For the past five years, IFP/Chicago has run the Summer Production Program, a program where high school students are paid to go through the script-to-screen process of producing a short film. While the students are responsible for every single aspect of the production, they are given the tools they need by local industry professionals coming in before production begins and working with the students one-on-one in relation to their individual jobs.
This program has been a huge success, garnering several awards, including two national Student Emmy’s in both 2006 and 2007, an NAACP Act-So Award, positive press attention, including a cover story in the Chicago Tribune, and, most importantly new skills, confidence and dreams of the future for the underserved participants in the program.
