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Summer Film Camps

True West Summer Film Camps offer a range of filmmaking experiences for students ages 7-14 years old. Led by teaching artists Heather Murray and Colin Stice, our summer camps reflect our commitment to providing media arts education to students throughout Sonoma County. Each week-long camp offers five full days of programming, Mondays through Fridays.

Registration and Eligibility

Registration for summer camps opens in January of each year. Camp fees are $300-400 per student. We offer full and partial scholarships, and no student will be turned away due to lack of funds. Please email Tess Aston at te**@tr****************.org if you would like more information.

Camps taking place in 2024

June 24 to 28: Art Exploration + Filmmaking (Healdsburg)

July 8 to July 12: Improv, Imagination + Filmmaking (Cloverdale)

July 15 to July 19: Adventure Farms + Film Exploration (Healdsburg)

NEW! July 15 to 19: Advanced Filmmaker Summer Camp (Healdsburg)

July 22 to 25: Arts Exploration + Filmmaking (Cloverdale)

July 29 to Aug 2: You Pick It + Filmmaking / Option A. Golf + True West (Healdsburg)

July 20 to Aug 2: You Pick It + Filmmaking / Option B. Music + True West (Healdsburg)

Aug 5 to Aug 9: Improv, Imagination + Filmmaking (Healdsburg)

 

This year’s camps run from Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm. We are accepting students ages 7-14 years old.

**Camp activities are subject to change and parents will be notified prior to start.**

Meet Our Teaching Artists

AVFilm Teaching Artists Colin Stice and Heather Murray posing for a red carpet event

Heather Murray 

“My teaching philosophy is focused on the particular ways the fun and self-expression of filmmaking simultaneously encourages self-confidence and empathy in the filmmakers. When young filmmakers are invited into a space in which they can be vulnerable and take chances when using their imagination, their self-worth increases considerably. In order to make a film, however, they must collaborate with others. Working on a film crew means negotiating to make decisions and working toward a shared goal. In the process of making and watching films, they are also increasing their media literacy skills so that they are better prepared to interpret other forms of online programming and social media. I feel very lucky to support students in this process.”

Heather (she/her) is a videographer who worked as an art history college instructor, a museum director, and an art curator before shifting to video production and editing. She has created promotional videos for many Sonoma County nonprofits, businesses, and visual artists, and has collaborated with several local bands on music videos.

Colin Stice

Colin (he/him) grew up in Sonoma and Marin Counties. His career as a filmmaker began with the family’s VHS video camera and a tradition of going to the movies every weekend, followed by a discussion. Colin later received a BFA in Film Production from Chapman University with an emphasis in Directing. Since then, he has worked in advertising, narrative, documentary, branded content, and social media. His teaching philosophy is based around activity based storytelling, founded in a belief that through learning to make films we better understand the media we are surrounded by.

True West Film Center Educational Programs are supported in part by these funders:

 
National Endowment for the Arts
Creative Sonoma
California Arts Council
Sonoma County Vintners
Community Foundation Sonoma County
CARE Foundation
BeastGrip
FiLMiC Pro
 

Preston Addison & Wendy Conner
Dale & Ann Amtower
Jerry Anderson
Carol Beattie
Kimberly Bender
Tyra Benoit
Steve Bernard
Rachel Brass & Richard D. Foster
Naomi Brilliant
Carrie Brown
Susan Campbell & John McKinney
Susan & William Cary
Church of the Good Shepherd
Tony Crabb & Barbara Grasseschi
Patricia Dahl
Joseph & Sandra Dobbins
Lance & Sarah Dublin
Tanya Dublin
Kerry & Andrew Elkind
Ann Elston & Larry Lossing
Barbara Epstein
Judy Fujita
Rick & Jenny Gomez
Tom Halliday
Neena & Val Hanchett
Alex & Leah Harris
Adrienne Heinz & Barrett Elmer
Patrick Houston
Natalia & Kristina Jaramillo González
Ozzy Jiminez
Hillary & Michael Kambour
Jeanne & Stephen Kearns
Janen & Buzz Korth
Laura Kramer
Tim & Terry Leach
Elizabeth Loebel
Ann Mackenzie & Jack Cortwright
Kristen Madsen & Robb Senn
Susannah Malek
Ingrid Maltrud
Maureen McCalla
Chris McKenna
Winky & David Merrill
Carl Milfeit & Mary Fitzgerald
The Miner Anderson Family Foundation
John and Em Minor
Heather Murray
Turner Newton & Annie Himmelstein
Sharon & Jim Olson
Gary Passarino
Debbie & Mike Potmesil
Phyllis Rosenfield
Peter Rosson & David Barrett
Randall Schai & Sarah Miller
Yvonne Schell & Steve Kent
Jeffrey Schlesinger & Isis Moussa
Wendy & Bob Singley
Conrad Smart
Alex Threlfall
Mike Traina
Dianne & Mark Vernon
Marshall Vincent
Angie Wachholz
Jade Weymouth
Jenny Wilson
Faith Wilson-Grove
Jee & Alex Wipperfurth

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