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Big News: Heights Middle School Shorts Teams Up with the Cleveland International Film Festival!

We’re absolutely buzzing with excitement to share that Heights Middle School Shorts (HMSS) has forged an incredible new partnership with the prestigious Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF)! 🎬✨

An Unstoppable Collaboration This groundbreaking collaboration is set to unlock a treasure trove of opportunities for our budding filmmakers. Picture this: our students’ creative visions showcased on a national stage, learning experiences supercharged, and exposure to the world of professional filmmaking like never before.

Lights, Camera, Action: Our Students in the Spotlight One of the most thrilling aspects of this partnership is the inclusion of our students’ films in CIFF’s renowned FilmSlam® Streams program. This virtual showcase brings the best student cinema directly into classrooms across the country. Now, our talented young filmmakers will have their work seen by a wider audience, earning the recognition they so richly deserve. This isn’t just a milestone—it’s a launchpad for their future careers in film and beyond.

HMSS 2024

Interactive, Inspirational, and Insightful But that’s not all! CIFF will be hosting a Zoom Q&A with our student filmmakers, giving them the chance to discuss their work and the filmmaking process with industry pros. This is a golden opportunity for our students to share their journeys, gain insider knowledge, and spark new ideas. And to top it off, CIFF is crafting an in-depth study guide around our students’ films. This guide will be packed with insights about HMSS and all things filmmaking—perfect for anyone eager to dive deeper into the craft.

Hands-On Experience and Giving Back Our partnership goes beyond the screen. CIFF is opening the doors for our students to volunteer at the festival, including those from Heights Career Tech Education (CTE). These roles will not only help students earn community service hours but also give them hands-on experience in a professional festival environment. It’s a win-win: giving back to the community while building real-world skills.

Exclusive Screenings and Networking Galore Get ready for a major highlight of CIFF49: the premiere of our 2024 student films in the FilmSlam® Student Cinema section! This special screening is a momentous occasion, offering our students the chance to see their work celebrated on a grand stage. And the benefits don’t stop there—CIFF will provide access to an extensive network of filmmakers, giving our students unique opportunities to connect, learn, and grow in all aspects of filmmaking, from screenwriting to editing.

Strengthening Our Film Community This partnership is about more than just film—it’s about building a stronger, more connected film community. Our students will have the chance to join CIFF’s Student Screening Team, diving deep into the art of film critique and analysis alongside their peers who share a passion for cinema.

Looking Ahead: A Bright Future for Our Filmmakers We couldn’t be more excited about the potential of this partnership to elevate our students’ educational journeys and shine a spotlight on their incredible talents. We’re on the edge of our seats, eager to see the amazing projects that will come out of this collaboration. Together with CIFF, we’re not just making films—we’re making the future of filmmaking.

Stay tuned, because this journey is just beginning. We’ll be sharing more updates as we embark on this exciting adventure with the Cleveland International Film Festival. Together, we’re paving the way for the next generation of filmmakers and storytellers.

#HeightsMiddleSchoolShorts #HMSS #HMSSSeason5 #CIFF #NextGenFilmmakers #FilmEducation #CommunityEngagement #FilmFestivalMagic

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Heights Alum Returns to His Roots

It’s no surprise that Tyler Maxey is a composer/arranger who specializes in film music, concert music, and the creation of custom-arranged scores for marching and pep bands. He’s a Heights grad.

We are thrilled Tyler has joined our music program, HMSS Film Scores as the music instructor to teach CHUH middle schoolers how to create, write and produce original music for the films of Heights Middle School Shorts beginning February 27-March 20. To apply, click here. Space is limited

Tyler believes that music in films should create a unique and captivating auditory experience that enhances visual storytelling. That’s why his music covers a wide range of genres and styles to create a musical soundscape that draws in the audience and creates a robust emotional backdrop that enhances the drama and adds a new level of immersion to the film. His concert pieces and other original compositions seek to explore melody, harmony, texture, and rhythm in a way that allows listeners to engage with the music and see the world through his unique perspective.

Over the last year, Tyler composed the music for the short film The Baby Doll Dance which was featured at Cleveland State University’s annual student film showcase and the Youngstown Film Festival, where it was nominated for “Best Area Film.” He was also commissioned by the Notre Dame College Wind Symphony to compose a piece for Wind Band and Visual Media entitled TBD and to compose several marching band arrangements for South Central High School and Brecksville-Broadview High School.

