Community Outreach and Education

09 March 11

Using the arts to empower, motivate and inspire, our Community Education and Outreach Programs bring the film and television industry to underserved inner-city areas and at-risk youth in Los Angeles.

From screenings of inspirational family films, to acting classes and filmmaking projects, the charitable work of BAFTA Los Angeles is of great importance to the organization.

Our outreach work has been commended by the City of Los Angeles and the Department of Recreation and Parks. In April 2010 BAFTA Los Angeles was commended by the County of Los Angeles “in recognition of dedicated services to the affairs of the community and for the civic pride demonstrated.”
View our commendation

Using the arts to empower, motivate and inspire...

Find out more about our various projects below:

Inner City Cinema

Beginning with one city park in 2005, BAFTA Los Angeles’ Inner City Cinema program has grown to bring films and filmmakers to the city’s most underprivileged areas.

BAFTA Los Angeles Inner City Cinema Picture
BAFTA Los AngelesIn 2005, gang-related crime in the Helen Keller Park neighborhood was very prevalent. That same year BAFTA Los Angeles began working with the grassroots community and the Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Department to transform the park’s Community Center into a venue for free film screenings and events. Several months after the first screenings, a gangland truce in the Helen Keller Park area was negotiated. In collaboration with Hollywood Outdoor Movies, many films have been screened for the community often with stars and filmmakers in attendance, holding lively and informative Q&A discussions.

The success of the pilot program has seen screenings expanded to Athens Park and Ted Watkins Parks. BAFTA Los Angeles in also collaborating to help The County of Los Angeles build a new Community Center at Helen Keller Park, which will house a permanent BAFTA Los Angeles Screening Room with a projection system funded by Warner Brothers Pictures.

Summer Screening Program

The success of Inner City Cinema led to the 2010 launch of the Summer Screening Program, geared to bringing even more neighborhoods together. During the summer months, free screenings of entertaining family films are shown to over 135,00 people in 30 Los Angeles parks.

The screenings are presented with Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Home Video, The County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation (Parks After Dark) and The City of Los Angeles, Office of The Mayor, The Gang Reduction Youth Development and The Department of Recreation and Parks (Summer Night Lights) programs.

BAFTA Los Angeles Community Park Screenings
BAFTA Los Angeles

Inner City Mentoring

BAFTA Los Angeles offers mentoring and unique opportunities to inner-city youth.

BAFTA Los Angeles developed a relationship with the students and teachers of George Washington Prepatory High School, and members regularly visit the school to speak with the students making them more aware of the many varied skills involved in the film and television industry and the opportunities that might be available to them.

Many of our members have lent their time and talents to helping the students work on specific projects. Students are also taken out of the classroom for a unique off-site experiences, including presentations to the students on motion capture and a tour of James Cameron’s Lightstorm facility.

BAFTA Los Angeles Mentoring 1
BAFTA Los Angeles

Inner City Scholarships

BAFTA Los Angeles provides an annual scholarship to Inner-City Filmmakers, a non-profit organization that provides year round education and job placement for diverse disadvantaged youth.