Quick Take
Proponents of the Youth Cinema Project say the school program that taught students to make their own films and show them in Hollywood offered inspiration and a creative outlet for underprivileged kids in the district. It might not be returning to Pajaro Valley Unified School District classrooms next school year due to funding issues.
In elementary school, Julio Gonzalez had little interest in theater. Today, he’s a junior at Pajaro Valley High School with film experience and dreams of Broadway. However, as his school district confronts budget challenges, the innovative film program that sparked Gonzalez’s creative journey faces an uncertain future.
For many students in Pajaro Valley Unified School District, the Youth Cinema Project (YCP) has been transformative, according to mentors. A statewide initiative created by the Latino Film Institute, the program teaches students the basics of filmmaking, connecting them with mentors experienced in the film industry as they write their own screenplays, create costumes and sets, cast friends, and act in their own short films.
Participants learn every aspect of filmmaking, from storyboarding and screenwriting to directing, editing and showcasing their work on the big screen. The program culminates with a trip to the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, where students get to see their films on the big screen while making connections in Hollywood.
Last month, students involved in the project in 2024 spent a weekend in Los Angeles attending exclusive screenings of their films, meeting industry veterans and participating in workshops. They also get to celebrate at home with screenings at the Watsonville Film Festival.
Unlike traditional film clubs or after-school programs, the YCP has historically been embedded directly into the language arts curriculum in PVUSD schools, making it accessible to students who might not otherwise be able to pursue creative outlets.
The program offers not just a guided entry into the world of filmmaking, but also a vital source of creativity, community, and empowerment — especially for Latine, underprivileged, and neurodivergent students, said program mentor Athena Gam. A seasoned filmmaker, screenwriter, director and owner of local video production company Intentional Video, Gam has brought her expertise to the program by guiding students across the district through the filmmaking process, from writing to shooting.
The program’s integration into the curriculum as a weekly language arts class creates a built-in space for students to explore creative expression. While film topics deepen as students move from elementary to high school, mentors say dominant themes include assimilation, bullying and discovering one’s identity. The program also offers a project-based learning option for students to fulfill their English units. Especially for recent generations of children who grew up in COVID quarantine, Gam has seen the communal act of directing, casting and acting transform silent and unresponsive students into outspoken creatives as they lead their productions.
“It’s been really wonderful to show the students that even though they’re youths, they have a voice and can share about their life because their stories are important,” said Gam. “It’s through our stories that we’re able to connect with wider communities.”
An uncertain future for the program
A few weeks ago, Gam noticed the program was not listed on next year’s schedules at Pajaro Valley High School. Last week, Claudia Monjaras, the district’s assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, confirmed to Lookout that the YCP’s contract with the district is being canceled due to a lack of funding.
Monjaras said in an emailed statement that while the district aims to continue its partnership with the YCP as an after-school program, the film classes will no longer be integrated into the school day. A proposal to continue the program will go before the district’s governing board on July 16, if the YCP and the district can work out a contract in time for the meeting.
Some mentors fear that removing the program’s dedicated class time will have a disproportionate impact on Pajaro Valley students. “I know a lot of kids, maybe more in Santa Cruz, are going to summer camps, but a lot of our students work in the fields. They have to have a full-time job over the summer in order to help their families,” said Gam.
The program’s discontinuation comes at a financially turbulent time for the district. Recently, PVUSD trustees voted on a plan to cut more than $5 million in funding from the district’s budget, which could result in teacher layoffs and a reduction in mental health services.
“It’s always the arts that get hit first,” Gam said, while noting that the district is moving forward with plans to build a new performing arts center at Pajaro Valley High School. ”I know the school has been trying very hard to get the infrastructure that schools in the more affluent areas of the district have.”
‘It changed the route of my life’
For Gonzalez, 16, the YCP has been nothing short of life-changing. Before he joined the program in elementary school, Gonzalez had no interest in theater or film. Now, he wants to act on Broadway. He’s written or acted in three original films, including one he made through the Youth Cinema Project, titled “Sugar.” The movie follows a young girl learning to overcome her anger as she loses and rediscovers her dog, Sugar. Last May, Gonzalez flew to Los Angeles through the YCP to see his film screened at the 2024 Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival.
The summer that followed, he attended a filmmaking program at the California Institute of the Arts. The program was “amazing,” he said, and building up his technical skills though the YCP allowed him to take full advantage of the high-level program.
“Before the YCP, I never knew what I wanted to do,” said Gonzalez. “It motivated me to do acting, and that led me to plays and musicals. My theater teacher even led me to folklorico dancing, which I’m now very passionate about.”
Gonzalez also studies folklorico, traditional Mexican folk dance, at Pajaro Valley High. He cites his teacher, Gabriel Johns Robledo, as a major inspiration, and notes that Janet Johns — Santa Cruz County’s recent Artist of the Year and a large figure in the local folklorico scene — occasionally drops in to help with lessons.
While the creativity and community Gonzalez finds in the folklorico and theater programs have been transformative, he also notes that neither of the programs yet has dedicated on-campus spaces.
Even with the YCP’s future uncertain, its impact on students remains. A year after seeing his own film on the screen, Gonzalez said, “I loved it. I really liked meeting all the YCP students from across California – I still talk to some of them today. YCP has definitely changed the route of my life.”
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