When he’s not composing music, Tyler works as a Low Brass Instructor – his primary focus is trombone and euphonium – and has worked with the Rainey Institute as a teaching artist in their newly launched Cinemusic summer program for elementary-aged Tremont kids, where he taught the art of film scoring and created a final project showcased at the end of camp.

A Cleveland native, Tyler graduated from Cleveland Heights High School in 2014. He earned his undergraduate degree in Music Entrepreneurship at Notre Dame College in 2021. Currently, he is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Music Composition at Cleveland State University where he works as a graduate assistant in the composition department, and expects to graduate in May 2024.

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He’s Baaaaacccckkkk!!! Antonio Harper (Writer/Director)

After a two-year hiatus, Antonio Harper – one of our original HMSS Film Instructors and a Heights High School alum – has returned!

Antonio is a bright young filmmaker who left Cleveland Heights in 2022 with his partner Abby to pursue his dream in Los Angeles, California. But he always stayed in touch: as a virtual drop-in at Heights Middle School Shorts, as our film editor where – from the other side of the country – he edited HMSS films while teaching campers about the art of montage, and more.

But this year it’s different. Antonio will be ‘on location’ in the Heights, every day for the two weeks of in-person camp from June 3-14: filming, producing, editing, and adding original music created by students in our new program, HMSS Film Scores, to the films of Heights Middle School Shorts. He’ll also join us for this year’s screening, which will be held on Sunday, June 16 at the Cedar Lee Theatre.

We’re thrilled that Antonio will be back in the Heights with HMSS this year. He’s a real rising star of the film industry: dedicated and hard-working, he spent time as Production Coordinator for the Greater Cleveland Film Commission and on a variety of films shot in Cleveland before heading West, including Yann Demange’s White Boy Rick. On Demange’s set, Antonio was hired to shadow the director but was quickly promoted to Production Assistant, then again to Casting Coordinator, all within mere weeks.

Antonio is one-half of a writing-directing duo with his partner Abby Burton; they’ve made a number of successful short films, including Bush (shot in 16 mm), Panic in Valley City, and Altruist, all of which were selected for screening at numerous festivals around the country, including the Oscar-qualifying Cleveland International Film Festival. Through their company West 10G Productions they have several new projects slated this year for both television and film under their directing flagship Abbio Film.

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Join the Campers of Heights Middle School Shorts Campers 2023 for an Afternoon of Creativity, Fun, and Outstanding Short Films

The Campers of Heights Middle School Shorts 2023, Cleveland Heights’ own summer film camp, are excited to invite the public to the main auditorium at Heights High on Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at 2:00 to join them for the screening of their films:

  • The Sun and the Moon
  • Vacation Plan
  • The Night Guard
  • The Gem
  • Mary’s Adventure 2: Defending the Bakery
  • For the Love of Science

HMSS co-founder Jen Holland shares their excitement: “The films produced by this year’s campers are outstanding! We’re so impressed with the dedication, commitment, and creativity of our campers and the movies they have worked together to create, and we can’t wait to show them to the public.”

Heights Middle School Shorts is a three-week arts camp where Cleveland Heights and University Heights middle school students learn to express themselves creatively through the medium of film. Guided by local professionals experienced in filmmaking, writing, acting, and facilitating youth creative expression, HMSS campers learn storytelling through the medium of film as they write short stories that they turn into short films. Each camper is an integral part of a production team that writes and produces its own film.

This year’s camper class is composed of 17 students from the Heights:

  • Laiha Ahmad-Khan
  • Christian Davison
  • Ken’Naysia Green
  • Shane Hido
  • Parker Holland
  • Evelyn Jamieson
  • Oliver Konkoski
  • Scarlett McMahon
  • Nala Moore
  • Eric Mosley
  • Harmony Pryor
  • Ace Reilly
  • Mikayla Spieth
  • Chloe Strother
  • Savannah Tanner
  • August Walker
  • Kaiden Wilson

For questions or to donate to Heights Middle School Shorts, visit our website.

