About

The Film Production: Social Impact Filmmaking intensive at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in Los Angeles is a four-week, residential, college-credit-bearing summer program (June 21 – July 17, 2026). Designed primarily for rising high school seniors, the course provides a hands-on introduction to socially conscious storytelling, blending technical mastery with the Jesuit tradition of "education of the whole person." Students who complete the intensive earn 4 units of LMU college credit.

The 2026 program fee is $11,100, which includes all residential costs (housing and dining), tuition for the credit-bearing course, and access to LMU’s professional-grade SFTV equipment. Applications are due by March 15, 2026, and require a personal essay (max 500 words), one letter of recommendation, and official transcripts.

Under the guidance of SFTV faculty and industry professionals, students form small production crews to navigate the entire filmmaking lifecycle: writing, casting, cinematography, and post-production. The curriculum centers on "media for social change," challenging students to produce short films that address contemporary challenges such as environmental justice, identity, or community health.

Pedagogically, the program integrates technical labs with ethical seminars. Participants utilize LMU’s Westchester campus as their production backlot while engaging with the Los Angeles media landscape through organized field trips. By focusing on the intersection of craft and conscience, the program sits closer to a professional film lab than a traditional summer camp, preparing students for the rigorous collaborative environment of undergraduate cinema programs and the professional film industry.