School Of Rock Castmember To Teach NY Musical Theater
Fresh from a National Tour with Andrew Lloyd Webber's School of Rock, Elysia Jordan is slated to return as an instructor this year for our 2022 Musical Theater program in New York. We are thrilled to have her back with us!
Read below for a wonderful review of Lysie's performance as the understudy for Rosalie.
These are the festivals you should consider submitting to.
Our picks for the ten best teen and youth film festivals in the USA to get your films seen and you noticed. Each of these festivals showcase short films by either High School students, Youth or Teen Filmmakers. Be sure to check out the submission dates and submit early to save $$$.
Megz Alfonso at the Groove Convention
Megz Alfonso is teaching at the Groove Convention in Kansas City this December 2nd! Register by November 25th to see her there. Groove Competition's one-day conventions focus on small class sizes and feature classes in lyrical, tap, jazz, hip hop and contemporary.
Megz Alfonso made it to the top 6 on season 12 of "So You Think You Can Dance," has worked with choreographers Nick Zobrowski and Shelia Barker, and toured the US and UK with Decadancetheater.
Kelley McRae's Latest Interview
Julianne Marqua at the Indie Music Blog imPRESSED just interviewed Music Program Director Kelley McRae about her career, inspirations, and songwriting process. Take a look! Kelley's latest album, THE WAYSIDE, which debuted at #7 on the Euro-Americana radio charts, is also still available here. Watch for news on a brand new album soon!
See Our 2023 Tour Dates!
Between February and April, SOCAPA holds open house tours at each of our three campuses and virtually via Zoom. Join us to learn about the program schedule and take a walking tour of the campus! Every tour includes a question and answer session with a SOCAPA representative. We'd love to talk to you! Our next open house tour is February 2nd! Don't miss out!
Tyler Mitchell Just Shot The Cover For Vogue!
Film alum Tyler Mitchell shot the cover for the September issue of Vogue Magazine! This issue, featuring Beyonce, marks the first time that an African American photographer has shot a Vogue cover. "It was at once totally unreal and also felt like I had been living my whole life to receive that call," he said in an interview on NPR's All Things Considered. "So I think there's a level of amazing kind of magic to it." Before receiving the cover assignment, Tyler had previously worked with Teen Vogue, i-D Magazine, Dazed, and Candy Magazine. A graduate of NYU's film and television program, he's now a photographer and filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY.
Roger Manix, SOCAPA NYC Acting Head from 2005 - 2015, gives TEDx Talk on his Acting/Play Methodology!
Roger Manix proposes that play, coming together to explore the unknown through seemingly purposeless activities, forms connections, strengthens important survival skills and encourages joy, astonishment and wonder. He urges us, as adults, to tap into this activity that is often lost after childhood to reinvigorate our ability to feel joy. As a Stanford University Graduate School of Business Instructor, Roger Manix created a methodology to teach emotional and social intelligence using play- based learning. He was invited to Parsons School of Design at The New School to develop a play-based program in Design Strategies for Cities, Services and Ecosystems. Currently, he teaches ?Compassionate Leadership through Play? in the Global Executive Master Program. Roger has been nominated for The Distinguished Teacher Award along with Outstanding Contributions to Social Justice Teaching Award for his work on experiential learning. Roger is also co-founder of Immersiva, an interactive technology company built by storytellers and educators to make the world a kinder, more connected and joyful place. Collaborative play trains us to explore the unknown and maintain a joyful state of mind. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.
SOCAPA produced feature film, LAST ELECTION, directed by Miguel Silveira, is having great success at Film Fests!
So many SOCAPA teachers and alumni are involved in this film, check it out at a festival near you! Writer/director, Miguel Silveira, and writer/producer, Missy Hernandez, have been instructors at our Vermont and NYC campuses for years. They brought on SOCAPA alumni, Aron Romanoff (Editor) and Ela Golhan (Assistant Director) as well as SOCAPA instructors, Emil Benjamin (DP) and Jamie Yerkes (Exec. Producer).
Tap into your inner filmmaker; make a movie in 72hrs; win cash prizes. Go Big to Stay Safe!
