Project Youth Doc (“PYD”) provides youth the opportunity to produce short documentary films of personal and social relevance, cultivating a heightened sense of community  awareness/involvement and nurturing the development of students’ artistic voices in a positive peer-to-peer environment.

By using documentary film as a vehicle for creative self-expression, students who participate in PYD become better connected to their peers, to the community in which they live, and most importantly, to themselves. Since the program’s inception in 2004, over 200 youth have worked in teams to produce more than 60 thought-provoking documentaries on topics ranging from the juvenile justice system to the dangers of drunk driving.

Participating in Project Youth Doc was a great introduction into using professional level equipment. I was also introduced to local independent filmmakers, and got to meet other young people in the area interested in making movies. I am…preparing to make a career out of filmmaking. PYD was a great introduction into what this lifestyle could be like, and I use things I learned there even now. PYD really made me start thinking about film more at a professional level as opposed to just something I would do for fun. -PYD Alum Anoush Shirzadegan, presently attending Film School at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University 

We are now accepting application for both sessions of PYD summer 2013: download application materials.

Session I: Monday through Friday, June 17th – July 12th

Session II: Monday through Friday, July 1st – July 26th

For more information about Project Youth Doc, please contact Taylor Neitzke, the Hollywood Theatre’s Education and Outreach Coordinator: taylor[at]hollywoodtheatre[dot]org.

View past PYD projects: blip.tv

2012 PYD Supporters: Bullseye Disc, Comcast, The Charlotte Martin Foundation, The PGE Foundation, The Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission