In 2021, I became the Program Director at Urban Avenues Film Camp, a nonprofit organization nestled in Birmingham, Alabama. Our mission at Urban Avenues is to unite diverse communities by nurturing curiosity and fostering collaborative creativity. One way we do that is through the art of storytelling via video and photography.
My roots lie in Birmingham, where I first delved into the world of storytelling and video editing. However, during my early exploration of filmmaking, I found myself isolated, lacking any female role models or companions in the industry. Friends and mentors suggested pursuing wedding photography, which left me uninspired, so I set aside my passion and thought I’d find something else to do. It would take another three years of wandering for me to rediscover my love for storytelling.
I've often wondered if my journey would have taken a different route had I encountered a fellow female filmmaker during my high school years. I believe it’s important to see yourself in a space. This thought led me to reach out to Urban Avenues and express my interest in volunteering at their film camp. Serendipitously, they were looking for an educator at the time and the opportunity arose for me to assume responsibility for the entire program, and the rest, as they say, is history!
Our five-day summer camp experience serves as a gateway to the fundamentals of cinematography, lighting, and editing for our students. Students get the chance to work alongside local professional filmmakers as they construct scripts and storyboards and go into production, culminating in the creation of their very own short films. At the end of the week, we celebrate their achievements with a grand premiere, complete with popcorn!
What makes this week truly remarkable isn't just the incredible creativity displayed by our talented young friends; it's also the invaluable support we receive from a dedicated group of volunteers. Local industry professionals join us as team coaches, workshop leaders, tech specialists, photographers, and producers, generously imparting their expertise to guide and inspire the next generation of storytellers.
If loving on kids and making movies sounds interesting to you, we're always on the lookout for more helping hands to enhance the magic of film camp!
