The Film Society of Lincoln Center has announced new 2016 initiatives as part of its education program, Film in Education, partnering with cultural and educational organizations citywide to provide teacher training in visual storytelling through film.

The Film Society launched Film Society Kids in 2014, a residency program that brings film into neighborhood elementary schools to support students’ visual literacy. Approximately 670 3rd and 4th graders screen classics and contemporary art-house films, participate in discussions, and learn filmmaking techniques to create movies of their own. The program also includes a Teacher Training Institute, in which participating educators are mentored in film aesthetics appreciation and filmmaking techniques that can be incorporated into classroom curriculum. Film Society Kids gives students access to an art form that inspires their voices and builds a foundation for literacy skills, and is particularly beneficial for children in English as a Second Language programs or with nontraditional learning styles. To bring a Film Society Kids program to your school, contact Director of Education Amy Poux at [email protected].

“Continuing the tradition of film education in New York City schools, the Film Society’s acclaimed education initiatives are connecting kids and teaching artists with a distinctive program rooted in exploring cinema as an art form,” said Film Society of Lincoln Center Deputy Director Eugene Hernandez. “Cameras can be found in the pockets of many today and the Film Society’s program emphasizes the importance of aesthetic choices (framing, design, and sound) when constructing a film and telling a story. The films created through our flagship Film Society Kids program exhibit an energy, ingenuity, and humor that reflect the personalities and creativity of these young filmmakers. In expanding our Film in Education initiatives, the Film Society aims to both broaden and deepen the reach of art cinema.”

Film in Education also continues to expand with new citywide professional development initiatives for teachers and community members. For the first time, Lincoln Center Education has invited another organization to participate in the LCE 2016 Summer Forum, and from July 13-15, the Film Society will provide teacher training to educators with a filmmaking institute. Twenty-five educators will create short films and learn how to integrate cinema studies into their classroom curriculum. The Film Society has also been invited to provide professional development programs to teachers via two prestigious organizations: Turnaround Arts New York City, part of a national initiative to bring arts education resources to high-needs schools developed by the President’s Committee on the Arts, and the NYC Department of Education’s Moving Image Commission.

As part of Lincoln Center Education’s Boro-Linc program, the Film Society also created a series of film appreciation events for families and teens at Staten Island’s Snug Harbor Cultural Center and at the Center for Family Life in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, in March. Boro-Linc brings free performances, workshops, and family-oriented programs by Lincoln Center resident organizations to neighborhoods across New York’s outer boroughs.