12 Film Internships for High School Students
If you're a high school student passionate about filmmaking and want to explore the world behind the scenes, this blog is for you! A film internship offers the perfect opportunity to gain hands-on experience and valuable insights into the multifaceted industry of filmmaking.
Film internships come in various forms, catering to a wide range of interests and career paths within the industry. Some common types of internships cover production, post-production, marketing and distribution, development, film festivals, animation, cinematography, and screenwriting.
Whether you aspire to be a director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, or take up any other role in the filmmaking process, a high school internship can give you the platform to learn from seasoned professionals, collaborate on real projects, and build a network that can propel your career forward. Not to mention, they look great on college applications!
Here’s our curated list of 12 film internships for high school students, including in-person and virtual options.
1. BRIC’s Youth Media Fellowship
Location: Brooklyn, NY.
Eligibility: Fellows must be NYC Sophomores, Juniors, or Seniors (or ages 15-19) by October 2023.
Application Deadline: The applications typically close in September.
Program Dates: October 25, 2023 - May 29, 2024 (Wednesdays, 4 pm – 6 pm).
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Program sessions will be paid at a $15/hr rate for 2 hours a week. (Please note the payment amounts will be based on attendance).
BRIC’s Youth Media Fellowship program focuses on developing and producing Concrete Stories: BRIC Youth Media Festival. The annual festival showcases short films of various genres created by NYC youth filmmakers under 21 years old. Throughout the fellowship, Youth Media Fellows meet once a week in a group of 8-10 of their peers with the guidance of BRIC staff. The fellows determine the theme of the festival, manage the call for entries, create marketing materials, select the festival films, promote, and host the festival screening. The festival takes place in May at BRIC House and is free to the public.
As a fellow, you will gain training, skills, and professional insight into the planning, curation, and promotion of a short film festival. You will also learn about marketing, event planning, and video production. Furthermore, you will get a chance to hear from various guest speakers and create promotional print and digital materials.
2. Warner Bros. Reach Honors Program
Location: Varies depending on the internship opportunity.
Eligibility: Applicant must:
- Be a graduating high school senior in Burbank or Los Angeles County.
- Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 upon graduation.
- Plan to attend an accredited college or university.
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the internship opportunity.
Program Dates: Varies depending on the internship opportunity. (Internships are typically offered during the summer between June and August).
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Stipend provided. Awards include:
- Paid summer internships at Warner Bros. Discovery Studios in Burbank, California while in college.
- Reach Honorship includes a $5,000 scholarship towards college and will be paid directly to the college/university in equal ($1,250) annual installments while enrolled in school.
Warner Bros. Discovery awards honorships, and internship-scholarship packages, to graduating high school seniors passionate about the business of media and entertainment. Honorship recipients should have an interest in careers within the corporate and studio side of the entertainment industry ranging from traditional business functions, such as finance, human resources, operations, marketing, and communications, to more technical or creative roles such as content development, post-production, sound editing and games. Reach applicants can submit applications for the Business or Production/Studio Operations tracks.
Business Honorship Track: For graduating seniors attending high school in Burbank or Los Angeles County. The Business track is for students interested in working in finance, marketing, communications, and other corporate and administrative roles in the entertainment industry.
Production and Studio Operations Honorship Tracks: For graduating seniors attending high school in Burbank or Los Angeles County. The Production and Studio Operations tracks are for students interested in working in the production, post-production, or studio facilities roles in the entertainment industry.
You can check the various internship opportunities here.
3. Museum of the Moving Image Teen Council
Location: Queens, NY.
Eligibility: Open to high school students ages 15+ and enrolled in 10th, 11th, or 12th grade (or equivalent program) as of Fall 2024.
Application Deadline: The applications typically close in October.
Program Dates: The program typically runs from November to May (2024/2025 Dates TBA).
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Stipend is provided to the participants after completion of the program.
Museum of the Moving Image Teen Council offers paid internships to NYC teens to help shape the Museum's growing program offerings for young adults, including taking a leadership role with the annual Teen Film Festival, hosted at the Museum. During the program, you'll learn more about working in an arts and cultural organization, meet museum professionals, and gain real-world experience in the hybrid craft of organizing and project management while exploring the history and technology of the moving image.
Teen Council is a job development program and provides a stipend upon completion. Council Members meet from November through May on select Wednesdays and Saturdays.
4. Fresh Films Boston Summer Film Program
Location: Charlestown High School, Charlestown, MA.
Eligibility: Teens between the ages of 14 and 18 who reside in Boston can apply.
Application Deadline: June 1, 2024 (Applicants are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis).
Program Dates: July 10 - August 11, 2024.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Stipend is provided only for the sessions attended by the participants.
