Stephens College and Ragtag Cinema Unite to Inspire the Next Generation of Filmmakers
This summer, 17 middle school students traded their phones for shoulder rigs, their social media feeds for film theory, and their summer afternoons for the kind of hands-on filmmaking education most aspiring directors don’t get to experience until later in life.
The result was five original music videos shared on the big screens at one of Columbia’s most beloved independent cinemas, and the blossoming of a partnership that both Ragtag Film Society and Stephens College Conservatory are already planning on bringing back next year.
A Partnership Rooted in Community
Campers participated in the week-long camp hosted at Ragtag Cinema in July. This was Ragtag’s second time hosting the camp, with the first taking place in 2023. This year, Ragtag partnered with Stephens College’s Conservatory program—a move that was, by most accounts, a natural one that fundamentally expanded what the camp could offer.
“We had a great experience partnering with Stephens College for True/False Film Festival 2026,” said Andrea Luque Káram, Executive Director of Ragtag Film Society. “Partnering with Stephens College meant giving the students an elevated opportunity that included not just curated programming and spaces for critical thinking and understanding of film but also access to high-end filmmaking equipment that the students could learn how to use for their own storytelling.”
Káram noted that Chase Thompson, Associate Professor of Film and Program Chair at Stephens College, has been an amazing advocate for their programs, “so collaborating for this felt like a natural step.”
“I love partnering our filmmaking program with Ragtag any chance I get,” said Thompson. “We focused on the fun skills that come with filmmaking, like green screen, slow motion, and lip-syncing for music videos. We wanted them to think about story and visual interest on screen, and music videos are the perfect way for young filmmakers to think about those things.”
In a move to support local artists, students created music videos for bands and musicians that Thompson has befriended over the years, including Penny Marvel, John Galbraith, Julie Neal, The Onions, and Tampsen—Thompson’s own group.
About the Camp
The campers’ days were split into two parts. Mornings began at Ragtag Cinema, where students watched curated films and participated in structured media literacy discussions—learning not just to watch, but to analyze, question, and articulate what they were seeing.
Afternoons moved to the Stephens College Conservatory, where access to professional-grade equipment opened the door to a full filmmaking curriculum.
“The lessons and demos included script and story breakdowns, camera settings, camera movement with shoulder rigs and other tools, green screen edits, how to sync audio, and much more,” said Káram. “These lessons prepared them to plan, execute, edit, and exhibit the music videos that they created over the week.”
The Screening: A Packed House and Priceless Reactions
On the final day, students screened their completed music videos at Ragtag Cinema to a full house. Local band members who had lent their music to the project sat alongside parents, Ragtag staff, Stephens faculty, and community members to watch the finished films.
“It was such a rewarding experience to see the students’ final projects come together on the big screen,” said Káram. “The families were so grateful for our efforts. We received many compliments and thanks from parents who were so proud of their students.”
“Very rarely do filmmakers get that kind of audience for their first screening, and I could see how proud the students were of their hard work,” said Gabby Galarza, Education Programmer at Ragtag Film Society.
A Full-Circle Moment for a Stephens Alum
Co-directing the camp alongside Thompson was Galarza, a 2018 Stephens College graduate with a BFA in Digital Filmmaking.
“This camp was a massive full-circle experience for me and probably wouldn’t have happened had I not gone to Stephens,” said Galarza. “When I was a student, we had the Citizen Jane Film Festival that was student-run and operated, and an integral part in getting me prepared for the job I have now.”
Thompson added that the inspiration for the structure came from their shared history.
“When we started talking about running this camp, Gabby and I decided that we wanted to run it as we did back when Stephens College offered the Citizen Jane filmmaking bootcamp,” he said.
Galarza handled exhibition and media literacy programming while Thompson led filmmaking demos, with both floating between student groups throughout the production process.
“Coming full circle with the camp and teaching side-by-side with a former student is deeply satisfying and shows the long-term impact our filmmaking program makes on our community,” said Thompson.
“It really is such a blessing to be able to combine my love and knowledge of film with teaching future storytellers the basics of film and having them apply what they have learned,” said Galarza.
More Camps to Come
With the first camp coming to an end and the partnership widely being considered a success, both Ragtag and Stephens College are already looking ahead.
“Oh yeah. We will be back next year and hope to reconnect with campers and get some new ones in the mix,” said Thompson. “Potentially there could be multiple sessions, as long as we don’t lose the magic that we just created.”
For Galarza, the work is personal.
“Events like this camp are what make my job so special,” she said. “I cannot wait to see what we cook up in the future.”
You can check out the music videos the campers created by clicking the links below.
- Camp Wrap-Up
- Sunbeams and Daydreams
- Wide Awake and Alone
- Wolf Walker
- Run Wild Run Free
- Summer’s Really Comin’
More information on Stephens College’s Filmmaking Program can be found here.
