San Francisco Film School (SFSS) is proud to announce the launch of our new online community – Social Justice Filmmakers. This is a community designed to empower anyone, with any means, to make an impactful documentary film.

As filmmakers with decades of combined experience in documentary filmmaking, we understand how powerful a tool filmmaking can be to shine light on important social justice issues and to make a difference in our communities. And now that we all have smartphones in our pockets and instant access to audiences through social media, filmmaking is a very accessible way of getting your message out, and your voice heard.

We also know that making a film can be extremely daunting. You may have a fantastic idea, but it can still be hard to know how to get started, especially if you don’t already have a network of other filmmakers to lean on.

Over the past two+ years, SFFS has put a lot of time and energy into building and improving the way we teach online. We’ve seen the power of online learning and how it can reach and connect people throughout the world. And how it can make learning accessible to anyone with a computer.

As the next step in our journey with online teaching, we wanted to harness this power by creating a completely online platform with the idea of community at its heart. We wanted to develop a workshop that people could take at their own pace while feeling supported by a network of filmmaking peers and experts. 

About the Community

Social Justice Filmmakers was created for filmmakers of every level of experience. It provides a space to network, find collaborators, workshop ideas and get feedback. We all need this kind of creative community – people who will celebrate your successes, commiserate when you face setbacks, and keep you accountable when you feel like giving up!

Something for Everyone: Courses and Modules

For new filmmakers, one of the most invaluable parts of the community membership is the access it offers to the Social Justice Filmmaking Workshop – a 10-module online course that teaches filmmaking skills and provides a step-by-step guide to making a social justice documentary film. 

This is where we were able to put our decades of experience as documentary filmmakers to good use! We created a series of engaging training videos and detailed workbooks to guide community members through all the steps of creating a film – from the development of their story idea, to prepping for the shoot, shooting and editing their footage, and finally, developing a plan to engage their audience and promote their film through social media.

Ongoing Community Support

We know that filmmakers of every level can have a lot of questions. From “How do I expose my shot properly?” to “How can I get my interview subject to open up?”, you never know when you’ll need expert help! 

We felt it was essential to have dedicated community moderators, professional filmmakers themselves, on hand for these questions. They’re available daily through the community platform for urgent questions, and hold regular Q+A sessions for issues requiring more in-depth answers. 

Learn from Insiders, While Also Building Your Network

We also understand the importance of building a network and finding inspiration in others to grow as a filmmaker. That’s why we decided to include community access to monthly talks and panel discussions with industry experts, social justice filmmakers, organizations, and funders. 

These insiders can speak about how they got into filmmaking, how to raise funds for projects, etc., and who can offer invaluable insight into the ever-changing world of social justice filmmaking.

Interested in Learning More?

We are extremely proud of this new filmmaking community! We believe that filmmaking offers a powerful and proactive way of engaging with the problems of today and making a difference. We hope that this community empowers and supports anyone who shares these beliefs and wants to use filmmaking as a tool to fight for social justice!

If you’d like to learn more about the Social Justice Filmmakers community, check out the website – www.socialjusticefilmmaking.com. 

We are currently offering a 50% discount to our Founding Members (discounted rate: $15/month or $99/year).