Hollywood loves a success story, and nothing personifies that more than a hot young director who explodes from out of nowhere to capture the public’s imagination and generate box office dollars. Some of today’s biggest directorial names — Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, Ava DuVernay, Chloé Zhao — fill that bill, having become long-term successes on the basis of one early breakout. Sure, these (and a few others like them) are exceptions to the cinematic rule. It’s hard to make a movie (harder still to make a good one). But just getting your vision off the ground is no small feat, and the younger one starts, the better.
That’s why it would be a good idea to check out the 2025 Spring Break Teen Filmmaking Lab, sponsored by the Arkansas Cinema Society, at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, March 24-28. Registration is now open; the cost is $300. The intensive lab will give students ages 16-18 a full week of instruction in all aspects of filmmaking, including directing, cinematography, set design and editing. They will experience two days of pre-production, one day of shooting a short film, and two days of post-production, alongside professional mentors. The film will screen at Filmland 2025.
Registration closes once the lab fills up, so you might hop on now to get your teen involved in an experience that could lead to big things. Check out last year’s Teen Filmmaking Lab Short.