For the first time this summer,  the DC Independent Film Festival ran three “sold-out” summer programs aimed at teaching filmmaking, animation and career paths in the media/entertainment industry to students from middle through high school. Participants from around the country and the world, spanning from Texas to France, joined local emerging filmmakers in D.C. just to take part in the educational experience. The flagship program running since 2020 is an intensive five week course for high schoolers to learn the ins and outs of filmmaking from pre- through post-production. For many of the high schoolers, it was their first time making a film with proper equipment and instruction.  For some it was their second summer in the program.

“Me and my friend started making smaller movies by taking videos on the camera app. I always loved doing that and I felt I needed to learn more about how to do it professionally and more advanced with editing, sound and lighting instead of just taking short videos” said Tiago N, a rising freshman.

Starting from week one, students brainstormed original story ideas that they could potentially turn into a larger piece. To match creative writing to actual production, they engaged in activities that allowed them to see how their words would come to life in a scene.  Students collaborated on screenplays and cast actors for their projects, often choosing classmates, friends and family.

“They had actors come in and we wrote two person scripts for them to act out. It really gave me a new passion for directing” said Michael M, a rising sophomore.  

They assigned themselves production roles such as cameraperson, director, gaffer and sound supervisor and traveled across the DMV to film their projects. Once filming wrapped, groups worked on editing, focusing on producing the best possible narrative through sound mixing, color grading and sequencing. 

On August 5th, 2025, the 18 high school students hosted a screening of their final projects at the Angelika Pop Theater. They showcased four short fiction films: The Spot, Whodunit, The Last Night and Where We Left Off and answered questions about the filmmaking process in a Q&A session. 

A Good Morning Washington ABC TV interview on Monday August 4th for two students with host Megan Clarke captured the spirit of DCIFF’s successful summer. Watch it here!