Hundreds of young filmmakers take center stage at The Soraya for the CSUN film festival

By Michelle Edgar 

Hundreds of students, families, educators, and community members gather at The Soraya on Thursday for the 2026 “Making Movies That Matter” Youth Short Film Festival at CSUN, a milestone celebration marking the program’s 10th anniversary and highlighting the next generation of Los Angeles storytellers.

The annual initiative, led by Councilmember John Lee, Council District 12, was created to introduce elementary, middle, and high school students across the San Fernando Valley to the art and craft of filmmaking, from screenwriting and directing to sound editing and production.

This year’s festival arrives with record-breaking momentum. According to Lee, the program received 240 student short film submissions in 2026, nearly double the number entered the previous year, reflecting the growing enthusiasm surrounding the initiative and the increasing demand for arts education opportunities across Los Angeles. “This program was really created because we saw arts programs disappearing from our schools. We wanted students to understand that they live in the backyard of Hollywood and that these careers are possible for them,” Lee said.

The festival has become a platform for students to tell stories that reflect their own experiences, perspectives, and concerns. Participants are encouraged to choose their own subjects and themes, resulting in films that often touch on current social issues, identity, family, community, and mental health. The program partners with professional artists-in-residence who work directly with students throughout the filmmaking process, helping expose young creators to the collaborative nature of the entertainment industry while building technical and creative skills.

Lee said one of the most rewarding parts of the initiative has been hearing from former participants who credit the program with shaping their future paths. “We’ve had students write us letters saying this inspired them to apply to film school, and that’s the goal, to create a spark,” said Lee.

Funding for the initiative comes through a combination of city arts fees collected from development projects and discretionary funds from the Council District 12 office, helping ensure students have access to creative opportunities that may otherwise be unavailable in traditional school settings.

The festival will also feature appearances from actress and singer Victoria Justice alongside local leaders and educators, as the community gathers to celebrate a decade of youth storytelling and artistic expression. As Los Angeles continues to position itself as a global center for entertainment and creative innovation, programs like “Making Movies That Matter” are helping cultivate the next generation of filmmakers, one student story at a time.