SummerFilm at California Film Institute

Join us this summer for a series of immersive workshops that explore multiple pathways into the film and festival industries. Our programs are designed to demystify the process, offering professional-level training through interactive, supportive, and genuinely fun experiences.

Through hands-on workshops, students learn the art and craft of storytelling for the screen while building collaboration skills, creative confidence, and real-world production experience. Working alongside professional filmmakers, participants write, shoot, and edit original work they can proudly add to a film reel or resume.

Beyond the classroom, SummerFilm students are welcomed into CAFILM’s year-round cinema-loving community. Participants receive Mill Valley Film Festival Badges and are extended opportunities to attend special screenings and events at both the festival and at the Smith Rafael Film Center throughout the year. Recent highlights have included the Spike Lee Tribute at the Mill Valley Film Festival and a special screening of Wicked: For Good with Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, and director Jon M. Chu.

Whether students begin as pre-teens making their first short films, advance into pre-college vocational training, or simply want to explore and create, SummerFilm meets them where they are.

For ages 11–18.