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5 Reasons Why Kids Should Attend Heights Middle School Shorts

It’s no secret: we want every kid to attend film camp. Campers have fun, make new friends, learn independence, and develop essential skills they can use for the rest of their lives.

If you’re still on the fence about sending your middle schooler to Heights Middle School Shorts, consider these five tangible benefits your student will get when they attend HMSS:

1. Campers Learn Confidence and Communication Skills:

At Heights Middle School Shorts, no one works in a vacuum. Collaboration is as essential here as in life. To produce complete and coherent films, campers must communicate their ideas and vision effectively to others. They must work with peers to bring their ideas to life. They will discuss, convince, and compromise. And in doing all that, they’ll build confidence in their ideas while improving their communication skills.

2. Campers Develop Creative Skills:

While almost every summer camp gives kids a chance to develop their artistic talents, HMSS offers campers a unique opportunity to explore their creative side through storytelling, cinematography, editing, acting, directing, writing, and the many other aspects of film production. Our campers tap into their imaginations in new and novel ways to find the language to express themselves through film.

3. Campers Learn About Film Technology:

HMSS provides campers with a valuable introduction to the technology and equipment used in film production. They’ll work with cameras, editing software, sound equipment, and other tools used to create high-quality films, skills that they can use throughout their lives whether or not they end up in the film or television industry.

4. Campers Experience a Different Learning Environment:

From Day 1, HMSS campers find themselves in a hands-on and experiential learning environment. They don’t sit in classrooms listening to lectures: they’re active and involved and learn by doing, creating their projects, and exploring the world of film in a fun and engaging way. They’ll work in teams to write their stories and screenplays. They’ll explore movement, action and reaction, and timing as they block out the scenes for their films.

5. Campers Are Prepared for Future Opportunities:

Film camp is an excellent experience that lets middle schoolers build a foundation for future opportunities in film, television, or other media-related careers by giving them exposure to and an understanding of the film-making process. More importantly, HMSS campers learn critical interpersonal skills that will help them succeed in school and in life, wherever it leads them.

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Any middle school student who lives in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights district can attend Heights Middle School Shorts. To learn more and apply for the 2023 camp, complete our online application.

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It Truly Does Take a Village…

When we started Heights Middle School Shorts nearly three years ago, we had a single objective: give middle school students in Cleveland Heights and University Heights the opportunity to make movies.

We’d seen the creativity of Heights kids in our theater camp. We knew they could write thought-provoking stories, play compelling characters, and lead complete productions. But when COVID-19 forced us to move to an all-remote format featuring plays that campers filmed on cell phones, we were captivated. We wanted more movies!

2021 Campers

So we launched Heights Middle School Shorts in the summer of 2021 with 14 campers who each wrote, acted, produced, and directed their own short film. And thanks to the generosity of the entire Heights community – the donors who provided funding, the merchants who provided meals and supplies, the CHUH district that provided space for our campers to learn and work, the parents who brought their kids to camp and picked them up again at the end of the day, and too many others to mention – it was a fabulous success.

The following year, the HMSS class of 2022 did not disappoint: campers produced ten stellar films, six of which were screened at the 2022 Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival (GCUFF), followed by a panel discussion hosted by the district’s own Emmy Award winner, Cynthia Booker, who teaches media and TV production, and featuring the students who wrote, produced, and directed those films. Equally important, the community continued to embrace our work and provide us the support we need: Reaching Heights, which acts as our fiscal agent, the CHUH district, which once again opened its doors to give our camp a home in 2022, the CHUH PTA Council, which allows us to operate under their umbrella, and most importantly the generous donors who continue to write checks and make donations to ensure that our middle school students can explore their creativity at Heights Middle School Shorts.

Our goals have changed a bit as we look to HMSS 2023 (and beyond). We’re no longer satisfied with giving campers a camera and telling them to ‘start shooting:’ we still aim to spark their imaginations, of course, but we also want to provide them with a hands-on perspective of careers in the film and television industry. To teach them to work together, to collaborate, and to compromise. To show them how to find inspiration, to nurture their creativity, and to trust their vision.

With your assistance, we’re confident that we can get there. Please help us meet our goal of raising $5,000 by December 31, 2022. Click here to donate. Thank you.