Frame by Frame: Journeys, Adventures, and Growing Up on Screen
Registration is open!
Grades: 6th—8th
Time: 4:00–7:00 PM
Dates: September 5–October 10, 2025
Session Length: 6 Classes. One Day/Week, Fridays
Cost: $300
Camp and Course Policies at the Lab
Email registrar@burnsfilmcenter.org to receive scholarship information
Frame by Frame: Journeys, Adventures, and Growing Up on Screen
Adventure awaits! In this beginner cinema studies course for middle schoolers, we’ll watch films about friendship, discovery, and growing up. Whether it’s about befriending an alien or magically transforming into an adult, each film will take us on a journey full of heart, humor, and big life lessons. This class is all about celebrating imagination, courage, and the stories that shape who we are. By the end of the six sessions, students will be able to identify key themes and characteristics of adventure films.
Students will view the following films: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, The Sandlot, Paddington 2, Holes, Barbie, and Big.
Parents and guardians, please note the rating of each film below to determine if this course will be appropriate for your child before registering.
9/5 – E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (PG) – 1982
9/12 – The Sandlot (PG) – 1993
9/19 – Paddington 2 (PG) – 2017
9/26 – Holes (PG) – 2003
10/3 – Barbie (PG-13) – 2023
10/10 – Big (PG) – 1988
Instructor
Detroit Hamell, M.A.
Detroit Hamell earned a Master’s Degree in Cinema Studies from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and his Bachelor’s Degree in Film Studies from Pace University in Manhattan. He plans to pursue a doctorate in Cinema Studies. His journey with cinema began at the Jacob Burns Media Arts Lab in 4th grade, where he cultivated his passion for storytelling and filmmaking. Since 2018, he has worked as a teaching assistant at the Media Arts Lab, inspiring young students to explore the fundamentals and joys of filmmaking. Detroit’s work has been recognized with several prestigious awards, including the Jacob Burns New Lens Award, Best Director and Best Picture at NYLIFF, and Best Director at the Revolution Me Film Festival. He is also a published poet, a collection of which was honored by the Sarah Willis Award.
CampDoc
We are excited to partner with CampDoc, a third party program we will be using to collect and consolidate student registration information in order to streamline the registration process, and enhance the parent and guardian experience while your child is participating in our program(s). CampDoc will give parents and guardians full access to their own participant portal which they can log into at any time to view course details and information, and previously submitted documents.
Once a course has been purchased on the JBFC website, an email from CampDoc will follow within a few days with instructions on how to create a CampDoc account (if you do not have one already) and submit additional required registration information, such as an updated immunization record, a list of allergies, names of individuals who are authorized to pick your child up, doctor and insurance information, etc., and the deadlines by which this information must be received. We look forward to seeing your child this year.
