PMAC is launching a new filmmaking program for teens in March 2026: Teen Filmmaking Lab, a hands-on course where students will write, shoot, and edit original short films—using newly donated professional-quality equipment made possible through a new partnership with ZEISS Cinema—and guided by respected filmmaker and educator Kathleen Young, a new addition to PMAC’s teaching faculty.
Created for grades 7–10 (students must be 13+), Teen Filmmaking Lab invites students to step behind the camera and explore storytelling through the visual language of cinema. Over the course of the program, students will build confidence both on set and in post-production as they develop ideas, craft scripts, and collaborate to bring original short films to life. Along the way, they will analyze scenes from classic and contemporary films to see how cinematography, lighting, sound, and editing shape meaning and emotion—then apply those techniques to their own work. At the end of the course, a student film festival allows students to celebrate their work with friends and family.
Teen Filmmaking Lab meets Saturdays, March 7–June 13, 10 am–12 pm. (No class May 2, 16, or 23.) All equipment is provided, though students may also bring their own iPhone, iPad, laptop, and/or camera to use.
Registration for Teen Filmmaking Lab is now open.
Filmmaking at PMAC: A New Program Built for Young Storytellers
Teen Filmmaking Lab reflects PMAC’s commitment to meeting students where they are—inviting them into meaningful, skill-building creative work that blends craft, collaboration, and personal voice. With filmmaking, students practice visual literacy and critical thinking while learning the technical and artistic tools of the medium, gaining a foundation they can carry into future creative study and projects.
PMAC will also offer additional weeklong filmmaking workshops this August for grades 5-12, with details to be announced.
ZEISS Cinema Partnership Brings Professional Tools into Student Hands
A key part of PMAC’s new filmmaking initiative is its partnership with ZEISS Cinema, which is donating multiple SONY ZV-E10 II cameras for student use in the Teen Filmmaking Lab.
“ZEISS Cinema believes in supporting the filmmaker at all levels of their training and artistry,” says Tony Wisniewski, Senior Manager, Creative Imaging at ZEISS. “Our partnership with PMAC will introduce us to a fantastic group of new filmmakers working together to bring their ideas to film. We are proud to support their creations and honored to be a part of their artistic journey.”
ZEISS Cinema’s donation is rooted in the belief that learning with quality tools helps emerging filmmakers understand established methods and techniques of the trade. The equipment chosen for donation incorporates technologies used by professionals worldwide, including high-megapixel sensors and cinema color space for broadcast-quality image capture in a compact package. The incorporated lenses provide the variability necessary to create cinematic quality imagery while remaining easy to understand and operate for new filmmakers.
Kathleen Young Joins PMAC Faculty to Lead Teen Filmmaking Lab
PMAC’s Teen Filmmaking Lab will be taught by Kathleen Young, Senior Multimedia Producer at New Hampshire PBS, who brings deep experience creating documentary, television, and educational media. Young has taught film, video, and media arts for over 20 years, designing hands-on curriculum focused on storytelling, visual literacy, and technical skill development. Her recent work includes the NHPBS documentary Christa and the series Seniority Authority.
“My teaching philosophy centers on storytelling as both a technical craft and a way to understand the world,” says Young. “I tap into my background in documentary film and television to create a classroom centered on hands-on production, practice and reflection. Students take risks and gain the ability to communicate their ideas clearly and effectively through image and sound.”
Young adds: “I am excited to join the PMAC community because of the value placed on both the technical and reflective sides of the arts. There is a unique energy in a space where everyone is committed to creative growth and I am eager to contribute to an atmosphere that supports students as they find their own voices.”
About ZEISS Cinema
Since 1890 ZEISS has been producing lenses for photographers and filmmakers who make no compromises when it comes to telling their stories. The aim: to push boundaries and try out new things. Inspiring people – every day, time and again. With image quality that is truly unique.
