Film Lab

Now in our 9th year, the Grandin Theatre Film Lab program is a two-semester program, with classes beginning in September 2024 and concluding at the end of the academic year in May 2025.

Students attend the program twice a week (either Mon/Wed or Tues/Thurs) following the Roanoke City Schools academic calendar. Here is our projected schedule for the fall semester:

• Beginner Class: Mondays and Wednesdays from 4pm to 7pm.
• Advanced Class: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4pm to 7pm. 

The majority of the second semester is spent with students working in teams completing their own films.

At the end of the year, we showcase student works at the Grandin Theatre. The program’s instructional space is located across the street in Heights Community Church.

For a membership fee of $400 per year, teens in grades 9-12 can attend the program to learn film production, lighting, screenwriting, storytelling, acting, sound engineering, and film industry acumen. Candidates are screened and chosen based on interest and commitment to the program and the curriculum.  No previous experience is required.  Scholarships are available to students who may require financial assistance.

The Grandin Film Lab offers our students access to video editing equipment, filming locations, and opportunities for supplementary experiences in both the Historic Grandin Theatre, Heights Community Church, Grandin Co-Lab, as well as the Grandin Village at large.  In addition, students will have access to our regions (and nation’s) film industry professionals who make films, teach film studies, act, edit and more!  We strive to offer hands on experiential learning that connects the dots for students and professionals in the Roanoke Valley and beyond.

Upcoming Programs	Films	Get Involved

GRANDIN THEATRE FILM LAB AWARDS

2022 - STUFFit Student FIlm Festival (Australia) - Best International LIve Action Film: "How to Survive Your First Date"
2022 - TimeLine FIlm Festival (Italy) - Award Nominee: "Invisible Gun"
2022 - LA Shorts International Film Festival - Official Selection: "How to Survive Your First Date"
2022 Indy Shorts International Film Festival - Official Selection: "The Cleansing Spirit"
2021 - Golden Smile International FIlm Festival (Netherlands) Official Selection: "Flat Line"

2021 - Newport Beach Film Festival Official Selection: "2,190 Miles"
2021 -Tallgrass Film Festival Official Selection: "Omega & Sparks"
2021 - Golden Lion Award for Comedy: "Flat Line"
2020 - Ontario International FIlm Festival (Canada) Official Selection: "Hourglass"
2020 - Capital Student Emmy - Winner Best Long-Form Fiction: "Hourglass"
2019 – D.C. Independent Film Festival – Official Selection: “Freedom Abridged”
2019 – Providence Children’s Film Festival – Official Selection: “Wanderer”
2018 – Iowa Independent Film Festival – Official Selection: “Freedom Abridged”
2018 – Johns Hopkins High School Film Festival – Best Picture: “When the Lights Go on Again
2018 – National Student Emmy Finalist - Best Long-Form Fiction: “When the Lights Go on Again”
2018 - Capital Student Emmy – Winner Best Short-Form Fiction: “Burden"