EDUCATION
In addition to providing fantastic films and events, we are also committed to making the art of film accessible to local kids and their families. Our Education Department works with students year-round and creates special opportunities for recognition during the Festival, empowering students with critical thinking skills and the tools to express themselves, all at no cost to them.
The mission of SFF Education is to inspire, educate and entertain students by promoting creativity, collaboration and community involvement.
Operating both in and out of area classrooms, SFF Education reaches more than 5,000 students through filmmaking, film review, screenwriting, and movie screening programs. Students from elementary school through college participate in programs designed to deliver a rich cinematic experience.
We are distinguished by our commitment to providing each of our programs to these thousands of participating students for free. We are incredibly proud of this distinction and aim to continue serving our local and regional community in this meaningful way.
Since its inception, SFF Education has been the recipient of three grants from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences/OSCARS®, and the reach of this department only continues to grow.
Check out some SFF Education photos here!
SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR 2013. CHECK BACK IN MARCH FOR UPDATES ON THE 2013 SFF YOUTHFEST!
2013 PROGRAMS
Educators! We'd love to work with you and your classes! Check out the rest of our line-up below and to get more information on bringing any of the following programs to your school, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
YOUNG FILMMAKERS SHOWCASE
Student filmmakers ages 18 and younger may submit short films for the chance to screen during the 2013 SFF youthFEST, competing for awards and scholarship prizes. The deadline for submissions is March 1, 2013. CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT!
KIDS VIP TRIP
Kids VIP Trip facilitates free weekday morning field trips to the Hollywood 20 theatre in Downtown Sarasota during the week of the festival. Classes screen a SFF youthFEST feature film or short film program and visit Embracing Our Differences, a diversity-focused art and culture exhibit located at Island Park. Film programs available for ALL AGES. CLICK HERE TO APPLY!
CLASSROOM CRITIC
Movies introduce students to the art of filmmaking and emphasize cultural and media literacy. Middle school classes learn the basics of film analysis, screen, and review SFF youthFEST short films. Selected Kid Critic reviews are published in The Observer and on our blog. CLICK HERE TO APPLY!
REEL LIFE STUDIO
High school students respond to prompts to create short films based on principles and techniques from unique filmmaking niches and genres. Films screen at the 2012 SFF youthFEST, competing for awards and scholarship prizes.
SEE JANE STUDIO
In partnership with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, the See Jane Studio challenges middle school students to be responsible, conscious content creators as they learn about gender representations in media while writing and producing their own short films.
JUNIOR JURY
High school Junior Jurors screen SFF youthFEST Feature Film selections and short film programs while learning how to analyze film, think critically, and understand aspects of film production and theory. Juries select winners for the SFF youthFEST awards.
FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT
Filmmakers from around the world visit high school and college classrooms for screenings and discussions of their experiences in the industry. Past filmmakers in the spotlight have included Ingrid Veninger (Modra), Tze Chun (Children of Invention), and Roland Legiardi-Laura and Amy Sultan (To Be Heard).
FILM ACADEMY
Professors in film, media arts, visual literacy and communication visit high school classrooms as part of this traveling lecture series that brings higher education discourse to students wishing to pursue these academic routes.
YOUTH SCREENWRITERS CIRCLE
Aspiring high school screenwriters learn the basic techniques of screenwriting and complete short screenplays that address a variety of current issues facing today’s teens. Staged readings of the screenplays are performed at Youth Screenwriters Circle LIVE! during the festival.
YOUTH SCREENWRITING WORKSHOP
For high school classes with screenwriting already integrated into their curriculum, this workshop introduces students to various techniques of critiquing, improving and rewriting with methods of constructive critique and strategies for preparing a finely tuned final draft.
