Belvedere Home Made Film Festival

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone this Saturday 7/12, at the library.

Our amazing workshop leader AJ Meininger has a fun day scheduled where we explore various genre’s and how that choice can guide all other choices as you make a film. We’ll also discover the power of a soundtrack or the impact that silence can have on a film, so please be settled and ready to go by 11am.

Please keep these things in mind when in the library:
1) We CANNOT record audio or video in or just outside of the restrooms. There are obviously privacy concerns in this location.

2) We need to be cognizant that we are in a Library when we break into groups and start shooting. Libraries are traditionally quiet spaces, and we need to remember to be respectful of this environment.

3) We cannot use any of the spaces that are reserved for Staff.

Team Redwood, a group of High School students (and recent grads) will be on hand to assist with all things technical. Be sure to thank Sam, Aaron, Sebastian, Sofia, Enzo, Izzy and Bjorn for all their help! These workshops would not be nearly as fun and successful without them.

These workshops are designed to give you the confidence that will lead to some incredible films that will be screened in Belvedere Park on October 9, 2026 at 6pm.

IMPORTANT NOTE regarding July 18th workshop: Due to the challenges of making a stop motion film, we have extended the hours so the workshop will go from 11am to 3pm.

Not everyone will be able to have a hands-on experience, but everyone will walk away with a great deal of information should they want to continue in this creative endeavor.

Please REGISTER for this workshop so we can track how many people to expect.

For those that want to access the practice films from the workshops, you can do so by clicking HERE.

Workshop Schedule

Date	Topic
July 11	Genre & Silence
July 18	Stop Motion Animation (by Pixar alum Norm DeCarlo) 11am-3pm
July 25	Real People, Real Stories
Aug 15	Montage & The Kuleshov Effect
Aug 22	The Close-Up
Sept 12	Surreal & Experimental
Sept 19	Editing Clinic & Festival Prep

What to Bring

💻 Laptop (fully charged) with CapCut installed — use the desktop version, not the cloud version (it’s free!)

📱 Smartphone (fully charged)

• Any gear you have: tripod, gimbal, camera rig, audio equipment — but don’t worry if you don’t have any of it
• A few lavalier mics will be available to borrow
• Most importantly: start thinking about a film you’d like to make. Celebrate your community! Each workshop features hands-on exercises designed to give you the tools and skills to bring it to life.

With much appreciation,

Adam Gavzer
Creator and Executive Director