Ghetto Film School

Congratulations to two of our Wocstar GFS Academy graduates, Tia Robinson, founder of Vertical Activewear, and Arielle Brown, founder of Bea's Bayou Skincare, on their recent grant award from Black Enterprise! Love to see #wocstars crushing it!

GFS Alum David Mansour sat down with Matthew Hiltzik (President, CEO, Hiltzik Strategies / GFS Board Member) to discuss his impressive career, what he’s learned from numerous exceptional clients, and to explore what PR principles the public can learn to improve their ability to express themselves effectively. https://lnkd.in/eyB3sA5a

GFS New York recently had the pleasure of premiering the debut films from our inaugural “Setting the Stage” cohort, and we couldn’t be more proud. In 2023, Ghetto Film School launched “Setting the Stage,” an immersion into the art and craft of directing as a filmmaker. Fellows took part in a weekly program which combined Ghetto Film School’s award-winning visual storytelling curriculum with a novel, specially crafted curriculum that focuses on directing techniques and practical exercises working with actors. Fellows learned from industry experts, visited live sets and performances, and received free college consulting, all in service of honing their artistry and creating their own original films. At GFS, we’re big on promoting growth: whether that’s the development of an individual filmmaker’s capacity for creation, or the expansion of our offerings and programs overall. And our favorite moments always involve sharing the art of filmmaking with new friends and supporters. We are delighted to count “Setting the Stage” among our latest GFS NY programs, and congratulations to our STS Fellows on your first premiere of many! *To experience our premiere, visit: https://lnkd.in/eD6gHGTG *And apply for the GFS NY and LA Fellows Programs at: ghettofilm.org/fellows

FESTIVAL ALERT! Our GFS LA International Thesis Film "Stronger" has been accepted to the 17th annual National Film Festival for Talented Youth – NFFTY Big congrats to director Natalia Pacheco and the entire crew who travelled to Reykjavík to produce this heartfelt coming of age story set amid the colorful culture of Icelandic Strongmen. Special thanks to our Iceland Thesis partners Dell Technologies and Sensor TV for their invaluable support. This marks two years running that GFS LA Thesis Films have played the prestigious NFFTY (National Film Festival for Talented Youth) in Seattle, the previous being "Algorithm" in 2023. We are so excited to screen “Stronger” as part of their opening night gala on April 25th.

You might have heard the Fair Education Alliance are recruiting 15 new members to join our Youth Steering Group? 👥⚡Well, there is ONE WEEK LEFT to apply!   We know the start of the new year can be a bit of whirlwind so we've extended the deadline to apply until Monday 15th January at 11am. We hope this gives everyone a few extra days to find out more, ask questions, share and either write or record their application.   ⭐ Are you aged 14-25? 🏫 Have you experienced the education system in England? ✊ Do you want to work to make education fair?   If you answered yes, now is your chance join the Fair Education Alliance’s Youth Steering Group! For those of you in my network who work with young people who would say yes to these questions, please share this impactful opportunity with them.   You’d work with a fantastic group of passionate young people to bring about change in the education system by leading your own campaigns and engaging directly with decision makers. You also get the opportunity to develop transferrable skills, make friends and get access to paid youth leadership roles.   If you are still not sure, check out the pictures below to hear why our current Youth Steering Group members think you'd love it!   No previous experience required, and priority is given to applicants who have faced barriers to a fair education and/or are new to volunteering / youth social action. This year we are particularly keen to encourage applications from looked after young people, care leavers and those with experience of alternative provision.   ⭐️ Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/ecDyBkS8. 📅 Deadline to Apply: Monday 15th January 2024 at 11am.

On behalf of Ghetto Film School and our Benefit Committee, we are thrilled to announce our selected Honorees for the 2023 GFS Fall Benefit, taking place Thursday, October 12th in Santa Monica. This year, we will honor three incredible individuals, celebrating their impact as artists and creative leaders, which has been a tremendous source of inspiration to the young storytellers we serve at GFS:   Danielle Brooks Tony-Nominated and Grammy and SAG Award-Winning Actor and Singer   Quinta Brunson Emmy Award-Winning Actor, Producer, and Writer   Sandra Oh Golden Globe and SAG Award-Winning Actor and Producer   Danielle, Quinta, and Sandra will join us alongside exciting supporters and guests at our event in October, as we highlight ambitious plans for our future and raise key funding for our work.   We are incredibly grateful to our 2023 Benefit Committee: J.J. Abrams & Katie McGrath, Kenya Barris, Catherine Hardwicke, Barry Jenkins, Lee Sung Jin, Rooney Mara, Nate Moore, Joaquin Phoenix, David Rubin, and Sebastian Stan.   To support the 2023 GFS Fall Benefit, please visit: https://lnkd.in/epABeiwD

No matter how busy we are at Ghetto Film School, we always take a moment for gratitude. And on the verge of traveling our third-year GFS cohorts to the Dominican Republic for their 2023 International Thesis Project, it’s the perfect time to appreciate our partners at National Basketball Association (NBA) Foundation for including GFS in their annual grant renewals. Support from institutions like the NBA Foundation make it possible for GFS to continue our mission: educating, developing, and celebrating the next generation of great storytellers, which includes incredible experiences like filming abroad, learning directly from A-list celebrities, and utilizing the most up-to-date tools and equipment. Thank you to the NBA Foundation for bringing up the future of film.

We’re mere days from traveling our third-year Fellows to the Dominican Republic to film their ultimate GFS project, the International Thesis. And like any good students, they make sure to study before the final.   In order to maximize their time in the DR, our LA Fellows recently practiced local camera builds with our partners Breakwater Studios Ltd. at their in-house camera department, Mariposa Camera.   The supremely talented Melanie Grams, Director of Mariposa Camera, guided our filmmakers, Director of Photography Emelin Vivar and 1st AC Andres Barragan, through hands-on training to prep the very same equipment they’ll be using abroad.   Thanks to Breakwater’s help, our Fellows will be ready to hit record the same moment we hit the ground, and we think that’s awesome.