CAFILM Education’s Filmmakers Go to School (FGTS) program connects elementary, middle, high school, college and university students with filmmakers from around the world by coordinating on-site visits to schools throughout the Bay Area. As a result, filmmakers get the chance to share their work with—and get direct feedback from—young audiences, and students get the unique opportunity to meet filmmakers and engage in in-depth discussions about their work and the art, craft, and business of filmmaking.

CAFILM Education is expanding and revamping its FGTS program into a robust year-round program that pairs local Bay Area filmmakers with schools and encourages educators to implement the short films in the yearly curriculum guides.

CAFILM Education hand-picks 3-4 films to participate in classroom visits and conversations throughout the school year 2025. Educators can choose from a curated selection of films and schedule screening and visit dates on their campuses. These visits may be virtual or in person, depending on the filmmaker’s availability. By working with local artists, we can create a more accessible, streamlined initiative that fosters deeper connections between filmmakers and Bay Area classrooms.

FILMMAKERS GO TO SCHOOL: STORIES BY THE BAY

FALL SEMESTER 2025

This Fall 2025 semester, CAFILM Education highlights stories that explore perseverance and adventure. From genre film to documentary storytelling, these films grapple with themes of gentrification, belonging, and the environment, all deeply rooted in the culture of the Bay Area and its dynamic talent. 

CAFILM Education remains committed to connecting local artists with Bay Area students, celebrating voices that define the region’s independent film industry. As you navigate the program, we have recommended study areas and the impact that each filmmaker can provide for students.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

Step 1: Educators, pick a film that you would like to bring to your classroom – Follow instructions and REGISTER HERE
Step 2:  Share your preferred date and time for a visit
Step 3: A CAFILM Education staff member will follow up to coordinate and schedule your visit

REGISTER

FALL 2025 FILMS:

WATCH TRAILER

LAKE MERRIT MONSTER

BENJAMIN MULHOLLAND  (US 2022) 16 min  |  GRADES 4-9

When Ollie’s mother is attacked by a monster hiding in the depths of Lake Merritt, he sets out on a mission to find her—discovering instead a hidden network of monster hunters tasked with protecting Oakland from its own dark underbelly.

WATCH TRAILER


IMPACT:
Who are the monster hunters of the City of Oakland? Mulholland’s film The Lake Merritt Monster challenges its character Ollie to ponder what it means to believe in otherworldly forces entering reality, and how to work collaboratively to combat them. This fictional adventure offers a fun opportunity for students to imagine their own superpowers and explore how they might help protect the beauty of their city.

RESOURCES: 


ABOUT THE FILMMAKER: 

Ben is an award-winning Oakland based writer and director, who has been turning small budgets into engaging motion pictures; most notably, The Lake Merritt Monster and the M.O.A.B series of shorts. Ben’s films seek to explore our collective secret mythologies, joys, politics and mysticisms. Ever delving deeper and expounding on his love affair with Sci-Fi, Shamanism and Taoism, while enjoying the fun and thrill that only movies can provide.  He loves building worlds that transport the viewer from the archetypal world that they know to a mystifying adventure that will engage the heart and mind… because this is the journey he is on. Ben is currently at work on developing the feature version of The Lake Merritt Monster and writing two new films.

WATCH TRAILER

FORWARD

PALMER MORSE  (US 2024) 16 min  |  GRADES 9-12
VIRTUAL VISIT ONLY

In this short documentary, while navigating a myriad of life challenges, Anjelica turned to the outdoors to improve her mental health only to discover a noticeable lack of other plus-size women of color on trail. By posting a simple flyer looking for more women to hike with, Anjelica created a community she never could have imagined.


IMPACT:

What does it take to create a space where you truly feel like you belong?  Palmer’s documentary film, Forward, explores the transformative power of belonging and the importance of creating safe, inclusive spaces where none existed before. Through Anjelica’s journey, the film highlights how personal healing can lead to collective empowerment—and how small acts of courage can spark connection with others. This film is an insight into how everyone has the power to redefine who belongs in certain spaces and to build community through authenticity and intention.

RESOURCES: 

  • Film Curriculum Guide


ABOUT THE FILMMAKER: 

Palmer (he/him) is a multi-disciplinary award-winning filmmaker who focuses on using the devices at hand in our visual and media culture that can drive our society to make change. As a Director, Producer, DP, and Editor, his work has been shown in National Geographic, PBS, New York Times, Outside Magazine and in film festivals around the world garnering awards and high praise. A Swiss Army knife of knowledge and skills, you’ll often hear him planning his next shoot as often as you’ll find him on set holding a camera or sitting in the editing room. Interested in stories of humans, our planet, and the interactions of the two, Palmer often works with organizations, non-profits, and brands in honing in on their mission in a visual format.

AWE: AWESOME WOMEN ENVIRONMENTALISTS

NANCY KELLY & KENJI YAMAMOTO  (US 2021-2024) 15 min  |  GRADES 5-12

 

This series of five, short documentaries highlights awesome (as the title references) environmentalists in various occupations, including marine ecology, native American cultural burns, and program director at San Francisco Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The films (3 minutes each) include: THE BIRD WOMAN OF ALCATRAZ, YES!, ACRES OF MAGIC, I’M A BURNER, and SARAH SQUARED


IMPACT:

What does it mean to be an environmentalist today? The Awesome Environmentalists short documentary series shines a spotlight on diverse, passionate individuals working across the Northern California landscape to protect and restore the natural world in unique and inspiring ways. Each story underscores how environmental care is deeply personal and professionally varied, whether it’s introducing urban youth to gardening, reviving Indigenous cultural burning practices, or tracking elephant seals on the coast, these five, three-minute portraits celebrate environmental leadership in all its forms. The series encourages students to see themselves as potential changemakers—no matter their background or future profession—and to recognize that protecting the planet starts with local action and heartfelt commitment.

RESOURCES: 


ABOUT THE FILMMAKER: 

For more than twenty-five years, independent filmmakers Nancy Kelly and Kenji Yamamoto have been making critically-acclaimed films that have screened in theaters, film festivals, museums, and communities worldwide and aired on PBS, Showtime, Sundance, and Britain’s Channel Four, (among others). Their filmmaking philosophy is to take alternative looks at stories, themes and characters and to tell specific stories from which audiences can generalize universal truths.

FILMMAKERS GO TO SCHOOL IS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM

NANCY P. AND RICHARD K. ROBBINS FAMILY FOUNDATION
MARIN CHARITABLE

Photos © Tommy Lau Photography