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What are participants saying?

I have been working with youth and film making for many years and the MMTM project reaches more students and produces more quality results than any I’ve ever been around.
Edward De La Cruz
Artist-In-Residence
I was so shy at first – I didn’t want to talk or participate. After working with Jin Kyu, my artist-in-residence, I became brave and helped make a great animated movie.
Isabel
Welby Way Charter Elementary School
I went to Chatsworth Hills Academy and we worked with Tony who helped us make our film. It was one of the best experiences I had this year.
Isaac
Chatsworth Hills Academy
My film, Creative Block, won the award for best Live Action at the high school level. I did this with my peers at Daniel Pearl Magnet and it was such an amazing experience for all of us.
Lauryn
Daniel Pearl Magnet High School

My Making Movies That Matter Experience

By: Seth Martin

In 2016, I participated in the Making Movies That Matter Film Festival, a project dedicated to helping out students that are aspiring filmmakers. I produced and acted in a Public Service Announcement (PSA) titled, “Lost and Found,” a short film bringing light to the plight of homeless veterans.

After winning the award for Best High School (HS) PSA in 2016, I participated again in 2018, once again winning best HS PSA for “Change.” My time spent working on short films for Making Movies That Matter helped kick start my career and interest in film- making that continues to this day.

Throughout high school, I participated in two other film festivals. My short film “Butterfly” that I directed, edited, and produced, won an award at the Through Your Eyes Film Festival. After that, another short I wrote and produced called “Regret”, won an award at the BLMR Film Festival. In the summer of 2018, I participated in a renowned film school called Inner-City Filmmakers, and through that program I was able to write an award winning screenplay titled “Decisions.” The experience that I gained from my mentors in the Making Movies That Matter film project contributed to my subsequent successes. It was an amazing experience that I’ll never forget.

Currently, I am attending California State University of Northridge as a Television Production Major. Aside from the student film sets I have been on, I have also worked as a Production Assistant for a pilot episode of a Disney show. I will also soon be working at Apple TV as a Production Assistant. Having that early experience from Making Movies That Matter helped get me comfortable moving onto bigger film sets. I will never forget how great of an intro to film-making this event was for me.

– Seth Martin

Special thanks to David Massey, standout film teacher at Chatsworth Charter High School for his ongoing support of the MMTM project.