Film Camp for Girls

What parents are saying about the Film Camp for Girls:

Dear Michelle and Staff,

I would like to express my gratitude to you and all teachers, staff, volunteers, at the summer Film Camp. My daughter was fortunate to attend the camp in July, and I would like to share with you some of the positive outcome from that experience.

To start, well she just had a blast, but I believe just as important is what she learned about herself. In today's society it is often difficult for young people, especially young women, to find and interact with positive role models. You all have certainly "filled the bill."

She has a new confidence that is both kind and sure. She learned that hard work is fun, and worth the returns. She has found someplace where she feels comfortable to be herself. Thank you, for the time and work with my daughter as well as the other young women that you all mentor daily.

Truly,

Marla R.

OVERNIGHT CAMP

 

About the Overnight Camp

The Film Camp for Girls at University of Texas at Austin is 9 days and 8 nights of fun and film! Sixteen girls in grades 8 - 12 will learn the nuts and bolts of filmmaking, including screenwriting, acting, cinematography and editing. Girls will find inspiration for their projects through visits to the Blanton Art Museum, the Harry Ransom Center and daily film screenings, as well as "Campfire Chats" with industry professionals. Working in small groups, girls will create short films under the supervision and instruction of local women filmmakers in a supportive and inspiring environment. Campers will also have the opportunity to learn about media literacy and women filmmakers. At the end of camp, we'll screen the short films for an audience of friends and family at a local theatre. One final note: We are committed to making this experience open to any girl who dreams of attending our camp. Please read our Information About Tuition Assistance. We encourage everyone to apply!

DAY CAMP

  • The Film Camp for Girls at the Ann Richards School
  • Dates: July 28 - August 1, 2008, Monday - Friday
  • Time : 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Tuition: $375.00 (tuition assistance available)
  • Registration Deadline: July 2, 2008 (please contact us if after deadline to see if space is still available)
  • Questions: Call 512.628.3413 or Email camp@femmefilmtexas.org
  • Download Application Form

About the Day Camp

The Film Camp for Girls at the Ann Richards School is 5 days of fun and film! Sixteen girls in grades 6 - 12 will learn the nuts and bolts of filmmaking, including screenwriting, acting, cinematography, and editing. Working in small groups, girls will create short films under the supervision and instruction of local women filmmakers in a supportive and inspiring environment. Campers will also have the opportunity to learn about media literacy and women filmmakers. At the end of camp, we'll screen the short films for an audience of friends and family at a local theatre. One final note: We are committed to making this experience open to any girl who dreams of attending our camp. Please read our Information About Tuition Assistance. We encourage everyone to apply!

WHY A FILM CAMP FOR GIRLS?

We want to embolden girls to express their voice through the art of filmmaking. In order to do this, we are providing a supportive and creative environment where girls can discover the skills and tools of the trade. We strive to teach girls about filmmaking and digital technology while building leadership skills and encouraging artistic expression.

Consider the following:

The typical American girl uses some kind of media for over five hours per day, and, by the age of sixteen, she has spent more hours watching television than going to school.

In the history of filmmaking, only three women have been nominated for an Oscar for Direction: Lina Wertmuller (1976), Jane Campion (1993), and Sofia Coppola (2003). None have won.

Of 2004's top-grossing films:

  • ·5% had female directors
  • ·12% had female writers
  • ·3% had female cinematographers
  • ·6% had female editors

We want to turn these trends around by educating girls to be media-makers!

FACULTY AND STAFF

In keeping with our mission to educate girls about filmmaking, we have a dedicated faculty and staff comprised of women filmmakers who are at the top of their field. The award-winning faculty and guest speakers include working female filmmakers, editors, cinematographers, writers, and producers. Our 2008 faculty will include:

Michelle Voss (Writer, Director, Editor, Producer) recently won Best Documentary at Earth Vision Film Festival for her film, Velocity. As the writer, director and producer of Velocity, Michelle received numerous funding awards, including the Sustainable Development Fund Film Grant, to complete the film. Velocity is currently in distribution with The Video Project. Michelle's work has been shown at Arthouse at the Jones Center for Contemporary Art, and her short video, Ballerinas, was selected for the 2006 Faces of Austin Exhibition in City Hall. For the past five years, Michelle's film and video work has been funded through the Cultural Contracts program. In 2000, Michelle completed a degree in Radio, Television, Film from the University of Texas at Austin where she was also a member of the Speech Team, placing fifth in the nation in persuasive speaking. Michelle created the Femme Film Texas programs in order to teach filmmaking and digital technology to young women and girls. She is the founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit organization Moving Image Arts & Education, which sponsors the Femme Film Texas programs.

