15 Film Studies Summer Programs for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- Mar 24
- 10 min read
If you are thinking about studying film, media studies, or communication in the future, exploring film studies during high school can help you understand the field more clearly. A film studies summer program introduces you to how cinema is studied and analyzed. These programs often allow you to study different genres, examine the work of filmmakers, and understand how editing, sound, and cinematography shape storytelling. Studying films in this way helps you see how the subject is taught in academic settings.
Why should I participate in a film studies summer program in high school?
A film studies summer program allows you to explore filmmaking and cinema in a structured environment before college. You may attend lectures, discuss films with instructors, and work on projects that focus on film analysis. Participating in these programs can also give you an advantage in college applications because they show that you explored your interest in film studies outside the classroom. They also help you understand what studying film or media in college may look like.
With that in mind, here are 15 film studies summer programs for high school students!
Location: NYU Tisch School of the Arts, New York, NY
Cost: $8,008 for tuition and $1,820 for housing, alongside a mandatory $824 meal plan. Additionally, students are responsible for a $200 program fee and a $690 film narrative lab and insurance fee. Financial aid available
Acceptance rate: Approximately 38% (total 800 applications and around 350 selected)
Dates: July 5 - August 1
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Applicants must be at least 15 years old and a current high school sophomore or junior at the time of their application. Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 unweighted scale.
The NYU Tisch Summer High School Filmmakers Workshop places you inside a working filmmaking environment at one of the most established film schools in the U.S. You will work in small production crews where you write scripts, plan scenes, shoot footage, and complete editing using professional digital filmmaking tools. Instruction focuses on visual storytelling and how cinematic choices shape a narrative on screen. Faculty and industry instructors guide workshops on cinematography, directing, and post-production. Alongside production work, you attend film screenings and discussions that examine narrative structure and film language. By the end of the program, you will present your finished short film and discuss the creative decisions behind it.
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer (June - August), Fall (September - December), Winter (December - February), and Spring (March - June).
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement (Note: accepted students have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4)
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas that you can explore as a high schooler. The program pairs high-school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
Location: The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: $11,000- $15,000. Check the detailed cost breakdown here. Financial aid available
Acceptance rate: Not specified
Dates: June 25 - August 7
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: High school students around the world aged 16 and above
The USC Cinematic Arts Summer Program places you inside a university film school environment located in Los Angeles. You can choose a track such as film production, animation, or screenwriting and work on projects that follow the same process used in professional filmmaking. Coursework introduces directing, cinematography, editing, and storytelling while you use industry production equipment and editing software. Much of the program revolves around collaborative production work where you take on different roles within a film crew. The session ends with screenings where you present the films created during the program.
Location: Oxford, Cambridge, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto, and Boston
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Multiple summer cohorts; rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students aged 13-18 currently enrolled in middle or high school
The Academic Insights Program lets high school students experience university life firsthand. You will live on campus and study in small groups of 7-10, and learn from tutors from eminent top universities like Oxford and Cambridge. You can explore a wide range of subjects, spanning over 20 options, including Architecture, AI, Business Management, Computer Science, Economics, Medicine, Philosophy, and more. The courses are experiential and focus on hands-on learning. You may find yourself conducting dissections in medicine, designing a robotic arm in engineering, participating in a moot court for law, or building creative writing portfolios and business case studies. By the end of the program, you’ll complete a personal project, receive written feedback, and receive a certificate of completion. You can find more details about the application here.
Location: The University of California, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: $35 application fee and $350 registration fee
Acceptance rate: N/A
Dates: Not specified
Application Deadline: Open on February 15 and are reviewed on a rolling admission basis
Eligibility: Students must be 14 years of age or older by the first day of Emerging Filmmakers
The UCLA Film and Television Summer Institute introduces you to filmmaking through workshops and production projects. You will begin by studying story structure and how screen ideas are developed before moving into practical work with cameras and sound equipment. Daily sessions focus on filming techniques, lighting, editing, and visual storytelling. Production exercises allow you to apply these concepts while creating short digital media projects. Faculty instructors guide you through the full process from planning a scene to editing the final footage. The program concludes with presentations where you screen and discuss the projects created during the course.
Location: Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Cost: $60 application fee and $8,000 tuition
Dates: June 28 - August 1
Application Deadline: February 6
Eligibility: Sophomores or juniors in high school who rank academically near the top 30% of their high school class
The National High School Institute at Northwestern University offers a structured filmmaking program often referred to as “Cherubs.” During the program, you will study film production, directing, and screenwriting while creating several short film projects. Classes examine film history and cinematic techniques so you understand how visual storytelling has evolved. Much of your time is spent working in production teams where you plan, shoot, and edit films. Faculty and instructors lead critique sessions where you analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each project. The program ends with a film festival screening where the completed work is shown.
Location: Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: $65 application fee and a $6,500 tuition fee
Acceptance rate: N/A
Dates: June 21 - July 17, dates vary among courses
Application Deadline: Varies according to course
Eligibility: Students who are rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors in high school
Loyola Marymount University’s pre-college film production courses combine classroom instruction with practical filmmaking exercises. You will study how narrative ideas are developed for film while learning the technical process of shooting and editing scenes. Workshops introduce cinematography, lighting, and digital editing tools used in film production. Projects are created in small teams, so you experience how collaboration works during a production process. Faculty members guide discussions about storytelling choices and the social themes often explored in cinema. The course ends with a screening where you review the projects produced during the program.
