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SUMMER FILM SCHOOL

WHAT: An intensive, full time 7-week short course in which an international body of students will complete a documentary short film.

WHERE: In person. UCL East, Marshgate Building, 7 Sidings St, London E20 2AE & occasionally central London. 

WHO: Run by UCL tutor and professional filmmaker;  Katharine Round.

WHEN: Monday 23rd June to Friday 8th August 2025.

COMMITMENT: Weeks 1-3: 10 AM – 5 PM. Weeks 4-7: flexible. Friday 8th August: Film screening.

WHAT YOU GET: 3 weeks contact time with tutors, filmmakers and an edit tutor. A thorough grounding in what it takes to make a documentary, both in theory and practice, 6 weeks of full access to camera kit, and 7 week full access to edit software and edit rooms.

HOW MUCH: General: £2,190.00 Student/Concession: £2,040 UCL Students: £1,970.

DEADLINE TO SIGN UP: Monday 2nd June 2025. We accept sign ups on a rolling basis, the course is likely to be full by this date.

BURSARIES: This course offers bursary places. Deadline 30th April. More info at the bottom of the page.

AGES: 18+

 

Want to make a documentary but don’t know where to start? Or do you have experience, but want hands-on guidance through the process of making your short documentary? This intensive, practice-led summer school led by acclaimed documentary makers Katharine Round and Penny Woolcock gives you the practical, critical and theoretical skills to make your film.

 

In this immersive course, taught across our UCL East and central London Bloomsbury campus, you will complete a 5-10 minute self-shot documentary from start to finish. You will be encouraged and supported to discover and express your own response to the world around you, explore authorship, form, character, emotion, and much more.

 

For the first three weeks the course is full-time face-to-face teaching Monday to Friday. You will go through a series of practical exercises to build the technical and analytical skills needed to complete a documentary film project: to produce, direct, shoot and edit. In addition, we look at the art of filmmaking and students have the chance to learn from some of the most respected names in the industry through several guest lectures.

 

You will then be guided over the final 4 weeks to complete your film with professional camera and sound equipment, provided for the duration of the course.  During this period, you will also benefit from access to UCL’s advanced editing suites. The required commitment following the core course teaching is a one-on-one meeting in weeks four and five with the course tutors to support the making of your film. These meetings can be done in person or remotely. In week six,  you will screen your rough cut. Finally, on the last day, all participants see their work on the big screen.

 

Throughout the Summer Film School, participants will be challenged to experiment with their voice and to start or invigorate their artistic filmmaking practice while receiving structure and support to guide them through completing a project. Now in its 8th year, this renowned summer course has helped launch the careers of many emerging filmmakers, with films developed and created on the course selected for festivals worldwide. Previous participants have described the course as “a life changing experience” and “one of the best things I’ve ever done”.

 

You will be provided with camera and sound equipment for the duration of the course. Please note you will need to bring two external hard-drives with you.

 

The Summer Film School does not offer academic accreditation, but you can be offered a letter of enrolment and a letter on completion. You are expected to organise your own travel or visa arrangements. Please read more info on UCL’s policies HERE.

 

Read a selection of our past students thoughts:

 

Unfinished Story by Deborah Kirby

The Summer Documentary Film School that Katharine has created is absolutely incredible. It is a fabulous, intense but perfectly pitched six-week course in documentary film making. Expect to be stretched, to work hard and learn just what you are capable of. The quality of teaching is very high, and the structure of the course, balance of practical and theoretical, is perfect. I highly recommend this to anyone wishing to learn how to make a documentary film.”

– Dr Deborah Kirby (2024)

 

“I had an amazing time at the Summer Film School. I came into the course with some analog photography experience and had never picked up a cinema camera before or watched many films for that matter. Katharine and Penny were great mentors, investing time in us and sharing their own experiences which encouraged me to push the bounds of creativity and to really enjoy the process of filmmaking itself. The course has been an incredible journey and I never thought I would end up making such an experimental film at the end of it. It is really a gem that brings together such a diverse group of people. The six weeks really flew by!”

