The Promise Workshops

Note: The due date for Call for Interest submissions have been extended to July 8, 2025. 

Who can participate?

We are looking for people who are excited by the opportunity to gain media skills, want to learn more about pathways into creative fields and the film industry, are seeking mentorship, or are interested in exploring how filmmaking can be a way to communicate their personal experiences. Our workshops are designed to encourage a safe, welcoming, and fun environment for everyone—especially for individuals who have not previously had access to opportunities in filmmaking. We strongly encourage individuals who identify with any of the following experiences or communities to submit a call for interest form:

• Incarceration
• Foster care or group home living
• Disability
• Undocumented status
• Displacement
• Houselessness
• Limited access to education (e.g. not having received a high school diploma or GED, or facing barriers to higher education)
• Identifying as a person of color and/or LGBTQ+
• Other lived experiences—please feel free to describe in your submission

The details:

The Promise Workshops are a paid opportunity* and run for 12 weeks from August to November 2025. We will meet two times per week, on Wednesday evenings and on Sundays, in the Academy Museum’s Shirley Temple Education Studio.

• No prior filmmaking experience is required but it is welcome!
• An 8-hour commitment per week is required

A culminating event will take place in November at the Academy Museum, where your friends, family, and community can come together for a night to celebrate.

*In order to be paid, you must complete a US Internal Revenue Service Form W-9. You have the option to use either your Social Security number or ITIN to complete the form. Full payment is dependent upon participation and completion of the program. Payment includes a stipend for transportation.

You will receive:

• Personalized instruction on making your own short film using advanced digital technologies
• Mentorship from staff, Academy members and local Los Angeles–based filmmakers
• Time to engage in discussion around the intersections of filmmaking, healing, and community while making new friends around shared experiences and interests

How to apply:

There is a 2-step application process. If the above describes you, fill out and submit a call for interest for The Promise Workshops at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. All potential candidates will be contacted to schedule a virtual conversation to help us make our final selection for this year’s group. These will take place sometime in the last 2 weeks of July.

Fill out a Call for Interest Form:

Please help us get to know you! We encourage you to express your creativity and personality in your response. You have the option to:

1. Fill out written answers using our form here.
2. Record a video of your responses and upload it to the form

The due date for Call for Interest submissions have been extended to July 8, 2025. Submissions will not be accepted after this date. If you have questions about the call for interest form or any of the prompts, we are happy to connect with you! To schedule a call, please e-mail us at promiseworkshops@oscars.org.