Fresh Films Boston Summer Film Program is a paid, 5 week-long summer film training program for Boston Public High School Students. During this program, you’ll get to film music videos, short films, and documentaries. You’ll gain experience using professional equipment including a camera, boom mics, lighting, and audio recording. You will also get an opportunity to create scripts, storyboards, shot lists, and more. You will learn about careers in film and the pre-production, production, and post-production process of filmmaking.
5. Fresh Films Weekly Filmmaking Program
Location: Available at 30 locations. Virtual options are also available.
Eligibility: All teens between the ages of 13-19 interested in film, content creation, or storytelling are eligible to apply.
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the location.
Program Dates: Varies depending on the location. Internships are typically offered during the summer. The program includes:
- Jan–May (Film Projects)
- June (Premiere)
- Summer Internships
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Stipend is provided to the interns.
Fresh Films program allows participants to create film projects, work with professional equipment, and meet Hollywood pros from Sony, Paramount, America’s Got Talent, Roku, and more. Under this program, interns gain hands-on experience in pre-production (planning the film), technical knowledge (lights, camera, audio), and editing skills.
During the program, you’ll get an opportunity to film a social video and a movie scene for a Paramount+ film, make a music video for a real band, develop a documentary with Roku—and have a chance for it to premiere on The Roku Channel! You will also get to produce a competition show and create a short film with Sony Pictures.
6. Internships at the Virginia Film Office (VFO)
Location: Richmond, VA.
Eligibility:
- High school students are accepted on a case-by-case basis.
- Applicants must have strong writing and administrative skills and a flexible, open schedule.
Application Deadline: April 5, 2024 (Summer 2024) | August 5, 2024 (Fall 2024) | December 5, 2024 (Spring 2025)
Program Dates: May-August (Summer 2024) | September-December (Fall 2024)
| January-April (Spring 2025)
Cost/Stipend: None
This is an unpaid, office internship where interns get to see what happens inside of a state agency film commission. VFO brings productions to the state and helps with their pre-production.
As an intern, you will:
Monitor the VFO's general email inbox.
Manage the Hotline and post industry announcements on the VFO website.
Research special requests from VFO staff or production companies.
Organize and improve research for film location files
Learn and perform script analysis and location breakdowns.
Assist with welcome packets for film festivals.
Help maintain VFO's Instagram page.
Participate in office activities such as organization, composing/editing newsletters, reports, press releases, photocopying, and responding to inquiries.
7. Internship Opportunities with the Atlanta Film Society
Location: Atlanta, GA.
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Be at least 18 years old (internships for High School Seniors are available on a case-by-case basis).
- Work at least 10 hours per week (office hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM).
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis in between sessions. Mid-December (Spring) | Mid-April (Summer) | Mid-August (Fall)
Program Dates: January-May (Spring) | June-August (Summer) | September-December (Fall)
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Internships are unpaid but free membership is granted.
The Atlanta Film Society (ATLFS) is a year-round, non-profit media arts organization that specializes in film screenings, educational support, and film and media events, including an annual screenplay competition and the Academy Award-qualifying Atlanta Film Festival, held each spring. These internships will give you a well-rounded experience and knowledge of producing a film festival, as well as experience working for a non-profit, member-based, media arts organization.
Interns assist with administrative duties, membership, and event planning and coordination. Internship opportunities are available in the following fields:
Business Development
Outreach
Film Programming
Screenplay Programming
Speciality Programming
Media/Video/Tech
Marketing/Communications/Design
Operations
Festival Intern (Hybrid)
Community Relations/Content Writer
Check for detailed internship responsibilities here.
8. Austin Film Festival - Young Filmmakers Program Internship
Location: Austin, TX.
Eligibility: Student Interns from any accredited university or Volunteer Interns for the same positions who do not need to be enrolled in any school or university are eligible to apply but the qualification requirements vary for different internships.
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the internship opportunity.
Program Dates: Varies depending on the internship opportunity. Internships are offered during the summer, spring, and fall semesters.
Cost/Stipend: None.
Austin Film Festival offers a variety of student and volunteer internships for anyone interested in gaining insight and experience in the film industry. These internships will help you build foundational career skills in planning, execution, customer support, and team collaboration. Each department has different qualifications. All Internships are unpaid and consist of a regular weekly work schedule within a particular AFF department.
Internship opportunities are available in various departments - development, event planning, conference, office management, script competition, film competition, editing, production, archive, operations, young filmmakers program, summer film camp, marketing & PR, marketing design, photography, data management, and more.
9. Tisch Summer High School Program
Location: New York City
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Be a current high school junior or sophomore (rising senior or junior) to apply. Only juniors (rising seniors) are considered for the Filmmakers Workshop.
- Have a 3.0 minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 unweighted scale and be in good academic standing at the time of submitting your application.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in January.
Program Dates: July 7 - August 3, 2024.