Location: Interlochen Center for the Arts, Interlochen, MI
Cost: $7,265
Acceptance rate: N/A
Dates: Session 1: June 28 - July 18, and Session 2: July 19 - August 9
Application Deadline: No information available
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9 through 12
The Interlochen Arts Camp filmmaking program allows you to spend several weeks focusing on film production inside a residential arts environment. You will rotate through filmmaking roles such as directing, cinematography, editing, and sound recording. Workshops teach practical techniques including camera operation, lighting setups, and digital editing. The program also examines storytelling structure and how visual choices shape audience interpretation. Because the camp includes multiple artistic disciplines, you may collaborate with peers working in theater, music, or visual arts. Your films are shown at the end of the session in a public screening.
Location: The University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Winston-Salem, NC
Cost: $3,152 - Commuter Student and $5,329 - Residential Student ($50 application fee)
Acceptance rate: N/A
Dates: June 21 - July 18
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: Open to rising high school sophomores through incoming college freshmen
The UNCSA Filmmaking Summer Intensive focuses on learning through active film production. You will work in small crews to develop story ideas and transform them into short films and cover topics like screenwriting, directing actors, camera operation, and editing. Workshops simulate the workflow of a professional film set where different crew roles must coordinate during production. Faculty members guide you through each stage of filming and provide critiques on your work. The program concludes with screenings where you evaluate the completed projects and discuss the filmmaking process.
Location: SCAD Rising Star, Atlanta, GA, and Savannah, GA
Cost: $6,620 (Including a $100 application fee)
Acceptance rate: N/A
Dates: June 28–July 24
Application Deadline: May 29
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors
SCAD Rising Star allows you to study film production in a college setting while earning academic credit. You will take structured courses that introduce visual storytelling, camera techniques, and editing practices used in film and television production. SCAD facilities provide access to professional studios and equipment used in the industry. Coursework includes assignments that lead to a portfolio project demonstrating your filmmaking approach. Faculty guide critiques where you analyze both technical and narrative decisions in your work. The program ends with presentations where projects from the session are screened.
Location: Purchase College, Purchase, NY
Cost: $2,200 for the first registration and $1,980 otherwise
Acceptance rate: N/A
Dates: Sessions I and II: (4 weeks) June 29 - July 24
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9 - 12
The Purchase College Pre-College Filmmaking Institute introduces you to independent filmmaking techniques and storytelling approaches. Classes focus on screenwriting, digital cinematography, and editing using software such as Adobe Premiere Pro. Projects encourage you to develop personal narrative ideas and translate them into short films. Faculty members guide critique sessions where you review how editing, framing, and pacing affect the story. The program also emphasizes creative problem-solving when working with limited resources. At the end of the course, you present your finished films during a screening event.
Location: Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Utica, NY
Cost: Application Fee $65; Residential Student - $8,192; Commuter Student - $5,452
Acceptance rate: N/A
Dates: July 6 – 31
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or international student with a valid U.S. F1 visa, and high school students who will be between 16 and 18 years old before December 31
The Pratt Institute Pre-College Film Program explores the technical and artistic elements of filmmaking through studio workshops. You will examine how light, sound, movement, and editing contribute to the visual language of film. Coursework includes practical exercises in camera operation and digital production tools. New York City becomes a source of locations and inspiration for film projects developed during the program. Faculty guide on how to shape a portfolio suitable for college film applications. The program concludes with a presentation of student films and a discussion of the creative decisions behind them.
Location: The School of The New York Times, New York, NY
Cost: $50 application fee; Residential - $7,695, Day Program - $6,195; Financial aid available
Acceptance rate: N/A
Dates: Rolling admissions starting April 13
Application Deadline: February 27
Eligibility: Students in grades 10-12 and graduating seniors who will be 15 years old by the first day of the program
The School of The New York Times Summer Academy includes courses that explore documentary filmmaking and visual storytelling. You will learn how journalists and filmmakers identify stories and translate them into video narratives. Workshops examine how camera work, interviews, and editing shape documentary storytelling. Field assignments allow you to capture footage that becomes part of your own short media project. Editors and media professionals guide discussions on ethics, storytelling accuracy, and visual communication. The program concludes with presentations of the documentary or video projects developed during the course.
Location: Cal Poly Pomona, CA
Cost: $20 application fee and CA State Residents – $5,174, and Out-of-State and International Students – $10,475
Acceptance rate: N/A
Dates: July 4 to August 1
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: California residents currently enrolled in grades 8 through 12. Limited spots for students from outside California
The California State Summer School for the Arts film program is a four-week intensive program focused on narrative and experimental filmmaking. You will attend production workshops and film theory classes that explore how directors shape cinematic meaning. Crew-based projects allow you to participate in different roles such as directing, editing, or cinematography. Faculty and guest speakers discuss filmmaking methods and creative approaches used in the industry. The curriculum mirrors the structure of a university film program with regular critiques and production assignments. The session ends with screenings where completed films are shown.
Location: Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate: N/A
Dates: Late June through early August
Application Deadline: No information available
Eligibility: Full-time U.S. high school juniors with a minimum 3.5 unweighted GPA
While primarily a journalism-intensive program, the Princeton SJP provides a highly selective, all-expenses-paid opportunity for students to master multimedia and visual storytelling. You will work with professional journalists and filmmakers to produce documentary-style video content and digital media as part of the program’s annual newspaper, The Princeton Summer Journal. The curriculum emphasizes the ethical responsibility of the camera, teaching you how to use film as a tool for investigative reporting and social advocacy. Throughout the ten-day residential experience, you will attend workshops on film editing and digital cinematography while receiving long-term college admissions mentorship.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program in which students work one-on-one with a mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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