35th Telluride Film Festival

August 29-September 1, 2008

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City Lights

"It is characteristic of the Telluride Film Festival to run a program like the City Lights...because Telluride is about showing films to provoke discussion, bring people together and to inspire.  The students I encountered were eager to learn, full of questions and some answers - they were an inspiration to me!"

– Sarah Gavron, Filmmaker

34th Telluride Film Festival
CITY LIGHTS PROJECT
August 28th - September 1st, 2008

The TFF’s City Lights Project provides a select few underserved high school juniors and seniors and their teachers a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the experience of the world renowned Telluride Film Festival. Up to sixteen students and five teachers are drawn each year from one or two schools from outside of Colorado and brought to Telluride for a five-day nonstop whirlwind tour of eye-opening films, exciting educational events and extraordinary new experiences.

Through a rigorous schedule of film screenings, discussions with fellow students and interactions with festival guests, this program offers to expand the students’ worldview, enhance their ability to become more thoughtful and discriminating social participants and equip them with new tools to become leaders for the future. It also serves as a singular opportunity to become lifelong friends with other students from widely divergent lifestyles and backgrounds.

PARTICIPATING STUDENTS WILL

  • View approximately 10-12 film programs over five days.
  • Interact with filmmakers, actors, and other film artists including screenwriters, musicians, and producers.
  • Participate in journal writing sessions.
  • Hike in the mountains around Telluride.
  • Meet with college students participating in the Festival’s Symposium and Filmmakers of Tomorrow programs.
  • Learn how films are critiqued, how they are made, how stories are developed, how to express themselves through a variety of creative media, and how to open their minds to new experiences and viewpoints.
  • Have the time of their lives.

STUDENTS AREN’T THE ONLY LEARNERS
We consider the City Lights Project a continuing education opportunity for teachers as well. Preparation for and participation in this program requires a high degree of commitment on the part of the applying teacher(s). Please take care to ensure that if selected for the 2008 group you will be able to devote enough time to making the most of this program for you, your students, and your school. If selected, you will choose 6-8 students through your own selection process with guidance from City Lights faculty. These students will then be asked to write an initial essay speculating on the upcoming City Lights experience. In order to make all the necessary preparations, final student selection must be made no later than April 30.

We are not simply looking for students who want to go into the filmmaking profession. We do, however, want the City Lights Project students to be interested in film, literature, the visual arts, writing, and music, and able to articulate and build on that interest in a highly participatory environment. Successful partner schools are identified by the following criteria:

  • Serving a student population generally identified as “underserved/at risk”
  • Providing, or wishing to provide, special and/or advanced academic and arts-based learning opportunities to their students.
  • Solid commitment to supporting their students and accompanying teachers in unique off-campus learning activities.
  • Ability to provide extensive pre- and post-Festival studies to assist their students in preparing for the Festival experience, and its potential effect on their own futures.
  • Ability to identify students eager for this film/study/interaction immersion experience and with the maturity to maximize this opportunity to gain a greater world and cultural awareness.

WHO’S GOING TO PAY FOR ALL THIS?
Thanks to a major grant from the Lucky Star and additional support from CPB/Annenberg, Facets, Inc., The Telluride Film Festival pays for lodging, meals, supplies and curriculum materials. Travel to and from the Festival will be the responsibility of the participating school(s). The Festival may be able to provide some travel assistance.

CONTACT
All applications, correspondence and questions maybe directed to: Kathryn Sibley TFF Education Programs Dean 166 Murdock St. Richmond, CA 94804-1932 Tel: 510.233.3623 Fax: 603.215.0992 Email: education@telluridefilmfestival.org.

For more information about sponsoring TFF's student programs, contact our development department today.

"For once in my life, I felt safe. I knew I would not be judged or criticized, that these people were understanding, bright, and interesting...not your typical teenager. Just like me."

– City Lights Student