SOCAPA and Catamount Arts' much-anticipated-annual Film Slam is GOING BIG to STAY SAFE! April 22nd-25th, 2021.
GO BIG: Our annual Film Slam is once again going virtual, viral and global! With COVID-19 vaccines rolling out around the world, there is light at the end of this long tunnel! But nations across the globe are still urging their citizens to stay vigilant and stay safe to save lives and speed us toward the end of this health emergency. And while we are disappointed to not see our friends and teams in persons, last years showed us that out of great adversity you can still create films that thrill us; move us to tears; and get our bellies rolling in laughter! With 77 completed films and over 2000 audience favorite votes, Tap Into Film had our largest participation and audience ever! So let’s all GO BIG and SLAM the CURVE by Staying Safe. Do your part, and make some art!
STAY SAFE: Everyone wins when we stay safe. Please follow all your local health guidelines when making your films. With two film judging brackets, COMPETITIVE and FAMILY FUN, we want everyone to tap into their inner filmmaker and make a movie while staying safe!
As always, the event is FREE to all! But please do consider a donation to Catamount Arts. Catamount has had to temporarily close their doors for the first time in their 45 year history of supporting community arts and independent film in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. With your support, Catamount Arts will be here after the crisis, doing their part for our community’s recovery.
There is currently no disruption to our summer camp schedule! Read all the details here.
While we understand there is a lot of uncertainty with regards to the new Coronavirus/COVID-19, there is currently no disruption to our summer camp schedule! We have been in close contact with our host universities and, at this point, they all plan to stay the course and remain open for the summer while implementing stricter cleaning and disinfecting regimens for public spaces. As we say in this business, if possible, ???The show must go on!?????
Jen Gerber (Film) & David Rysdahl (Acting) Announce New Feature Film!
SOCAPA veteran faculty Jen Gerber (Film Instructor and Creative Director) and David Rysdahl (Acting Instructor) are teaming up to produce "Shelter," a feature film starring Academy Award-winner Melissa Leo (repeat Guest Artist) and Zazie Beetz ("The Joker"). Jen will be directing the film. David wrote the screenplay and will also star in the film alongside Melissa and Zazie.
You've written an original song! You've perfected, performed, recorded, and mixed it. Now what?
Since launching our Singer-Songwriter Music program in 2013, SOCAPA has become one of the foremost songwriting programs, helping teens to not only develop their performance skills but also to find their own unique voices and style as young songwriters writing their own original work. For those ready to test the waters with their music beyond SOCAPA, here are a few top competitions open to teen songwriters.
Watch Her Film On Hulu!
Alumni Kendall Goldberg's debut feature film, When Jeff Tried To Save The World is available now on Hulu and other VOD platforms. Distributed by Gunpowder & Sky, this film follows the manager of an old-school bowling alley after he discovers the owner's plans to sell. It won both the 2018 award for Indie Vision Breakthrough Performance at the Twin Cities Film Festival, and the International Film Critics'Prize for Best Directorial Debut at the 2018 Heartland Film Festival, and was an Official Selection at numerous other festivals.
SOCAPA's top choices for teen and high school photography Competitions.
The explosion of dance on camera has given rise to film festivals dedicated solely to showcasing the art form.
SOCAPA alumni and staff reflect on their own experiences of choosing, applying to, and attending film school.
These are SOCAPA's picks for the best ten American film schools in 2022.
Watch student work from SOCAPA 2019!
Check out all the amazing work created this summer at SOCAPA's summer arts camps. Browse student films, dance videos, photography portfolios and more!
Jamie Sisley's Feature
Filmmaking teacher, Jamie Sisley, was awarded an SFFILM grant to develop his short film, Stay Awake, into a feature narrative, this past spring. The film is about two teen brothers who try to help their mother overcome a drug addiction for many years, but they have little success. One day, their mother goes missing after a binge, and the brothers must ask themselves if they should continue to help their mother, or if they should try to move on with their lives. David Rysdahl (SOCAPA acting teacher) is an actor in the film, as well! We can't wait to see what happens next with this project!
