In the summer of 2012, Howard Venable, director of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers at Communities In Schools of Forsyth County program approached filmmaker Thomas Scott, Jr. about the prospect of creating a program to teach children the art of filmmaking. By the end of that year, Mr. Scott submitted a proposal for what would become the Junior Filmmakers Initiative (JFI).
Our Mission is
To inspire creativity, leadership and enthusiasm for learning among children and young adults through the visual medium of cinema.
On Jan 14, 2013, the JFI launched its pilot program at Kimberley Park Elementary School in Winston-Salem, NC. For 28 days the participants who ranged from the 3rd to the 5th grade learned and executed the various stages of film production. Among other things, they conceptualized, developed and wrote the screenplay for their film, “Chihuahua Rampage”; set up a casting call and held auditions; rehearsed their parts and participated in the filming and finishing of the movie. By the end of the program, they had produced a delightfully entertaining short film which showcases a combination of talent, creativity, and enthusiasm.
Through exploring the visual medium of cinema, the participants of the JFI enhance their reading and writing skills, their ability to express ideas and understanding of the practical uses of math and spatial reasoning.
On the heels of a successful launch, the JFI seeks to extend the benefits of this program to other children throughout the Triad area and beyond.
