MENUMENU
CMAC Youth Voices is a 14-week documentary filmmaking intensive for Central Valley Junior High and High School students, ages 18 and under. 12 applicants were chosen to participate and will receive a $1,000 stipend and a one-year membership to CMAC. The cohort will meet once a week virtually using video conferencing from January to April 2021.
The Youth Voices program teaches youth how to harness the power of media to tell stories of personal and societal significance through documentary filmmaking.
Over the course of 14 weeks, CMAC will provide video production equipment, mentorship, and instruction as members of the Youth Voices cohort develop and produce their own documentary films.
Our 2021 program is made possible by funding from The California Endowment and from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The goal of the Youth Voices program is to increase the health outcomes of youth through video arts. Research shows that sharing stories not only connects people, but is also good for an individual’s mental health. The cohort will receive extensive training in story development and video production covering topics such as media literacy, script writing, camera training, audio, editing and post-production. Ideal applicants will include students with interests in media, writing, storytelling, journalism, filmmaking, civic engagement and public service.
Watch the video below to hear from some of last year’s cohort.
Applications Open: Tues, November 3, 2020
Applications Close: Fri, November 20, 2020 by 11:59 p.m.
Cohort members selected and notified: Fri, December 4, 2020
Cohort meetings begin: January 2021
Public film screening: April 2021
For more questions about this program, please contact CMAC’s Education Coordinator Lisa Talley at lisa@cmac.tv.
Our inaugural Youth Voices cohort produced three documentary films that were screened to the public on Sunday, March 1, 2020, at Maya Cinemas in Fresno. Our 2020 program was made possible by funding from The California Endowment. Watch the three documentaries, a behind the scenes video, and a Q&A with the filmmakers in the playlist below:
Tolteca: A Story of Success: A documentary about Aaron Ordaz, an immigrant and owner of Candies Tolteca. Produced by Ruben Diaz, Gabby Rivas, Mark Pizana.
Fresno: A Home For All: A documentary about resources for local homeless. Produced by Raymart Catacutan and Melissa Andrade.
Intergenerational Politics in Fresno: A documentary about politics in Fresno from different points of view. Produced by Gabby Rivas and Johnsen Del Rosario.
Behind the Scenes: Watch our short behind the scenes look at the cohort’s work.
