camera, and experience using editing software.
Do you require proof of vaccination to attend the camp?
Your safety is our top priority. Masks are not required but are highly recommended especially when indoors. We are monitoring city public health guidelines and recommendations regarding COVID-19 and may update safety protocols as needed leading up to camp. We do not require proof of vaccination to attend camp.
Who can I contact with questions about ADA specifications?
For questions regarding Accessibility for this camp, please contact SFFILM’s Education Manager Soph Schultz Rocha at sschultz@sffilm.org.
What is your refund policy?
You can cancel your enrollment up to two weeks before the camp session starts for a full refund, minus a $50 registration fee. If you need to cancel less than two weeks before your session of camp starts we will not be able to issue you a refund.