Young Film Programmers Lab
Cameo Launch is launching a new scheme to help young people to find their way into a career in cinema. The Cameo Launch Young Film Programmers Lab is part of the Young Film Programmers Network, a collective of cinema organisations and film festivals overseen by the Independent Cinema Office. The scheme provides a pathway to greater cinematic appreciation as well as invaluable experience in finding strategic routes into the UK film industry.
WHAT IT IS
The Young Film Programmers Lab is an 18 week training scheme for 16-25 year olds that provides an opportunity for participants to learn how to discover a broad variety of film and create programmes for theatrical and online exhibition. This will culminate in helping to plan our seasonal screening event 'Shortest Night of the Month'. They will gain both valuable marketable skills as well as an appreciation for cinema as they learn how to:
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Study audience trends and industry developments
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Curate films for audiences (theatrically and online)
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Engage with distributors and exhibitors
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Pitch their ideas for screening events based on their learning
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Assist in planning a screening event
HOW IT WORKS
The primary goal of the Young Film Programmers Lab is to expose participants to the principles of curating films for cinema and online audiences and provide practical experience in doing so. Each intake for the Young Film Programmers Lab will consist of up to four people who will spend 6 weeks on each of the stages outlined below.
Each Monday, participants will join the scheme remotely for an hour, during which time they will take part in tutorials and discussions, ending with tasks being assigned, which will be completed and presented the following Monday. Each of these tasks will build towards the programming of a screening event at the end of the 6-week block.
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Progression through each stage will see participants get to grips with the principles of how and why cinemas select the films that they show, how Cameo Launch curates short films for its audience and how establishing relationships with distributors, exhibitors and filmmakers is crucial to developing and expanding audiences for film and cinema as a whole.
The stages and timelines for the scheme are outlined below.
STUDY AUDIENCES
11 sept 23 - 16 oct 23
EXPLORE CAMEO LAUNCH
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Watch reviewed short films
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Study reviews
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Listen to podcasts and interviews
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Attend/volunteer at the Surrey Short Film Festival
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INDUSTRY RESEARCH
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Research and present your take on film industry developments
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Research and present your observations of cinema trends
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EVENT
Surrey Short Film Festival
6th - 8th Oct 2023
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Weekend of short film showcases screened theatrically
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A day of workshops and panel events
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DEVELOP AUDIENCES
30 oct 23 - 4 dec 23
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Identify feature film likely to resonate with audiences
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Identify short film that pairs well with the selected feature film​
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Pitch the selection to the group based on audience and industry research as a candidate for 'Shortest Night of the Month' screening event
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Present post-event assessments of how well the event accomplished its objectives and how it might be improved
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EVENT
Shortest Night of the Month
7th Dec 2023
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Screening of short film also available on Cameo Launch site
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Screening of feature film
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ENGAGE AUDIENCES
1 jan 24 - 5 feb 24
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Identify filmmakers with a strong body of work that can be screened theatrically and shown online
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Ascertain if they would be a good educational resource and willing to participate in a live Q&A and/or podcast interview
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Pitch for the filmmakers who fit the criteria to the group to be the subject of 'Shortest Night of the Month' screening event
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EVENT
Shortest Night of the Month
8th Feb 2024
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Screening of a selection of short films from a chosen filmmaker
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Live Q&A with chosen filmmaker
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Post-event networking session
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HOW TO APPLY
We have up to four spaces available for this scheme and applications are open now. To apply, simply send a 200 word statement to hello@cameolaunch.com outlining why taking part in this scheme would be important to your career plans or personal development. Please use the subject heading 'Young Film Programmers Lab'. Focus on what you aim to learn, the field you aim to work in and your personal motivations for building a career in film/cinema.
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Please ensure you provide the information below:
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Name
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Address
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Age
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School, College or University (if applicable)
We will be taking applications until 25th August 2023 and will inform successful applicants of their places on 1st September 2023.
All information provided is treated as confidential and will not be shared with parties outside our organisation.