Giulio Fabroni's New Short Film
The Cultural Association DIVANOS, founded by Giulio Fabroni and other film alumni of Scuola Holden in Italy, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to finish their short film Lunedi: Chiuso! (Closed on Monday). The film is a "grotesque ballad," combining horror with dark humor as it explores feminicide through the reimagined story of a Florentine murderer. The first act of the short is available online here, along with the option to donate to the project. Since his time at SOCAPA, Giulio has graduated from the Cinema College of Scuola Holden. His feature film project as a screenwriter is a current finalist at the Biennale College Cinema in Venice.
See Elysia Jordan In The School Of Rock!
There's still time to see Elysia Jordan on tour with School of Rock! The show, which earned 4 Tony nominations including Best Musical, is continuing its US tour through the spring of 2019 to rave reviews. Lysie plays Mrs. Hathaway, is in the ensemble, and understudies Rosalie and Ms. Sheinkopf. Find tour dates near you now!
Galina Kurlat's New Exhibit!
Galina Kurlat's new exhibit, Shadow Play, opens November 1st at the Peter Hay Halpert Fine Art gallery space in Chelsea. Galina's tintype portraits of youths explore the identity of who the sitter is and will become. The exhibit will run from November 1st to December 1st. Don't miss it! Visit Peter Hay Halpert Fine Art site for more information.
If you're interested in learning the wet collodion process, Galina is also teaching a two-day Wetplate Photography Workshop at the Gowanus Darkroom on December 8th and 9th. Workshop participants will learn the process of pouring collodion, exposing, developing, fixing and varnishing the plates. They'll also learn how to use large format cameras and get a chance to take home their own 4x5 and 5x7 inch plates.
Watch "Mary Rose" at the Yonkers Film Festival!
Don't miss Vincent Morrone's film Mary Rose, playing at the Yonkers Film Festival next month! The film, a drama which follows a young scholar finding a secret doorway to other worlds, will screen at 8pm on November 6th at the DMAC Theater! Get your tickets now, or check out the full festival schedule here!
Ashley Rich Joins Dance Revolution's "I Am" Tour
Ashley Rich is now part of Dance Revolution's "I Am" Tour, starting in Dallas on November 2nd! The tour is a dance convention where dance studios come to take dance classes from teachers like Ashley. After Dallas, the tour will continue in Orlando, Colorado Springs, Winston-Salem, and Chicago.
Ashley Rich was a finalist on the 8th season of "So You Think You Can Dance," has been featured in multiple music videos, has taught alongside world renowned choreographer Milton Myers, and is the founder and director of the Rich Dance Project. Check here for "I Am" tour dates to find Ashley in your city!
Register Now For 2019 Burlington Music!
We are thrilled to offer Music in Burlington for our 2019 summer! Sharing the same curriculum as our Music programs in New York and Los Angeles, our songwriting intensive will now also be offered at our gorgeous Burlington, Vermont campus.
Based at Champlain College, our Burlington campus overlooks beautiful Lake Champlain and is a short walk from the vibrant arts scene of downtown Burlington. Camp activities outside of class range from swimming and kayaking to karaoke nights, laser tag, hikes in the Green Mountains, and games on Lake Champlain's beaches. We've loved hosting our other programs here for many years, and are thrilled to be adding Music for next summer!Early Bird Promo Discount!
Registration's live for our 2019 programs! 2018 was a fantastic summer, and we are so excited to start our planning for next year. Register by November 15th with your deposit and promo code 1119 to receive a 5% discount on your 2019 tuition!
We're so excited to see you again next summer! And don't forget! To see our student work from 2018, or see it again, please visit our Student Portfolio page! Our campers made amazing work in film, acting, dance, music, and photography this summer, and we'd love to share it with you!
Matteo Scher's Latest Single!
Don't miss Matteo Scher's latest single! "Stuck on your Love"was released this past June, and is available on Amazon, iTunes. This follows his debut E.P. "Something Good,"which was described by the Huffington Post as "an excellent EP. Strong melodies, a honeyed voice and the sumptuous piano combine to produce sonic affluence." You can also find Matteo Scher hosting the Two Boots Open Mic in Williamsburg on Thursday nights!
