Fall / Spring | Youth Pathway
Film Exchange
Film Exchange is a year-long program for Alabama high schoolers serious about telling stories on camera. A Festival in the fall, open to any eligible student in a Film Exchange region. A Fellowship in the spring for the students who advance. Real client work. Working mentors. A Creator Kit they keep.
Active Now in Central & Southeast Alabama
Built to find what's
already here.
Most young people in Alabama with real storytelling talent don’t yet know they have it. The few who do can’t always see how it becomes a career, especially from here. Film Exchange is built for both.
The Festival opens broadly. No prerequisites. No portfolio. No assumption about who’s already calling themselves a filmmaker. A one to three minute video on the year’s prompt is enough to compete. What we’re looking for is the instinct, not the resume.
For Fellows who advance, the work becomes real. Real briefs, real mentors, real client deliverables.
The aim is to show students that a professional path exists, and that it starts in the state they’re already in.
From Festival to Fellowship
The Film Exchange runs as a two-stage pipeline.
Fall Festival
In the fall, the Festival opens to any eligible high schooler in a Film Exchange region. Students submit a one to three minute video on the year’s creative prompt, solo or in teams of up to two. A panel of filmmakers and brand creatives reviews entries, and finalists screen at the regional high-energy showcase.
Spring Fellowship
Festival winners advance to the Fellowship in the spring. As Fellows, they receive a Creator Kit, train with industry mentors, and deliver real client projects for Alabama organizations. The work isn’t a school project. It goes to the client. It gets seen.
What Fellows Leave With
01
Creator Kit
A Creator Kit to keep: camera, laptop, and software. Not loaner gear, but their own equipment to keep producing work long after the program ends.
02
Portfolio
A portfolio of work shown publicly, including pieces produced for real Alabama clients. The kind of work that opens doors to college programs, internships, and creative careers.
03
References
References from working filmmakers and industry partners who have seen the Fellow's work firsthand. As the Film Exchange alumni base grows, that network becomes a statewide pipeline of young Alabama creatives.
Alumni
Film Exchange alumni have gone on to college film programs, internships at production companies, freelance video practices, staff roles in Alabama’s creative economy, and back into the program as instructors, mentors, and team members. Will Smith, a member of the 2024 cohort, now serves as the Film Exchange’s Operations Director, helping shape the program’s statewide expansion.
Frequently asked questions
Enter the Festival
The pathway into the Fellowship runs through the Festival. Each fall, the Festival opens to eligible high schoolers in a Film Exchange region. The application is straightforward: a one to three minute video on the year’s creative prompt, submitted solo or with a teammate (up to two student filmmakers per team). You don’t need previous filmmaking experience. You don’t need fancy equipment.
Next Cycle Opens September 1