Cost: $14,192 + $75 (non-refundable online application fee).
The Tisch Summer High School Program runs daily, Monday to Friday, 9 am - 5 pm, including academic classes, professional training, and/or studio and production time.
Throughout the program, you will receive 28 hours of conservatory training each week at one of six schools - Atlantic Acting School, Experimental Theatre Wing, Meisner Studio, New Studio on Broadway, Stonestreet Screen Acting Studios, or Production and Design Studio. Additionally, you will attend a weekly seminar called Introduction to New York Theatre, where experienced actors, directors, designers, stage managers, and faculty will share their knowledge.
As part of the program, you will have two opportunities to showcase your work. One will be a performance for faculty and students, and the other will be an open-class day where your family and friends are welcome to attend.
10. UCLA Film and Television Summer Institute - Cinematography Program
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Eligibility: Applicant must:
- Be a student of 10th-12th grade in Spring 2024 (All participants must be at least 15 years of age by the first day of Summer Sessions 2024 on June 24).
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Application Deadline: June 1, 2024.
Program Dates: Four sessions are available during the summer. Session A: July 7 – July 13, 2024 | Session B: July 14 – July 20, 2024 | Session C: July 28 – August 3, 2024 | Session D: August 4 – August 10, 2024
Cost: $3,355
The UCLA Film and Television Cinematography Summer Institute allows high school students to study cinematography at one of the most prestigious film schools in the world. This one-week intensive workshop is designed for highly motivated rising juniors and seniors, and spring 2024 high school graduates.
This program offers an introduction to the concepts and practices of lighting for film and television through discussion and intensive hands-on, laboratory experience. Through lectures, discussions, workshops, and group exercises, you will form a basic understanding of the aesthetic, creative, and logistical decisions involved in lighting for film and television. This includes composition, framing, blocking, lens choice, camera movement/placement, exposure, lighting techniques/equipment, shot design, and set protocol.
11. Brooklyn Interns for Arts and Culture (BIAC)
Location: Brooklyn, NY.
Eligibility: Applicant must:
- Be a rising senior attending a high school in one of the five New York boroughs (Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island, Queens, or the Bronx).
- Have an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher.
Application Deadline: May 10, 2024.
Program Dates: This program runs in three sessions: (Dates TBA). Summer 2024 (one week in August) | Fall 2024 (October-December) | Spring 2025 (February-June).
Note: Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 programs happen 1-2 days per week after school from 4 pm - 6 pm.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Students will receive stipends for all three sessions. Stipend Amounts: Summer 2024: $375 | Fall 2024: $450 | Spring 2025: $525
Brooklyn Interns for Arts & Culture (BIAC) is a paid, one-year college, career, and life-readiness after-school internship program that welcomes a cohort of 15 New York City high school students each year. During the program, BIAC interns learn what it takes to have a career in arts management, get support with post-high school planning, and learn critical wellness practices to help them manage life's transitions while building community.
As an intern, you get behind-the-scenes access to one of the country's oldest performing arts venues, grow your peer and professional network, learn from BAM professional staff, gain access to one-on-one support with the college application process, and receive college application fee waivers and/or SAT/ACT fee waiver(s).
Location: Virtual! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Eligibility: Open to all high school students, who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. These internships are also open to undergraduates and gap-year students.
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year. Summer cohort (Priority Admission): March 17, 2024. | Summer cohort: April 14, 2024 (Regular Admission 1) | May 12, 2024 (Regular Admission 2)
Program Dates: 8-week programs with multiple cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Cost: Starting at $1,990. Financial assistance is available.
Ladder Internships, a fairly selective program founded by Harvard alumni, pairs high school students with startups and nonprofits around the world for virtual internships. You can choose the field you wish to work in, from a wide range of industries, including technology, AI, computer science, finance, sustainability, business, healthcare, media, journalism, and more. If you’re interested in the marketing or media side of filmmaking, you can consider this internship!
As an intern, you will work on meaningful projects that contribute to the startup or nonprofit’s larger mission, and present your work at the end of the program. This internship program includes one-on-one training in communication and time management, among other skills, and group training sessions with fellow interns. You will be paired with a manager at the startup and with a Ladder coach, who serves as a second mentor.
You can explore all the options here on their application form.
Bonus!
Here are a few more film programs for you to consider:
Looking for an immersive internship experience?
Check out Ladder Internships!
Ladder Internships is a selective, virtual internship program where students work with startups and nonprofits from around the world! The startups range across a variety of industries, with a large number of them in tech. As part of their internship, each student will work on a real-world project that is of genuine need to the startup they are working with, and present their work at the end of their internship. In addition to working closely with their manager from the startup, each intern will also work with a Ladder Coach throughout their internship. Apply now!
Stephen is one of the founders of Ladder Internships and a Harvard College graduate.