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BALTIMORE

YOUTH FILM ARTS

 

 YOUR STORY.  YOUR CITY.

YOUR FILM.

 

The Baltimore Youth Film Arts Program offers Baltimore City residents ages 16 to 29 the opportunity to learn
camera skills, refine storytelling techniques, and create films and photographs to be shared at public screenings
and exhibitions, and on the program website.  Participants are paid stipends for their contributions
and receive certificates for successful completion.

    Our mission is to build an online archive of Baltimore voices; a representation of our city, current and historical, real and imagined.  Be part of the project.  We want to hear from you!

             Baltimore Youth Film Arts is an affiliate program of the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences at Johns Hopkins University, and is made possible by the financial support of Johns Hopkins and the Mellon Foundation.

 

BYFA VOICES

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

MORE BYFA VOICES

workshops

“A very open environment, encouraging.
—Christopher

I love the variety of ages.
—Eddie”

WINTER 2024-25


TELL IT LIKE IT IS: EXPERIMENTS IN STORYTELLING
Ages 16-29 (this workshop is fully enrolled)
Saturdays, 1-5, December 7-21 and January 4-25, Online

In this online workshop, student fellows will share stories that matter to them through a variety of forms, from memoir and short fiction, to dramatic and literary monologues, to dramatic scenes and narrative poems.  They'll examine the work of writers Sandra Cisneros, Edward P. Jones, Jamaica Kincaid, Joyce Carol Oates, Deb Olin Unferth, and others, and also read interviews with writers published in The Paris Review’s The Art of Fiction series.  In discussion they'll consider different kinds of structure, characterization, and conflict.  And they'll experiment with a range of approaches in their own work, drawing on personal experience, observation, and flights of imagination to express their own truths.  They'll share their writing through in-class readings, inspiring each other, while each honing their own distinct voice.  Fellows will end with a rich portfolio, and their work will be exhibited on the program website.  Limited to 10 student fellows. 

Alessandra Bautze is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University, where she majored in writing and in film and media studies. She also holds an M.F.A. in Screenwriting from The University of Texas at Austin. She believes in the power of language to connect communities. 

 

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
Ages 16-29 (this workshop is fully enrolled)
Saturdays, 11-3, December 7-21 and January 4-25, on location

In this workshop, student fellows will venture into new Baltimore settings and try a range of new experiences, ultimately creating a collaborative video about what they discover.  They'll extend their group to include community members of different generations, and together go on fishing expeditions and woodland hikes, explore museums and nature centers, check out public markets and small businesses.  On their expeditions, they'll collect images and ambient sounds, tell stories, and reflect on their lives: on family, friends, neighborhoods, childhood memories, current challenges, successes, and aspirations.  Then, in group editing sessions, they'll decide on the shape of a final short film, a weave that honors each distinct, individual voice.  They'll explore both the technical and aesthetic aspects of video and audio recording, and be introduced to the basics of editing.  Their final film will be shared on the BYFA website, and at a public exhibition.  Limited to 12 student fellows.

Earl Young Jr. is a Credible Messenger, speaker, mentor, and entrepreneur. He works for New Vision Youth Services mentoring students in Baltimore City Schools and as a Credible Messenger with the Mayor’s Office of African American Male Engagement. He is also an entrepreneur and currently owns two businesses that are geared toward the development of impacted youth.

Charles Cohen's recent documentary films include Riding Wild, which follows a group of BMXers into Baltimore's urban wilderness, and The Crooked Tune, an Old Time Fiddler in a Modern World.  He holds an MFA in Film and Digital Media from American University and has written for The New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, The Washington Post, and Baltimore City Paper.

 

FUTURE CHARM CITY: ANIMATED VISIONS OF TOMORROW
Ages 16-29 (this workshop is fully enrolled)
Saturdays, 9-1, January 4-February 8, JHU-MICA Film Center, Room 206
February 15 snow day

In this workshop student fellows will imagine a future Baltimore, exploring possibilities for landscapes, architecture, people, societies, animals, and technology.  What will arts and music, politics and sports, food, clothes, and communication look like?  Through brainstorming and discussion, fellows will work together to envision a tomorrow that is uniquely, recognizably Baltimore, and at the same time new and surprising.  It might be welcoming or scary, fun or challenging, or all of the above.  They'll work collaboratively as an animation studio on world-building, storytelling, and style-blending, and create a cohesive narrative that highlights individual perspectives.  They'll enhance skills in animation, voice acting, editing, and storytelling; and deepen their understanding of the animation pipeline and the creative possibilities of teamwork.  Their animation will be shared on the program website.  Limited to 10 student fellows.

Alfonzer Harvin is a graduate of the Screenwriting and Animation program (SWAN) at Morgan State University.  He is Media Specialist and Web Designer at NorthBay Education Inc., and has created animations for Comcast and Netflix.  He is skilled in all phases of production, and believes that knowledge is all we need to change the world.

Kerstyn Myers is a member in the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society at UMBC, where she is pursuing computer science. She believes technology and art are the connections to the future.

BYFA FELLOWS

“A great way to gain connections
and friends with similar interests.
—Omega”

EVENTS


Tuesday, November 12 & Wednesday, November 13

Virtual Screening and Exhibition for BYFA’s Fall Session

Tuesday, November 12 & Wednesday, November 13, 6:00 PM

On Facebook

 

Baltimore Youth Film Arts Program • Film and Media Studies Program • Johns Hopkins University
443-267-2126 • youthfilmarts@jhu.edu