First Frame Film Academy Expands from the Dominican Republic to Chattanooga

New two-day youth filmmaking camp connects visual storytelling, creative collaboration, and community health awareness.

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee — First Frame Film Academy is expanding its youth filmmaking initiative to Chattanooga with a two-day camp sponsored by the Chattanooga STEAM and Health Career Academy, Common Spirit Memorial Hospital, and the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga. Open to students in grades 8–10, the camp will take place November 14–15, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day. Space is limited.

The Chattanooga launch builds on the academy’s inaugural five-day intensive held July 13–17, 2026, in Las Terrenas, Samaná, Dominican Republic. That program introduced young creatives to the complete filmmaking process through hands-on workshops, collaborative learning, and guided creative development.

The July intensive explored five filmmaking stages: development, pre-production, production, post-production, and marketing and distribution. Students explored how stories take shape, how productions are planned, and how camera work, directing, editing, and audience engagement contribute to bringing an idea to the screen.

The Dominican Republic initiative was presented with support from the Las Terrenas Tourism Department, the General Directorate of Cinema of the Dominican Republic (DGCINE), the Municipality of Las Terrenas, SignifyTV, G.L.O.W. Syndicate, and Entrepreneurs for Good.

Continuing the Work in the Dominican Republic

First Frame Film Academy’s work in the Dominican Republic extends beyond the summer intensive. Its ongoing creative development framework guides students through story and script development, production planning, filming, editing, and preparation for public presentation.

Students are continuing to develop original stories with mentorship and collaborative feedback. The next steps include script review, revisions, and the transition into pre-production as teams prepare to film.

Selected student projects may be considered for a youth showcase during the Alma Film Festival, March 12–21, 2027, in Las Terrenas and the greater Samaná region. Selected works may also be featured through SignifyTV and other digital exhibition platforms connected to the program.

A New Chapter in Chattanooga

The Chattanooga camp adapts the academy’s five-day blueprint into a focused two-day experience covering five filmmaking stages: Development, Pre-Production, Production, Post-Production, and Marketing & Delivery.

Through guided activities and small-team collaboration, students will explore story development, scriptwriting, production planning, camera operation, directing, editing, and sharing their work with an audience.

The Chattanooga initiative will connect creative storytelling with community health awareness, including topics such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Students will develop short audiovisual projects that explore how visual storytelling can make educational topics more accessible and engaging.

Emmy Award winner and CommonSpirit South Region Manager, Nicole Brown, is the Lead Administrator. She has partnered with the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga to coordinate communication with participating students and their families.

Building Confidence Through Storytelling

Across both locations, First Frame Film Academy uses filmmaking to strengthen confidence, collaboration, leadership, and creative expression. By giving young people opportunities to develop ideas, work together, and make creative decisions, the program helps them discover their voices while exploring pathways in film, media, and the creative arts.

The Chattanooga launch extends that work into a new community, connecting the academy’s experience in the Dominican Republic with a locally focused youth learning opportunity.

Students in grades 8–10 are invited to apply. Space is limited. 

About First Frame Film Academy

First Frame Film Academy is a program of The Dandelion Institute — a division of the Alma Film Festival. The academy introduces young people to filmmaking and visual storytelling through hands-on education, mentorship, and collaborative creative development.

Program and Media Inquiries:

BlueBistroCreative@gmail.com

About the Alma Film Festival

The Alma Film Festival is a next-generation, research-centered, audience-focused, and tech-forward film and cultural initiative connecting a global community of stakeholders across 42 countries. Grounded in scholarship, inquiry, and cultural analysis, Alma brings together filmmakers, audiences, researchers, technologists, and community partners to explore the relationship between cinema, culture, and opportunity, with particular attention to the Global South.

Through screenings, research, cultural exchange, creative education, and technology-focused programming, Alma creates opportunities for meaningful engagement between storytellers and the communities they serve. Its approach prioritizes deeper audience–filmmaker relationships, collaboration, and the development of lasting creative networks.

First Frame Film Academy extends this commitment through youth education, connecting local storytelling and hands-on learning with a broader international community.

The festival’s work is guided by six pillars of purpose: Conversation, Connection, Community, Collaboration, Cultural Diplomacy, and Collective Growth.