• Born2Ride video covershot featuring a young man with a helmet on looking into a mirror.

    Born2Ride

    Born2Ride was created as part of “The Mystery Box Challenge” where contestants were required to incorporate specific prompts and props: a character named Frankie, cards, and a mirror. Our students crafted a unique concept for ‘Born2Ride‘—a film featuring a motorcycle! The film emerged as a finalist in “The Mystery Box Challenge” and was proudly premiered at the esteemed Northeast Pennsylvania Film Festival. Born2Ride was also accepted and played at The Life Screenings One Minute Film Festival and NFFTY (National Film Festival for Talented Youth), the world’s largest film festival for emerging filmmakers under 24.

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  • Senior Video Title card with two students making a movie

    WQED Film Academy’s presents the 2023 Senior Video

    Please join us in Congratulating the 2023 Graduating Class of WQED Film Academy:
    Luc Gilchrist, EJ Warman, Julian Lynch, Zoe Broyles, Emily Hutchings-Muth, Nicholas Westfall, Grace Glowczewski, Jack Volinsky, Alex Waldron, Mika Szabo, Sydney Kalafut, and Doran Steinfeld.

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  • Film Academy promo with students in the studio filming

    Attention Middle & High School Students!

    Discover the art of digital storytelling and embark on a creative journey with WQED Film Academy this fall. Whether you’re joining us in-person or virtually, you’ll dive into a world of cinematic possibilities.

    Get the essentials—storytelling, camera, audio, lighting, and editing— and master the tools that make your stories come alive! Fall session runs September 26th through December 19th, 2024, and is open to 9th through 12th grade students.

    Learn More

WQED Filmmakers is our adult-focused film community—offering enrichment opportunities for filmmakers in the region.

WQED Film Academy is our student-focused programming—offering middle and high school classroom experience at our WQED studios in Oakland or your location.

WQED Film Academy and WQED Filmmakers are focused on diversity, equity and inclusion to disrupt the status quo and create opportunities for all. Both organizations shared in the idea of revolutionizing the industry by breaking down barriers for high school students and adults pursuing a career in film and digital media production.

Teens: Become a Filmmaker in our WQED Studios

WQED Film Academy gives middle and high-school teens an opportunity to learn filmmaking in our WQED Studios, engage with other filmmakers, attend lectures and experience production-related field trips.

Teens learn basic filmmaking concepts through a curriculum paired with projects that demonstrate these skills at an increasingly advanced level throughout the semester. Students work from concept through completion of a final, collaborative film project.

FOR PARENTS: MORE ABOUT WQED FILM ACADEMY

Students making film on green screen
Paul Johnson leads a demonstration for students on location in Wilkins

Educators: Bring WQED Film Academy to your Location

Discover what we can do in your school or camp! WQED Film Academy teaches and empowers students to create digital media that matters. But we don’t just do it at our WQED Studios. We bring the studio experience to your location! Our curriculum and teaching assistants are available to educators and community organizations through our On Location Experience. In school and after school programming for schools and organizations can be custom fit to meet your needs.

FOR EDUCATORS: MORE ABOUT WQED FILM ACADEMY ON LOCATION