Generally regarded by teenage students as a welcome respite from school, summer conjures up the opposite sentiment from some select kids who feel fortunate to have recently embarked on the Inner-City Filmmakers 2004 Summer Program. This marks the 12th year of the intensive eight-week summer training, which is provided free of charge to high school student applicants from low-income families in Southern California.
This time around, applicants were selected from Los Angeles County, Lompoc, Palmdale and San Diego. Classes are held on the campus of the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, and at the Lantana Center, Santa Monica, where Inner-City Filmmakers is headquartered.
Inner-City Filmmakers was launched in the summer of ’93 by two veterans of the commercialmaking industry, editor Fred Heinrich and his wife, freelance producer Stephania Lipner. The May ’92 riots in Los Angeles served as the catalyst for Heinrich and Lipner, prompting them to form the group as a way to make a positive difference in the lives of youngsters who might not otherwise get the chance to become part of the film community. Fast-forward to today, and the nonprofit organization has provided training and hands-on experience in different aspects of filmmaking to hundreds of graduates of different ethnic backgrounds and from financially disadvantaged families. High school educators help to identify deserving students for the program.
Inner-City Filmmakers has also helped secure paid entry-level jobs for hundreds of grads. Some have since moved up the ladder and become employed professionals, with careers in the business.
Resources and instruction are available to selected Inner City Filmmaker students year-round. The organization has an editing suite with three new Avid systems. Furthermore, the group is in the process of purchasing new video cameras, video decks and lighting equipment so students can benefit throughout the year from hands-on lighting, camera and editing classes. The latter brings a whole new positive meaning to the term "cutting class."
This year, thanks to patron donors, Inner-City Filmmakers was able to hire more teachers/ mentors from such institutions as the American Film Institute, Berkeley, Howard University, NYU, the University of Arizona, UCLA, USA and Yale.
The summer session began on June 28. Graduation ceremonies and a screening of student short films will be held on Friday evening, Aug. 20, at The Norris Theatre on the USC campus.
I recall Heinrich a couple of years ago reflecting on the significance of Inner-City Filmmakers for him personally. At that time, he related that the purpose of Inner-City Filmmakers hit home during its inaugural year, when students from Bell High School, in Bell, Calif., brought in their school video yearbook, which included five obituaries. "That underscored the fact that we need to help create some opportunities for underprivileged young people in the inner city," he observed.
For info on volunteering and/or providing financial support, contact Inner-City Filmmakers at (310) 264-3992 or log onto www.innercityfilmmakers. com.