Madison Tinder On Tour With "A Chorus Line"
Vermont Acting Teacher Madison Tinder just finished her latest tour! Following the show's national tour earlier this year, "A Chorus Line" just played in Japan. The show, which follows young, hopeful dancers looking for their big break, began in Tokyo August 15th, and continued through Kanazawa, Shizuoka, and Osaka until September 9th. Tinder plays Cassie, a veteran dancer with previous success as a soloist who is auditioning for the chorus once more after struggling to find work. Natasha Ashley of Broadway World described Tinder as "breathtaking, dazzling, and sensational in the iconic role of Cassie. Her rendition of "The Music and the Mirror" is unforgettable. She performs the choreography flawlessly with poise, strength, and grace."
Fiona Flaherty's Film At the 6th Annual Arlington Student Film Fest
Fiona Flaherty's 2017 SOCAPA film, "The Outside" was an Official Selection at the 6th Annual Arlington Student Film Fest, and a nominee in Drama, Experimental, and Horror categories.
Do you have a film you'd like to submit? You can learn more about other festivals open to student film submissions on our site here!
Mia Jaderlund at the Starbound Talent Competition!
In February Mia Jaderlund was invited back to the 2018 Starbound National Talent Competition as a special guest performer at the regional competition in Trenton, NJ. Watch her Starbound performance here, or her 2016 SOCAPA Dance Conservatory solo "The Sound of Silence!"
How To Tell If Your Session's Still Open!
Many of SOCAPA's Summer Intensives have closed, but most are still open! Hurry and register now before it's too late!
If you miss the open registration period for the session you'd like, you'll see the "Apply Now" button on our Find A Course page change to "Join The Waitlist." Use this button to add your name, and we'll be in touch if the session re-opens.
How do you keep yourself off the waitlist? Apply today and submit your registration deposit!
Sasha Phyars-Burgess' Latest Show
Sasha Phyars-Burgess' latest work is now a part of the exhibit "A Lot Of Good Things, A Lot Of Bad Things" at Cornell University's Tjaden Hall. The exhibit runs from February 11th to February 17th and follows her November exhibit "Let Me Look At You." Take a look!
Genny Yosco and "As He Likes It"
Genny Yosco and Sour Grape Productions will perform "As He Likes It--A Shakesqueer Comedy" at the FRIGID Festival 2018 from February 17th to March 3rd. This will be their 3rd year performing at the FRIGID Festival, where they've previously won awards for Best Mash-Up and Best Ensemble Piece.
New For 2018!
We're very happy to announce the pilot year of our Advanced Music program! Intended for return students interested in pursuing music professionally, the Advanced Music intensive invites young musicians to further develop their songwriting techniques while also exploring how to establish themselves as emerging artists. In addition to spending time devoted to crafing, workshopping, and recording their original songs, students learn strategies for branding, marketing, engaging with live audiences, booking performances, and more to help them make their way into the music business.
Mountain Biking & Filmmaking Combo In Burke, VT
SOCAPA Mountain Camp dates are live! We're offering 3 sessions of mountain biking and action filmmaking next summer in gorgeous Burke, VT. Campers bike every day on world-famous Kingdom Trails and create their own short action film highlighting the best of their time on the trails. Take a look at last summer's films here!
We also offer a Drone & Action Filmmaking (DAF) focus, where campers spend part of each day learning drone safety and flying techniques and Advanced Action Cinematography. DAF campers join us for daily mountain bike rides and collaborate with athletes to capture action and aerial imagery for their final reel.
Open to ages 11-13 & 14-17. We can't wait to see you next summer!
Jennifer Gerber's New Feature Film!
Jennifer Gerber's latest feature film, THE REVIVAL, is being released this January! Written by Samuel Brett William, and starring David Rysdahl, Zachary Booth, and Raymond McAnally, The Revival, an official selection of OutFest and NewFest 2017, is "a treacherous love story between a closeted preacher and a handsome drifter who shows up at his church." The film will have a theatrical release in Los Angeles beginning January 19th, and will be released to DVD/VOD on January 23rd through Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, Fandango, and iTunes. Read the Hollywood Reporter's review here, or get tickets to the Premiere!
