Reel Stories

Putting Your Voice First

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Reel Stories is a youth media program that combats the significant gender imbalance in film production. Whether it’s a weekend animation workshop or a two-week summer camp, every Reel Stories program is focused on centering young women and gender expansive youth voices. Working with real equipment and real industry professionals, participants are encouraged to create, write, direct, and edit their own stories within a supportive and collaborative space.

Summer Programs

Our summer programs allow young filmmakers of any skill level to learn every step of the filmmaking process in only one to two weeks! Participants work in teams and learn to pitch, write, storyboard, produce, shoot, and edit their own narrative and documentary films. Camp concludes with a film festival at a local Bay Area theater where students screen their films for friends and family. After camp ends, Reel Stories staff submit camp films to festivals throughout the year.

Reel Stories Boot Camp

Ages 11 to 15

The Reel Stories Boot Camp is for girls and gender expansive youth who are new to filmmaking – no experience required! Over 5 days, students will write, film, and edit their own narrative movies using easy-to-access technology that they can use at home to continue their filmmaking journey.

Camp Reel Stories

Ages 13 to 17

Over 2 weeks, filmmakers work in teams to write, film, and edit their own film with support from Reel Stories Staff and mentors. We also invite guest speakers from all aspects of the film industry to lead workshops and have exclusive Q&As. 

Reel Stories Institute

Ages 15 to 24

A career-readiness and portfolio development program for 15 to 24 year old filmmakers ready to take the next big step. More program information coming soon!

Summer Program FAQs

Visit our Eventbrite page to sign up for camp. After signing up through Eventbrite, you will receive an enrollment form questionnaire.

Camp Reel Stories:

Camp Reel Stories is recommended for anyone who is interested in filmmaking! We will cover the basics for beginners, but also have new guest speakers and updated workshops and activities for returning campers or new campers who already have some filmmaking experience.

Reel Stories Boot Camp:

Boot Camp is for absolute beginners and younger students who are curious about filmmaking but not sure where to get started! We cover the fundamentals of storytelling in film, and how to creatively shoot on mobile devices and the basics of editing theory on iMovie. Because this program is only 5 days long, it is a great way to figure out your interests in filmmaking, and is a great option for students who are too young for Camp Reel Stories but want to get started on their film journey!

If you have any questions about which program might suit you or your child best you can email us at ReelStories@Bavc.org. Let us know a bit about yourself and your filmmaking background and we will suggest a program for you!

40% of our filmmakers receive financial aid to attend our filmmaking programs, and we are proud to allow any filmmaker to attend our camp, regardless of financial status. All our programs are sliding scale and we ask that you pay what you can. If you need a full scholarship we can also offer those.

Applying for financial aid will not affect your chances of getting into our camp and we encourage you to ask for assistance if you need it. Please consider your family income, resources, and dependents in the household when determining your financial aid request amount. To apply for financial aid please reach out to ReelStories@bavc.org

If you are interested in a full scholarship, please email reelstories@bavc.org to walk you through the steps to apply through Eva Gunther.

Our mission at Reel Stories began with bringing more women into the media industry. As time has gone on since our founding in 2013, we have expanded our mission to increase representation for people of all marginalized genders and identities who rarely see themselves on the screen or behind the scenes. About 15% of our participants identify as non-binary or transgender, and we have non-binary and transgender staff members, instructors, and mentors as well. We have had cisgender women, transgender men, transgender women, non-binary filmmakers, genderqueer filmmakers, and filmmakers who are questioning their gender attend our programs in the past. Reel Stories does everything that we can to ensure that Reel Stories is a welcoming, inclusive, and affirming space for students of all genders and identities.

Our summer camps are meant for teenagers and young adults.

Every day at Reel Stories is incredibly important. Not only will you miss valuable workshops, but it means your production company will be without a key member of the team. Please plan on attending every day and the weekend Film Festival.

I know it seems unbelievable! We have never had a team not complete their film by the last day. The two weeks go by fast with lots of workshops and hands-on experience!

The films created at Reel Stories go live on our YouTube channel and website. We also submit them to festivals around the country. We have had films selected for the POWfest, All-American High School Film Festival, Bay Area International Children’s Festival, Coven Film Festival, and many, many others.

We understand that. There are only a few media programs for girls and gender expansive youth in the United States, so we want you to attend if you can! You are more than welcome to attend Reel Stories, and we have had participants fly in from all over the country, but Reel Stories is a day program and you will have to arrange for your own accommodations and transportation.

The weekend following Reel Stories we screen the films created at Reel Stories at a theater! Each Production Company gets to present their film and participates in a Q&A after their screening. The festival is open to the public. Each participant gets 3 free tickets and additional tickets will be for sale at the door, but no one will be turned away because of a lack of funds.

Everything technical that you will need to make your film will be made available during the course of the program. If you need costumes or special props we will see what we can do, as well. We don’t supply lunch, but lots of snacks. We prefer that you bring lunch, instead of money to buy lunch. We have refrigerators and microwaves for the participants to use.

You can also cancel your enrollment up to two weeks before the camp session you signed up for starts for a full refund, minus a $50 registration fee. If you need to cancel less than two weeks before your session of camp starts, and do not choose to swap to another session, we will not be able to issue you a refund.

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Bring Reel Stories’ one-of-a-kind curriculum to your school or community space. Our after-school programs are custom-designed for your group, combining hands-on media training with media literacy, and led by our dedicated media teachers.

To get started creating a Reel Stories After-school Program, reach out to us at reelstories@bavc.org.

Now Playing

Comedy, drama, documentary, suspense, mystery, horror… we’ve got films you’ll love in every genre. Best of all, 100% of the films created at Reel Stories programs are written, directed, produced, and edited by women and gender expansive folks.

“As a person of color and a woman with family members who have disabilities and are in foster care – I’ve witnessed the journeys of people who are not shown in media, and I can see my own people wanting representation. Film gives me the opportunity to give a voice to people who don’t have the platform.”

Liz Tril, Institute filmmaker 2019

Liz Tril, a young woman with brown hair up in a bun, looks through the lens of a digital camera.

Learn Filmmaking

From story to post-production, learn about every stage of the filmmaking process from real working professionals shaping the industry today. Whether you’re just starting out or refining your skills, our library will inspire, empower, and engage you.

“After multiple years of attending Reel Stories, I am now studying film at the Rhode Island School of Design. Reel Stories definitely gave me the skills I need to be successful here, as well as showing me that I can dream big despite my gender and that it is possible for me to be successful.”

Sarah Bryant-Cole, Alum & Summer Program Producer

Liz Tril, a young woman with brown hair up in a bun, looks through the lens of a digital camera.

About Reel Stories

Reel Stories is a nonprofit youth media organization that combats the significant gender imbalance in film production. Whether it’s a weekend animation workshop or a two-week summer camp, every Reel Stories program is focused on centering young women and gender expansive youth’s voices. Working with real equipment and real industry professionals, participants are encouraged to create, write, direct, and edit their own stories within a supportive and collaborative space.

Change The Statistics

Want to see women represented behind the camera and on screen? Join Reel Stories in making that happen. We’re always looking for people to volunteer, companies to partner with, and projects to help turn into reality.