Kat Candler (Writer, Director, Editor, Producer ) debuted her first feature film cicadas in 2000 at the Austin Heart of Film Festival where it picked up the audience award. Kat wrote her next script jumping off bridges , which in 2002, Kat was one of 50 finalists in the Chesterfield Fellowship Competition, a Semi-Finalist in the 2002 Sundance Screenwriter's Lab and a participant in the 2002 IFP Market's Emerging Narrative Section. In 2004, Candler's short film, Roberta Wells , premiered at the 2004 Slamdance Film Festival and was chosen for the 2004 Slamdance Shorts Compilation DVD. Her latest script, Brain Brawl , was selected for the 2004 IFP Market's Emerging Narrative Section, was a Quarter Finalist in the 2004 Slamdance Screenplay Competition, and won the Grand Prize at the 2005 Rhode Island International Film Festival Screenplay Competition. In January of 2005, Kat's second featured, jumping off bridges , premiered at the 2006 South By Southwest Film Festival. The film was a participant in the 2005 inaugural IFP Rough Cuts Lab and a recipient of a 2005 Texas Filmmaker's Production Fund Grant. Kat and Stacy Schoolfield are currently developing a range of narrative features and a documentary series. Kat teaches film at the Austin School of Film and several after school programs.

Stacy Schoolfield (Producer, Editor, Writer, Director) forged careers in book publishing and software, spending her weekends working on films. While living in Seattle working as a program manager for a major software company, Stacy wrote and directed her second short film. After coming back to her home state and settling in Austin, she quickly took her place among the busy filmmakers of the capital city. She has worked on more than a dozen short and feature-length films in 35MM, 16MM, and digital video as producer, camera, assistant director, location sound and editor. She served as a producer on jumping off bridges and handled the daily production management as unit production manager/line producer and post-production supervisor. She's completed several scripts and directed Rescue Me, a feature-length documentary about people who adopt shelter animals. Current projects include directing Roadside Texas, a documentary about encounters with disappearing culture, characters and history on the roadsides of Texas and leading the development of Storie's second feature narrative, Kat Candler's Brain Brawl.

INFORMATION ABOUT TUITION ASSISTANCE

The Film Camp for Girls is an incubator for diversity in the media arts, and, as such, we are committed to making this experience open to girls everywhere. We are especially interested in making this opportunity available to high-achieving girls who are unable to put together the financial resources to attend the camp. In order to qualify for tuition assistance, we would like for you to demonstrate financial need and scholastic excellence. There are a number of ways to demonstrate both, so we have created an Application for Tuition Assistance to guide you through possible qualifications. Please don't let these qualifications discourage you from applying! If you think we should consider you, please apply! Click here to download our Application for Tuition Assistance in Word Format or in PDF Format.

OVERNIGHT CAMP FAQ

Where will campers be staying?

Campers will be staying in a dorm on the University of Texas campus. Each camper will have one roommate. Roommates will be randomly assigned based on age groups. If you have a roommate preference (i.e., you already know another camper and you both were accepted), both campers have the opportunity to indicate this preference when they are accepted. We will try to accommodate every request. More information about the dorm will be provided once you are accepted into camp.

What meals are included? Do I need any spending money?

There will be three meals a day included in the cost of tuition. We will also provide snacks each day - as well as special treats! Campers may want to bring a nominal amount of spending money for any extra drinks or snacks, or to purchase UT memorabilia.

When does camp start and end?

Check-in will begin at Noon on Saturday, June 21, 2008. All campers must be checked-in by 2:00 p.m. Check-out will begin at 10:00 a.m. on the morning of Sunday, June 29, 2008. All campers must be checked-out by 2:00 p.m.

Do you allow commuter campers?

We do not allow commuter campers for the overnight Film Camp for Girls. The overnight camp is designed for girls to have an enriching arts experience in a college campus setting. As such, we believe that campers need to stay on-campus. If you feel like you are not ready for an overnight camp, or if you would prefer to commute to camp, please consider applying to our Film Camp for Girls at the Ann Richards School.

Does the Film Camp for Girls provide transportation from the airport?

No. Due to institutional liabilities, the Film Camp for Girls cannot provide transportation to and from the airport or bus station for minors. It is about a twenty-minute cab ride from the airport to the dormitory.

DAY CAMP FAQ

Are any meals included?

We do not provide any meals. Each camper must bring her lunch. However, we will provide snacks each day - as well as special treats!

When does camp start and end?

Camp will begin each day at 9:00 a.m. and end at 5:00 p.m. Campers may be dropped-off no earlier than 8:30 a.m. and must be picked-up no later than 5:30 p.m. Please be considerate of our time restrictions!

Where is the Ann Richards School?

The Ann Richards School is located in South Austin at 2206 Prather Lane, Austin, Texas 78704, between Victory Drive and Manchaca. If you have any questions about the camp, please do not contact the Ann Richards School. Please direct any questions about the camp to the Film Camp for Girls at 512-628-3413 or michelle@femmefilmtexas.org.