Thank you to all of the teachers and students who participated in the MVFF Education program at the 46th Mill Valley Film Festival!
We covered a lot of ground at this year’s festival, connecting students from kindergarten through college with an array of films and filmmakers—and one live tarantula! It was such a joy to welcome so many excited students to the theater (some for the very first time!) from all around Marin, San Francisco, and the East Bay and to witness their laughter, awe, and enthusiasm at each screening. That level of engagement was especially palpable for our filmmaker guests who consistently marveled at the quality of student questions compared with those of standard adult audiences.
For those schools unable to come to the theater, we continued our online programming in the week following the in-person festival screenings, enabling teachers and students across the country to stream and discuss a wide range of festival films. And our Filmmakers Go to School program took several festival guests from around the world on visits to Bay Area classrooms to meet with students on their home turf.
As a result, we reached more than 5,700 students in total from 31 different schools, with over 2,300 students joining in person, 2,800 virtually, and nearly 700 more meeting filmmakers on their school campuses.
Whether online or in-person, we hope you will join us for more great programming at MVFF47 next fall!
This was one of the easiest and engaging field trips to coordinate, thank you! The students love the experience of going to the theater with their friends and it’s a fun way to talk about any SEL or other issues that arise. —Teacher, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy, Marin City
Highly impactful. The films were excellent and exposed my students to diverse perspectives and experiences. —Teacher, Tam High School, Mill Valley
Our students LOVED the films and being at the theater. They related and felt the spirit of the films. And they were entertained the whole time! —Teacher, Paul Revere Elementary School, San Francisco
The experience is always wonderful. It allows my students to have an experience around film. It was super special this year because of all the Spanish speaking films and filmmakers. It is so nice for them to see filmmakers that are similar to their own culture. —Teacher, Laurel Dell Elementary School, San Rafael
Being able to watch and discuss the shorts was great. The shorter running times allowed them to keep the film in their mind longer. Then having one of the filmmakers Zoom into our class was excellent. The kids found it engaging and impactful. I learned a lot, too. —Teacher, Terra Linda High School, San Rafael
The experience was positive for sure. To see movies made by people just older than them was so inspiring and eye opening. —Teacher, Miller Creek Middle School, San Rafael
Our experience was impactful to all of our students. We’d recently had a school shooting and this activity got our students off campus and granted them the ability to leave the campus confines behind to have an experience with other students in the Bay Area region. —Teacher, Skyline High School, Oakland
The film changed my understanding about what it was like growing up on a reservation. And hearing from the director himself after the film gave me more of an ability to step into his shoes. —Student, Tam High School, Mill Valley
The Q&A we had with the students was really inspiring. Honestly, I was nervous before the screening, not sure how that generation would digest the film but I was impressed with their insights and enthusiasm. —Filmmaker, One with the Whale
I felt incredibly uplifted by the conversations with the students. Many thanks again for making this happen. It was a dream come true! —Filmmaker, Periodical
The most important thing I learned from the film was to not be scared of anything. —Student, Laurel Dell Elementary School, San Rafael
Top Photos L – R: 1, Tommy Lau Photography, 2 Kirke Wrench, 3-6 Tommy Lau Photography
Bottom Photos: © Tommy Lau Photography
CAFILM EDUCATION PROGRAMS AT MVFF ARE MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM
NANCY P. AND RICHARD K. ROBBINS FAMILY FOUNDATION