Don't Miss These Submission Deadlines!
Film alums, are you ready to share your work? Entry deadlines are coming up! The Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) Youth Pavilion is open to shorts submitted through December 29th, and the Nashville Film Festival's Extended Deadline closes January 12th. Don't miss out!
To find more on teen film festivals, visit our Film Festival Page!
Dexter Carr's Choreography
Alum Dexter Carr's choreography is about to make it to the silver screen! Working with co-choreographer Eden Shabtai, Dexter worked this year choreographing All For One Media Corp.'s musical dramedy Crazy For The Boys, which is scheduled to be released next May. Directed by Martin Guigui and written by Brian Lukow, Crazy for the Boys is "a teen-driven musical drama brings together five different girls with nothing in common who are recruited by the school's principal to run a student campaign against bullying." Watch the trailer, or take a look and spot Dexter Carr in the behind-the-scenes video.
Register with your deposit by November 15th with promo code 1018 to get 10% off tuition!
We're live! We had a fantastic 2017 season, and we're already planning for next summer! Check out our new program start-dates and offerings at our Find A Course page or take a look at our student work from 2017! Have questions? We're here to help! Contact our Admissions office anytime! We can't wait to hear from you!
Register with your deposit by November 15th with promo code 1018 to get 10% off tuition!
Genny Yosco's play, "Just Gone," debuted at the 4th Annual Radioactive Festival
And it was awesome! Eva Heiememann of Hi! Drama described "Just Gone," which Yosco wrote and starred in, as "a gem of a play. [...] a wistful love story where we immediately are made to care about these characters and their outcome." Yosco and her production company, Sour Grape Productions, will also be in 2 festivals coming this fall, the 2017 New York New Works Festival and the 2017 Boo! Players Theatre Festival. Go see them perform live, or check out their latest thriller short "Don't Be Such A Dummy" here!
Catch Erlingur Thoroddsen's latest feature film at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival!
Rift begins with the character of Gunnar, who "receives a mysterious call from his ex-boyfriend, who is living in a secluded cabin. He goes out there to find out what's going on, only to discover there's some weird things happening and something haunting them outside the cabin that wants to get in."
The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival runs October 12th-15th. Don't miss it! Rift is also screening at several other festivals this fall, including Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX. If you can't make a festival, watch for the DVD release! Breaking Glass Pictures is also planning to release the fim on DVD after the festival circuit. Watch for more!
Lysie Jordan Heads Out With SCHOOL OF ROCK National Tour!
Elysia Jordan, who taught our Musical Theater and Acting for Film program just this summer, is now heading out with the First National Tour of School of Rock--The Musical! Andrew Lloyd Webber's latest hit musical based on the 2003 hit film by the same name follows Dewey Finn, "a failed, wannabe rock star who decides to earn a few extra bucks by posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. There he turns a class of straight-A students into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band.""
School of Rock was nominated for multiple Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Original Score in 2016, and won the 2017 Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music. Lysie's joining the national tour's ensemble and will cover the role of Rosalie, the school's headmistress. The tour launches on September 30th in Rochester, NY at RBTL's Auditorium Theatre, and continues across the US from coast to coast. Check the tour dates for more, or watch the trailer!
Spencer Shangrow's Latest!
Music alum Spencer Shangrow and his band Fluencie released single after single this spring! "Don't Let Me Go" was picked by Spotify as one of their Fresh Finds in February, and hit #29 on the US Viral 50 list! Check out "Don't Let Me Go," and the rest of Fluencie's latest releases, and watch for more soon!
DeRon Horton In Netflix's "Dear White People!"
Watch for acting Alum DeRon Horton in Netflix's new series, Dear White People! Based on Justin Simien's 2014 film, the 10-episode first season follows "students of color [who] navigate the daily slights and slippery politics of life at an Ivy League college that's not nearly as 'post-racial' as it thinks." New York Times reviewer James Poniewozik believes that the TV series surpasses the film it is based on, saying "The movie was audacious, irreverent and feisty, with a feel for the tripwires of a supposedly postracial era. It also sometimes felt spread thin by trying to represent a broad range of experiences. The series fleshes out its characters by using its extra time well and embracing the episodic structure of TV."
