Interview by Elmar Schimpff

The Freshi Team is a group of dedicated educators, administrators, entertainment professionals, independent filmmakers, writers, musicians, freelance artists and youth interns working collaboratively to give kids a true “hands-on” filmmaking experience. Freshi gives youth a chance to tell their own stories and use their own voices.

The entire team is committed to guarding and nurturing each student’s independent vision for the kind of story he/she wants to tell, consistent with a standards based curriculum and standardized assessment tools. The Freshi principals have presented youth oriented filmmaking workshops for over 14 years, beginning with workshops offered at the International Family Film Festival, the first and foremost youth and family oriented film festival in the United States.

Freshi is a world created for youth ages 8 – 18 to encourage communication and collaboration through filmmaking. Freshi brings kids from around the world together through the filmmaker program, camps, festivals, television and the internet in a dynamic, creative and educational environment. On Freshi Planet, kids aren’t allowed to sit back and watch adults make films, they do it themselves, from story to final edit! The Freshi goal is to introduce digital filmmaking, computer technology, and communication arts in a language kids can understand – visual media. Freshi Filmworx has state specific, standards based curriculum for six core subjects.

Play Filmworx Movie

Freshi Filmworx, the educational arm of Freshi, is a mentor-led, kid-directed filmmaking program (10 – 14 weeks) designed for elementary, middle and high school students. Freshi places cameras in the hands of every young filmmaker allowing them to imagine, plan, shoot, edit and screen their own films. Through the very nature of filmmaking, students are forced to develop planning skills, teamwork, and patience. It is a skill-building program that extends far beyond simple filmmaking and into all areas of the students’ lives.

Freshi Filmworx programs are currently active in over 156 schools and organizations, both public and private, operating in 11 US States and India. Freshi estimates that it serves 10,000 students each semester and since its creation in 1994, the program has successfully served over 100,000 students internationally.

Freshi Film Festival

The Freshi Film Festival is held annually at the historic Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, CA. The Festival is a full day of film screenings, the screenwriters’ showcase, workshops and demonstrations with industry professionals, and hands-on activities at one of the oldest working studio in Hollywood.

Films and screenplays are submitted for competition by youth 8-18 years of age from around the world. The festival culminates with an Awards Ceremony announcing the winning films and screenplays. Don’t miss your chance to see tomorrow’s star filmmakers today!