– Aparna Rao (2024)

 

“Undertaking this summer film school was a truly rewarding and wonderful experience.  This course is fast paced, exciting and challenges you to reflect on your documentary storytelling. On a personal level undertaking this course has been one of my best experiences. The support of tutors and peers gave me the confidence to make a personal film that I would not have imagined possible.”

– Naomi Braithwaite (2023)

 

Calypso by Teresa Folhadela

I Can Only Love You In My Own Language by Junnie Zhang

 

“Katharine Round is an exceptional tutor and mentor —knowledgeable, warm, and unafraid to push us beyond our limits. Katharine ignited an infectious passion for learning, inspiring us to question, explore, and, above all, grab our cameras and start shooting! Penny Woolcock’s support and encouragement were instrumental in helping me find my artistic voice; she’s undoubtedly one of the most authentic individuals I’ve had the privilege to know.  To those contemplating enrolling in the course, I wholeheartedly urge you to take the leap—you won’t regret it. Brace yourself for a thrilling six-week journey that flies by, culminating not only in the creation of a short doc produced, edited and shot by your own hands but also in a deeper understanding of your authentic self. Embrace each moment; I certainly did”

– Daniella Baldock (2023)

I Want To Come See You by Lara Bullens

 “It was a really enriching experience. I felt so thrilled that within a 6-week period, I managed to develop my approach to documentary filmmaking, learn more about the form at large, get more comfortable with the camera and editing software and come out with a short film I am proud of. It truly felt like a small master’s degree! As someone with little previous experience hoping to enter the industry from journalism, it was exactly what I needed to boost my confidence.”

– Lara Bullens (2022)

 

“I loved meeting and working with classmates that came from such diverse backgrounds. We quickly created an environment that felt very safe and supportive where I felt comfortable sharing my opinions, my work and things that were personal to me. And this whole experience was definitely worth coming all the way from Japan!“

– Mariko Kitada (2022)

Cretin by Tom Clark

His Buck Teeth, Her Wicked Hands by A.D

The Lesson by Lisa Bannon

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Terms & Conditions:

This course takes place across 3 full-time & 4 more flexible weeks during Summer.

You are expected to make your own visa arrangements before travelling to the UK.

If you plan on signing up to the summer film school but are unable to secure your place by making an immediate payment, we may be able to reserve a place for you. If you would like to discuss reserving a place, please email Beth at b.privitera@ucl.ac.uk with your full name and the date you would likely be able to make the payment.

 

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SUMMER SCHOOL BURSARY PLACES (Deadline to apply 30th April)

The Summer School offers 2x bursary places.

Four Boroughs Bursary (Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Waltham Forest)

This bursary is reserved for those who can evidence living in one of the four boroughs: Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Waltham Forest.

What is it?         

A free place on one of our short courses, subsidised by UCL’s department of Anthropology.

Who is it for?

Someone living in Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Waltham Forest, who would benefit from a subsidised place on the Summer School. We encourage those from low socio-economic backgrounds to apply.

How do I apply?

To apply for a bursary place, please complete this form, where you will be asked to provide evidence that you live in the four boroughs.

SUBMIT APPLICATION FORM

 

Universal Credit Bursary

This bursary is reserved for those who have the goal to create a practical film project, and who also can evidence receiving Universal Credit (or equivalent state benefit).

What is it?  

A free place on one of our short courses, subsidised by UCL’s department of Anthropology.

Who is it for?

Someone in receipt of Universal Credit or equivalent state benefit for their home country, who has a goal to create a practical film project.

How do I apply?

Submit an application form here and provide evidence that you are in receipt of UC (or equivalent).

SUBMIT APPLICATION FORM

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If you still have other questions relating to a specific course or request, please get in touch with us via emailing shortcourses@opencitylondon.com

or call us at +44 20 3108 7586