Horton plays Lionel Higgins, a repressed gay journalism student. Read his interview here!
Apply Today!
Our programs are filling up for our 2017 summer, but many are still open! To find an open program, go to our Find A Course page, check to see if there's an orange "Apply Now" button next to the program you'd like, and apply today! If you see a button to "Join the Waitlist," you might still find the same program open during the same dates at another campus, or later in the summer! Reserve your place today! We're expecting to close more programs by May 1!
Sam Smith's "String" An Official Selection At NFFTY Festival!
Sam Smith's short film "String" is an Official Selection of the 2017 National Film Festival For Talented Youth 2017 National Film Festival For Talented Youth (NFFTY) Festival! "String" was created at SOCAPA's New York City campus as Sam's Kubrick film in 2015. On Saturday, April 29th, it will screen in Seattle as part of NFFTY's celebration of young filmmakers! The film "weaves live action and stop motion together to tell a story about the complexity and interconnectedness of humanity." Watch it on vimeo, or at the festival!
Catch Michael Samuel Kaplan in Driving Miss Daisy!
Catch Michael Samuel Kaplan in Driving Miss Daisy on stage through February 12th at the Bristol Riverside Theatre! For those unfamiliar with the play, "Taking place in Georgia, from 1948 to 1973, Driving Miss Daisy tells the story of the unexpected friendship that develops between a fiercely independent Jewish widow and her African-American chauffeur." In this latest rendition of the Pullitzer-Prize-winning play by Alfred Uhry, Michael Samuel Kaplan plays "Boolie," Miss Daisy's only son, who hires a chauffeur for her after deciding that she is too old to drive.
Acting alum Genny Yosco and Sour Grape Productions are returning to the FRIGID Festival!
A Fifth Dimension: An Unauthorized Twilight Zone Parody opens February 15th at the FRIGID Festival! This show, written and directed by Yosco, played in 2015 to sold-out audiences, and follows her 2016 production of CSI: Mayberry, which won the FRIGID Festival award for Best Mash-Up. Don't miss it!
Our pilot year of the Film Production Lab in Burlington was awesome--now we're expanding!
This new film program centers on creating a highly polished group project, allowing students to share the roles of camera operator, sound technician, producer, director, editor, and more--or to specialize in one production element! While collaborating with classmates on their film, students in Production Lab learn valuable lessons in script work-shopping, preproduction, casting and auditions, shot listing and location scouting; technical skills from camera to sound, as well as post-production editing, sound design and color-grading. If you've taken our Core Film course but would like more experience before our Advanced Film course, this could be the right fit for you! If you love filmmaking but aren't ready to write your own script, this course can give you hands-on learning opportunities in a supportive, collaborative project.
Watch for Craig Johnson's Latest At The Sundance Film Festival!
Craig Johnson's latest film, Wilson, makes its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival next month! This film, an adaptation of the graphic novel by Daniel Clowes, stars Woody Harrelson as Wilson, which Fox Searchlight describes as "a lonely, neurotic and hilariously honest middle-aged misanthrope who reunites with his estranged wife (Laura Dern) and gets a shot at happiness when he learns he has a teenage daughter (Isabella Amara) he has never met. In his uniquely outrageous and slightly twisted way, he sets out to connect with her." Wilson will hit theaters in March, 2017!
SOCAPA is launching a new acting program in New York this summer!
Students in the Musical Theater and Acting for Film program will take on a dual challenge--to hone their acting skills for musical theater and for the screen. Students in this program will study the same Meisner and Method acting techniques as our Core Actors, and gain on-camera experience in student films. Additionally, they will receive instruction through voice lessons, musical direction, choreographed movement, acting a song classes, and rehearsals with an accompanist to help them bring an assigned group scene to life as a professionally filmed and recorded Musical Reel.
