Art House Convergence 2019

This interactive session provides case studies of art houses that have effectively and strategically developed media arts education programs for schools. They will share best practices on curriculum development, standards alignment, partnership models, and funding support. Organizations thinking about working with teachers and students — and those that already do — will leave with new tools and ideas.

Give your audiences an insider’s view of your curatorial strategy. Adapted from the Emerson College course "Behind the Screens: The Mechanics of Cinema Exhibition,” this workshop will help you teach your audiences about the differences between art houses and multiplexes, the relationships between filmmakers and distributors, the value of communal viewing, and much more. The course can be adapted for film students, aspiring exhibitors, filmmakers, and the general public. Learn how to tell your organization’s story and deepen your community’s appreciation for your programs.

This hands-on demonstration will highlight the varied content and approaches offered by three different film education programs: film studies for adults at Bryn Mawr Film Institute; a film seminar for middle school girls of color at the Belcourt Theatre; and Image, Sound, and Story, the Jacob Burns Film Center's K-12 media education curriculum. Attendees will get first-hand experience with these art houses’ approaches to teaching and learning.

Art houses seek to educate their patrons in a wide variety of informal ways, and none is more ubiquitous than the post-screening discussion. Most, if not all, of our organizations have them, but could they be more engaging? More diverse? Better suited to our audiences and goals? This session features educators and programmers who offer some fresh perspectives on this art house staple. Topics include strategies for tailoring discussions for different audiences, the value of specially trained facilitators, and rethinking the film-discussion relationship.

As more festivals make education programs an essential part of their offerings, it is increasingly important to reach youth and adult audiences year round. This session for film festival organizers offers strategies for expanding your year-round programming and explores how film education programs can be used to expand the audience, impact, and fundraising capabilities of your film festival.