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Youth Filmmaker Summer Bootcamp
🎬 Powered by FilmGate Miami - Your Teen’s Most Creative Summer Starts Here
Does your teen love movies? Storytelling? Acting? Editing? Podcasts?
Do they dream of seeing their name in the credits—or just want to learn how to turn their imagination into something real?
Welcome to South Florida’s most dynamic film & media summer experience.
At FilmGate Miami’s Youth Filmmaker Summer Bootcamp, students aged 13–18 will step into the exciting world of professional filmmaking—hands-on, high-energy, and full of surprises. With guidance from award-winning filmmakers, working editors, and industry mentors, campers don’t just learn—they create.
By the end of the summer, your teen will walk away with:
🎥 3 Original Short Films
🎙️ 1 Fully Produced Podcast
📜 A FilmGate Certificate of Completion
✨ And the confidence of someone who knows their voice matters
🎯 What Makes Us Different?
✔️ We’re not theory—we’re action. Students write, shoot, direct, act, edit, and present their work. This isn’t a classroom—it’s a film set.
✔️ Real instructors, real industry tools. DaVinci Resolve, boom mics, color correction, sound editing—taught by people doing this work every day.
✔️ We make it fun. From improv games and makeup SFX to scavenger hunts and film premieres, every day is different—and unforgettable.
✔️ We launch careers. Graduates get access to internships, professional opportunities, and a place in the FilmGate creative family.
📅 2 Amazing Modules – Choose 1 or Do Both!
🎞️ Module 1: Narrative Films
🗓️ June 16 – 27, 2025
Learn screenwriting, acting, directing, cinematography & editing by creating original short films.
🎙️ Module 2: Documentaries & Podcasting
🗓️ July 28 – August 8, 2025
Discover the art of storytelling through interviews, real-world topics, podcasting, and documentary filmmaking.
⏰ Monday–Friday | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
📍 FilmGate Miami, Downtown Media Center
🥐 Healthy breakfast, lunch & snacks provided
🎓 For ages 13–18 | All levels welcome
❤️ Why Parents Love Us
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We foster confidence, collaboration, and communication skills
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We create a safe, inclusive, and professional creative environment
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We build future-ready skills—from leadership to tech fluency
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We support teens to find their voice—and share it
🎬 Your Teen’s Premiere Starts Now
✨ Limited spots available — We keep class sizes small for maximum impact.
🎟️ Ready to register? Fill out your application and secure your spot:
👉 Apply Now
For questions or Brightline travel scholarships, email: info@film-gate.org
Narrative (Module 1)
Students will learn how to write, direct, film, and edit their own short movies from scratch! Using professional equipment and casting real actors, they’ll work hands-on through every step of the filmmaking process (and pick up some AI filmmaking techniques). By the end of the module, they’ll premiere their film at the FilmGate Festival in August.
Documentary (Module 2)
Students will dive into real-world storytelling—capturing voices, conducting interviews, and turning true stories into powerful short documentaries. They’ll learn the art of nonfiction filmmaking while creating a finished piece rooted in curiosity, compassion, and purpose.
Podcasts (Module 2)
In one of the fastest-growing forms of entertainment, students will write, record, and produce their own podcast episodes. From script to mic to launch, they’ll build both creative and professional skills—and leave with a finished podcast they can share with the world.
2024 Short Film: Digital Sweep
Check out the amazing short film our talented students put together last year as part of the Youth Filmmaker Summer Bootcamp.
2024 Short Doc: Life Doesn't End: A Heartcharged Story directed by Suede Sowby
Check out the short documentary our student Suede Sowby, made as part of the Youth Filmmaker Summer Bootcamp 2024.
2024 Short Doc: Wheelbarrow's Wynwood directed by Kaia Graham
Check out the short documentary our student Kaia Graham, made as part of the Youth Filmmaker Summer Bootcamp 2024.
Behind the Scenes
Dedicated to our Community
At FilmGate, we dedicate ourselves to cultivating the future of filmmaking in South Florida. To that end we make sure to provide our students with instruction that prepares them to enter a diverse and ever-changing industry.
Signing up for our camp will not only ensure top-class instruction but support our mission to grow and preserve South Florida's vibrant film community.
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
The Youth Summer Filmmaker Bootcamp is funded by The Children’s Trust. The Children's Trust is a dedicated source of revenue established by voter referendum to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County.
With the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.
Thank you to our partners, the Downtown Development Authority, National Endowment of the Arts, the Knight Foundation, & Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners for supporting FilmGate Miami. With their support, we are able to provide educational workshops, engaging events, and valuable resources to empower aspiring filmmakers and storytellers. Their belief in our mission fuels our passion to nurture local talent, foster creativity, and push the boundaries of the Miami film community.