Alum Pablo Martinez's film "For Lucy" chosen as an Official Selection
"For Lucy," a short film which Pablo wrote and directed, was chosen as an Official Selection for Best Screenplay by the Largo Film Awards! The film follows the story of a father desperate to spend time with his daughter before her surgery. Watch the trailer here!
Levi Abrino's latest!
If you saw It Had To Be You when it hit theaters, we hope you watched the credits! Levi Abrino collaborated on the story of this film starring Cristin Milioti, Dan Soder, and Halley Feiffer. Winner of Best Narrative Feature at the SOHO International Film Festival, It Had To Be You is a romantic comedy that follows a 30-year-old woman who rejects her boyfriend's marriage proposal. Watch the trailer here!
Eddy Jimenez's First Feature Film
Acting alum Eddy Jimenez recently produced and starred in his first feature film, El Camino Correcto, which made its debut in theaters across the Dominican Republic this summer! Following its initial release, El Camino Correcto arrived in New York in October to screen at the Feria del Libro Dominicano, and will screen again on November 21st at 4111 Broadway.
El Camino Correcto, directed by Jose Carlos Goma, follows the story of Arturo (Jimenez), a young man from a rural town in the Dominican Republic, who "takes advantage of the opportunities presented to him to help his mother, who has been diagnosed with leukemia." According to Jimenez, the film carries the message that when you have a dream, there is always hope.
Jimenez has also founded his own production company, We Three Films, and has previously worked in projects including "The Game" directed by Ray Hungria, and "Glow in the Dark" directed by Olivia Peters. Watch for more of his work soon!
Child Eater makes its World Premiere!
Erlingur Thoroddsen's new feature, Child Eater, just made its World Premiere at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival! Child Eater is an expansion of Erlingur's short film by the same name, which screened very successfully at film festivals from the New York Horror Film Festival to the Rejykjavik International Film Festival and SXSW. Watch the original short and keep an eye out for the feature-length Child Eater's official release! You can also read more about the making of Child Eater here!
Our updated 2017 offerings are live!
Students who register by November 1st can receive an early-bird discount of 10% off tuition by entering the promo code 1710. A $500 application deposit must be paid by November 1st for the discount to be valid. We can't wait to see you next summer!
7 SOCAPA Alums Named Official Selections
We're incredibly proud to announce that the work of 7 SOCAPA alumni have been named Official Selections by the All American High School Film Festival (AAHSFF)! Jace Smolansky, MLE DeJaco, Tyler Delargy, Jason Yamamoto, Maya Ranjan, Seth Friedman, and Patrick Godino have been selected from hundreds of entrees to have their work honored at the AAHSFF Film Festival from October 7th to 9th. Watch for more news from AAHSFF soon! You can also see a few of the SOCAPA films that made it to the AAHSFF below!
Don't Mention It (Directed by Tyler Delargy)
What No One Sees (Directed by MLE DeJaco)
Abel (Directed by Jace Smolansky)
Film alum Sam Smith won the Visual Art category of the Overture Awards!
The Overture Awards, organized by the Cincinnati Arts Association, celebrate excellence in the arts among Greater Cincinnati high school students. For Sam's SOCAPA-made film "String," and his photography, Sam won the grand prize of $4,000 in the Visual Arts category. Congratulations Sam!
New Camp, Campus, and Concept! A Mountain Biking and Action Filmmaking Camp in Vermont
SOCAPA MOUNTAIN CAMP is an educational adventure camp geared towards avid mountain bikers, ages 11-13 and 14-17, who also have a passion for action filmmaking. The camp will be held July 17-23 at Burke Mountain Academy, one of the most prestigious ski academies in world and home to over thirty Olympians including 2014 gold medalist, Mikaela Shiffrin. BMA's gorgeous, mountain campus is ideally located trailside to both the Q-Burke Mountain Bike Park and the world-renowned Kingdom Trails, offering well-over 100 miles of x-country, single-track, gravity, and downhill MTB terrain.
There's still time to sign up for college credit!
