Film Educates

Film is democratizing, inclusive, and accessible. We believe film is a vibrant artistic expression and powerful communication tool able to open windows to the world and build bridges of understanding between cultures.

Our year-round programs: Expose students of all ages and backgrounds to great storytelling through film. Foster diverse perspectives, empathy, critical thinking, and dialogue. Create opportunities for students to share their own stories and ideas through visual storytelling. Connect young people to each other, and to their broader community through shared experiences.

The Voices in Film Youth Forum at Aspen Shortsfest incorporates broadreaching, FREE, youth-focused programming and events during Aspen Film’s signature festival. Forum initiatives include Cooperative Work Experiences + Internships, Making Movies Matter, Filmmakers to the Classroom, Young Filmmaker Master Labs, Spotlight Session Interviews, Seats for Students, and the Youth Jury.

This is a young person’s chance to join fellow student filmmakers for an immersive dive into the world of filmmaking. During each week of camp, students gain valuable hands-on experience using state-of-the-art equipment, while collaborating with each other and switching roles to craft short films in both live action and animation.

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Aspen Film provides films and resources for themed shorts packages (e.g. immigration, the environment, creative storytelling) to enrich curricula in language and visual arts, history, world geography, social sciences, ESL, and more. 

National and international filmmakers visit schools to share their films, cultural perspectives, and creative processes, giving students the opportunity to engage directly with working artists. These visits demystify the filmmaking process, inspire creative confidence, and show students how personal stories can become powerful tools for expression rooted in real-world creative practice. 

Students and educators are invited to attend film screenings as well as experience in-depth public panel discussions with filmmakers and invited industry professionals on various topics relating to the art and industry of filmmaking today. Schools and youth organizations along with health and human services programs receive free admission to public programs during Filmfest and Shortsfest.

High-touch labs and master classes bring filmmakers and industry leaders together with high school and college-level students to screen films (including student works-in-progress), explore the creative process, and engage in hands-on filmmaking experiences. Centered on mentorship and knowledge-sharing, these initiatives create supportive learning environments where students learn directly from filmmakers and industry professionals while also collaborating with their peers through guided discussions, exercises, and creative challenges.

Cooperative Work Experiences and Internships at Aspen Film offer rich, challenging, and personalized opportunities for qualified students, graduates, and young professionals pursuing careers in arts administration, filmmaking and production, communications (marketing and design), or related fields. Through hands-on, project-based learning and mentorship from industry professionals, participants gain real-world experience while contributing meaningfully to nonprofit work. Select placements may also be eligible for college credit, further supporting students’ academic and professional pathways.

For more information about programs or how to get involved, please contact Regna Jones, Head of Education Development and Programs aspenfilmeducates@gmail.com