Palm Springs International Film Festival

Student Screening Day brings thousands of high school students from the Coachella Valley, Moreno Valley, the High Desert and beyond to partake in an extraordinary event. This eagerly awaited program brings the energy and prestige of the Palm Springs International Film Festival into an educational setting, offering a curated film from the lineup followed by a live conversation with the filmmakers.More than just a field trip, through these curated screenings and moderated Q&As, students are exposed to storytelling as both an art form and a viable career path - often for the very first time.

Filmmaker in the Classroom is an educational initiative of the Palm Springs International Film Society that connects exceptional ShortFest alumni with high school students across the Coachella Valley. Offered annually each spring, the program provides students with direct access to working filmmakers. Visiting filmmakers share their creative work and personal career journeys, engaging students in meaningful conversations about storytelling, artistic expression, and pathways into the film industry and related creative fields. Sessions are designed for small groups of approximately 30 - 40 students over one class period, fostering an intimate learning environment that encourages dialogue and connection. Filmmaker in the Classroom is designed to expand access to arts education and inspire the next generation of storytellers.

Filmmaker Bootcamp at Palm Springs International ShortFest is a free, one-day, immersive educational program designed to introduce Coachella Valley high school students to the fundamentals of filmmaking in an inclusive, supportive learning environment. The workshop provides students with direct exposure to professional creative practices, industry tools, and mentorship. Through hands-on instruction in writing, storyboarding, cinematography, sound, and editing, students develop foundational technical skills while strengthening collaboration and visual storytelling abilities. Over the course of the day, students work in small teams to apply these skills by producing their very own short film from concept to completion. The program is for high school students of all experience levels. Filmmaker Bootcamp is a unique opportunity for film-loving students from around the Coachella Valley to come together to experiment in the craft of filmmaking and build collaboration and storytelling skills in a safe and inclusive environment.

Filmmaker Bootcamp takes place during the Palm Springs International ShortFest and serves approximately 50 students. This year, Filmmaker Bootcamp will take place on Thursday, June 25, 2026.

Youth Jury Programs immerse young participants in film appreciation and critical analysis. Guided by festival staff, jurors evaluate curated selections reflecting youth experiences. The Kids’ Choice Jury invites elementary and middle school students to watch and select a favorite film from ShortFest’s family-friendly Shorties program. Young Cineastes engages high school students in viewing and discussing films presented during ShortFest and the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Participants present awards and receive festival badges for themselves and a guest, granting access to screenings and events.

Family Day, held during the Palm Springs International Film Festival, is a free, multi-generational community celebration featuring family-friendly films and interactive outdoor activities near the Mary Pickford Theater in Cathedral City. The event combines accessible cinema with hands-on experiences such as games, face painting, and local vendor activations, creating a safe, vibrant environment for 600–700 attendees. By blending arts engagement with community participation, Family Day strengthens local connection while providing high-quality cultural programming for children and families across the Coachella Valley.

Palm Springs International Film Festival our Student Screening Day program started in 2009.The Festival staff partners with the three local school districts to bring together 1300 students from diverse backgrounds, however they are all interested in the arts and specifically film. The Festival pays for the transportation of the students to both locations during this two day event. The Festival also provides each student with lunch during the intermission of the two films. Student Screening Day awakens young minds to international cinema, the realization that the human experience is universal by opening a window into other cultures. The transformational power of an inspiring film, we believe these experiences are necessary to a well-rounded education that prepares students for life beyond High School.

The Festival Staff coordinates and supports the Directors of the films shown to be present and interact with 1300 students during a Q&A after each film. We bring the same life changing experiences to students year round with our "Filmmaker in the Classroom" program. The festival staff works with teachers in the Coachella Valley to bring accomplished filmmakers to students in their classrooms. This program provides students with the opportunity to engage with visiting talent in person. The Film Society has brought directors and documentarians, screenwriters and editors to Coachella Valley in sessions that are tailored to participating classes. These events can take the form of a practical workshop or a more formal master class to best address the interests and goals of the students. Often times the filmmakers may have launched their career at the Palm Springs International ShortFest and will share their experience as an up and coming filmmaker. This mentoring from the filmmaker helps students identify their strengths and build their confidence.

The Festival would like to use these funds to provide the lunch for the Student Screening Day to 1300 students and possibly increase this group of students to 2000 during the 2019 Palm Springs International Film Festival. The Festival would use the funds to also underwrite the total cost of the "Filmmaker in the Classroom" program. ACF would be recognized at each event where the funds are used. These funds will help expand the "Filmmaker in the Classroom" program from 2 events to 4 events. This exposure to film making encourages students to engage in school and discover their talents as an up and coming filmmaker. Many students are inspired to pursue a career in film after participating in one of these events.

Student Screening Day, started in 2009, is designed to give youth in the Coachella Valley the opportunity to interact with and broaden their horizons via the art of film. Since its inception, we have expanded the program to reach more than 4,500 students during our annual festivals and are extending the reach of the program year-round with our accompanying Filmmaker in the Classroom sessions.

During Student Screening Day, attendees view two films and are then given the opportunity to interact with the filmmakers in a Q&A after the screenings. Our festival staff partners with three local school districts to bring together students from diverse backgrounds to experience the wonder of film. The Festival provides students with transportation to and from the venue during the screening days and with lunch during the two films' intermission. Student Screening Day exposes young minds to international cinema and the realization that the human experience is universal. We believe these experiences are necessary for a well-rounded education that prepares students for life beyond High School.

In the coming year, we are also expanding our Filmmaker in the Classroom sessions. Initially, Filmmaker in the Classroom started as a virtual program to help bring Student Screening Day to students while the festival was not running in person. Due to its immense popularity and success, we intend to make Filmmaker in the Classroom a more permanent staple of our educational outreach. We want to bring the same life-changing experiences of Student Screening Day to the classrooms of our partnering schools to reach even more students than before. Festival staff plans to work with teachers in the Coachella Valley to bring accomplished filmmakers to students at multiple school sites. This program allows students to engage with talent in person and pick their brains on everything to do with filmmaking. This insight from filmmakers helps students gain real-world knowledge while working to identify their strengths and build their confidence.

ShortFest Student Screening Day gives hundreds of local junior and senior high school students and entertaining, enlightening, and enriching introduction to short films from around the world and unparalleled access to the filmmakers who create them. Many participating schools have great financial challenges and few resources to offer film-based learning opportunities. We believe that the short film art form holds the greatest potential for success in engaging students in the arts. Students gain a window into other cultures, experience the transformational power of an inspiring film, and ultimately receive a well-rounded education that will inform future career paths and motivate them to succeed in high school and beyond.

Students are bussed to the screening location, where they view between 6-8 short films in a 90-minute program. Following the screenings, filmmakers and oftentimes cast and crew members engage students in a Q&A session. In the past, students from select schools have been invited to have lunch with the filmmakers and attend breakout sessions for more in-depth exploration and discussion. Access to the talent and films at SSSD is something only a major international film festival can offer. We are eager to expand our capacity to include ALL CV high schools, ensuring equal access to this program.

To maintain the enthusiasm sparked at SSSD and introduce a practical outlet, the FilmLab Fellows program was introduced in 2014. Selected students participate in a two-week narrative filmmaking boot camp in which they ideate, write, shoot, and complete an original short film. After this two-week period, we will provide landmark workshops throughout the academic year for Fellows to continue their work and share it with their home schools.