By Elisa Garcia
Ready, set and action! Latinitas four-week virtual summer camp premiered with Cine Chica, a week long camp dedicated to exploring the power of storytelling through video, photo and audio projects.
The chicas were encouraged to create a storyboard and script ultimately, preparing them to direct and produce their own short film by the end of the week!
For Amaris, a previous Latinitas participant, joining Cine Chica was a no brainer.
“I’ve been a part of Startup Chica and I really liked it,” she said. “I’ve always liked STEAM programs and it’s a great way to stay connected with the community and Latinitas.”
Program Leader, Kirsty Brewster, was one of the co-creators of the curriculum for the week and said she was excited to see the chica’s short films. Brewster said she wants the girls to create a character who breaks stereotypes and inspires others.
“It’s about helping girls learn how to express themselves through film and expressing their individuality,” Brewster said. “Their films will revolve around self love. I want them to leave with the confidence that they can go into a career like filmmaking and be successful.”
In addition to the hands on curriculum, the chicas received words of wisdom from the first Latina host of E! News Kristina Guererro, film producer Monique Walton and Beverly Chukwu and visual artist Johnny Villarreal.
“I came from a family of hard workers,” Guerrero said. “I was told being on TV didn’t happen to people like us.”
Guerrero has proved the big screen is in fact a place for Latinos and people of color. After leaving E! News she went on to produce Eva Longoria’s ESPN documentary “¡Go, Sebastien, Go!,” and was a producer and narrator for the short-form documentary “Revolution: The History of the Sports Bra.” She now serves as the co-host on “The List,” a nightly news show that highlights the latest pop culture trends and celebrity news.
“It’s important that people we see on TV look like us,” she said. “They should have brown hair, brown eyes, and our beautiful brown skin.”
The chicas clung to these words and went on to create characters who look like them and share their stories. One group of chicas produced a short film that featured a main character who was torn between choosing sports and her school work.
“(The short film) is about a girl who is a cheerleader, but she wants to be a mathlete,” Maid said, a Camp Latinitas participant. “She’s afraid her cheer friends won’t accept her. She ends up trying out for mathletes and shows everyone you can be smart.”
By the end of the week the chicas proved their resourcefulness by downloading additional phone apps to produce their films and meeting outside class time with their group members. In the end, the girls shared their screens and showcased their films to fellow Camp Latinitas participants and family.
“When we started making the film I was kind of quiet,” Eleanor said, a camp participant. “Later on I felt I could say what I needed to say and be the ‘backseat driver’ and teach the team how to use iMovie.”
Once the chicas premiered their films, a virtual round of applause was given to cheer the girls on. Brewster said she was proud of how the first week of Cine Chica turned out and looks forward to the following weeks.
“It’s insane they all made (films) in such a short amount of time,” she said. “I hope (the girls) find something they enjoy in filmmaking and stick with it.”
Want to be a Camp Latinitas participant? Check out the rest of our July camps: Power Chica and Healthy Chica.
