Pull Focus Non-Profit Film School

This summer Pull Focus, an independent Gastown-based non-profit film school, will be partnering aspiring filmmakers and non-profit organizations as a part of their filmmaking for social change program.

Rhino Neal

Those interested in filmmaking can take one of five summer courses to learn everything from the basics of editing to producing documentaries. Students are not required to have a background in film but should have an interest in grassroots filmmaking and arrive prepared to plot out an idea for a documentary. The student films provide multimedia content that some organizations might not be able to afford on their own.

The school then helps students develop 10 minute-long documentary films (through writing, editing, etc.) for local charity organizations. The organizations can then use these as promotional tools on the web or on TV. The courses include:

Intro to Final Cut Pro (4 weeks, starting June 15), Filmmaking for Non-profits (8 weeks, starting June 21), Youth Documentary Bootcamp (3 weeks, starting July 5), Documentary Filmmaking (5 weeks, starting July 12), and Web Series Program (6 weeks, starting July 15).

Each of the instructors have interesting and impressive backgrounds and have had their work featured around the world.

Some previously produced student films can be found on the Pull Focus website and include Most Livable City made in partnership with the BC Civil Liberties Association and it has been accepted into the Amnesty International Film Festival. Other partner organizations are AIM Vancouver, BCCIC, Earth Save Canada, Citizen Shift, Georgia Straight Alliance, Mosaic BC, YWCA Vancouver, BC Green Party, Eat Art Foundation, Eco Justice, Check your head, and BC Civil Liberties Association.

You can find out more on the Pull Focus website or by following them on Twitter @PullFocusFilms.