Interested in getting hands-on experience making an original film in collaboration with other teen girls and the support of film industry professionals?

The Filmmaking Lab for Teen Girls (FL4TG) is part of the Girls of Promise Initiative from the Women's Foundation of Arkansas, and brought to you by Arkansas Cinema Society.

This lab is for high school girls from age 16-18 who are passionate about storytelling and want to dive deeper into the process of screenwriting, directing, producing, cinematography, art directing, costume design, editing, and all aspects of the filmmaking process.

Guided by seasoned female filmmakers, the participants will learn about the filmmaking process and create a 3-5 minute short film with an emphasis on women’s empowerment and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) throughout the three-week program. The finished short film will premiere during ACS’s annual FILMLAND festival.

Eligibility & Requirements:

      Teen Girls, Age 16-18

      Available for all in-person classes in Little Rock, M-F Jun 8-26, 10-3pm.

      Cost is FREE.

      No prior experience is necessary.

      Girls are responsible to bring their own sack lunch each day.

‍

Application Process:

Phase 1: Complete the application form below, answer the essay questions and upload a short video.

Phase 2: Applicants in consideration will be invited to a short Zoom interview with the lab's program director.

Phase 3: Selected participants will be notified via email and must confirm attendance within ONE WEEK of acceptance.

Class Dates: Monday-Friday, June 8-26, 2026

Location of Classes: In-Person at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, Little Rock, AR

Application Closing Date: We encourage girls to apply before April 30, 2026, but will continue accepting applications until the enrollment is full.  

‍

Watch our past films!

2019 - "Justitia"

2019 - "Ensemble"

2020 - "Super Human"

2021 - "Drop It"

2022 - "A Period Piece"

2023 - "The Gloom"

2024 - "In Her Shadows"

2025 - "Cherry Blossom"

‍

“These girls learned all the different roles, a coed crew might have made that more difficult, with boys leaning toward jobs like grip — maintaining and making rigs for camera support — and girls gravitating to hair and makeup artist jobs or producing. “I’m trying to encourage girls to consider all the possibilities in a non-gendered situation. Arkansas has developed a talent pool for film and TV, Tucker says, and these girls can now be included. “There is a thriving film community here. That’s part of our mission, to give a venue and a voice to new filmmakers. That’s why the girls’ short films will be screened at our festival, FILMLAND, so they will be in the same room with other Arkansas filmmakers. That’s where it all begins.”

—  Kathryn Tucker from the Film Lab Feature, Style Section, Arkansas Democrat Gazette