Our Youth Documentary Workshop (YDW) is a credit-bearing afterschool program in which high schoolers learn and work on all aspects of documentary filmmaking. The result: documentaries that investigate social justice issues from the perspective of those who are most impacted yet seldom heard. And a life-changing experience for many youth.   

 

Participants learn storyboarding, interviewing skills, editing, cinematography, and industry standard tools such as Adobe Premiere. They share all decision-making from selecting the topic of the film to how the end credits roll – and everything in between.

 

At the end of each semester, the films premiere at theaters across NYC including at HBO, Film at Lincoln Center, and SVA Theatre. Through our signature portfolio roundtables, the newly-minted filmmakers discuss the films and reflect on their experiences making them. 

 

The films are entered in film festivals, screened at the students’ schools, and in many other venues, reaching new audiences, and winning awards. 

 

Participants also have the opportunity for paid internships with our media partners including Firelight Media, Union Editorial, and Bloomberg News. 

 

Many graduates of the workshop  have gone on to work at media companies including Univision, CNN, Bloomberg News, Urbanworld Film Festival, PBS’s POV series, and more. 

 

Want to enroll students from your high school? Simply fill out the form below, or email Mary Grueser, Deputy Director, Programs.