Through SOCAPA's partnership with Marlboro College, U.S. high school students who enroll in 3-week Filmmaking, Acting, and Photography programs at any of our campuses can earn three college credits in general arts for an additional $405. Having three college credits can strengthen your college application, and help with schedule flexibility for internships, study abroad, and more! You never know when 3 extra credits can be useful!
Calling Middle School, High School, and College Film Slammers
SOCAPA is partnering with Catamount Arts in St. Johnsbury, VT to launch a 48-Hour Film Slam from April 1st through April 3rd! Teams of 3-5 film slammers are challenged to write, direct, edit, and premiere an original film in 48 hours to compete for up to $1000 in cash prizes. Middle school and high school film students can also enroll in SOCAPA's free 48-Hour Film Workshop, where SOCAPA film instructors will provide guidance on basic filmmaking story development and equipment use. Students in the workshop may also borrow a SOCAPA production kit--there's no need to bring your own equipment!
SOCAPA music alum Sophie Beem released her debut single "Skyline" on January 29th!
16-year-old Sophie, who signed last year with Beyonce's management company Parkwood Entertainment, is working on finishing her debut album, and will be touring with Charlie Puth beginning March 3rd. Check out Seventeen's article on Sophie and "Skyline" here!
Gypsy, written by former screenwriting instructor Lisa Rubin, will join the ranks of Orange Is The New Black and Jessica Jones in 2017 as a Netflix original series!
The series, which will air 10 one-hour episodes in its first season, follows the journey of Jean Holloway a therapist who begins to develop dangerous and intimate relationships with the people in her patients' lives. Lisa is also adapting the best-selling novel I Was Here by Gayle Forman for New Line Cinema, and has been tapped to adapt the novel Food Whore: A Novel of Dining and Deceit by Jessica Tom for DreamWorks Studios! Congratulations Lisa!
19-year-old SOCAPA acting alum Claudia Lee continues to succeed in a career that's included roles as Brooke in Kick Ass 2 (2013), and Magnolia Breeland in Hart of Dixie (2011-2015).
In The Outskirts, an upcoming comedy about high school outcasts uniting for revenge and grappling with the consequences, Claudia plays Whitney, the high school Queen Bee. Watch for The Outskirts' release in 2016! Or go to The Outskirts to learn more about the film!
Tour our campuses in New York City, Los Angeles and Vermont.
SOCAPA will be holding Open House Information Sessions followed by a tour of each respective campus throughout the Spring. A SOCAPA representative will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about our Summer High School Arts Intensives.
This summer, SOCAPA Dance instructor Megz Alfonzo made it to the top 6 in So You Think You Can Dance.
Chosen from over 1,000 entries, SOCAPA alumni Ethan Hoffman-Sadka won Best Overall Film for "Salad" at the All American High School Film Festival (AAHSFF) this fall. Another alumni, Meredith Slifkin, won Best Screenplay with her SOCAPA NYC Advanced Project film "Give & Take," while a third, Molly Simmons, was selected as a finalist for Best Screenplay, Best Drama, and Female Rising Star with "Masha'Allah," which she created at SOCAPA Burlington last summer. Congratulations to all three filmmakers!
Film festivals are terrific networking tools, and give filmmakers the chance to see audiences' live reactions to their work. During the AAHSFF in October, Molly, Meredith, and Ethan's films were screened at the AMC Empire 25 Theaters in Times Square, an experience that was, in Molly's words, "spectacular." Ethan explained that he hadn't expected to see his film screened in such a large, high-profile environment until much later in life, if ever. At age 18, however, he and other AAHSFF awardees walked the red carpet, and he was able to listen as the AAHSFF audience cheered "Salad."
Meredith, Molly, and Ethan are all still creating films, and hope to pursue film as a part of their future careers. We at SOCAPA wish them and all of our alumni the best of luck!
Special Note: Submissions for the AAHSFF 2016 festival are now open, and free until April 18th!
Congratulations to Ben Arthur, our Music Program Director! The songwriting web series he hosts, SongCraft Presents, was nominated for an Emmy Award this year.
SOCAPA Music Alum, Sophie Beem, Signs a $560,000 Recording Contract with Beyonce's Music Label!
Check out the link Below.
