Echo Park Film Center

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Photography by Oscar Zaldana

by Celina McHugh

A non-profit media arts organization providing equal and affordable access to film/video education.

Through the combination of “filmmaking, education, and activism”, Paolo Davanzo, Co-Founder of the Echo Park Film Center (EPFC), has brought a great resource for filmmakers in our community who need an alternative model of success than the one presented by Hollywood.

EPFC has a strong focus on at-risk youth. Youth classes fill up quickly and attract adolescents that travel from as far as Gardena to find an “outlet of creative expression” at the EPFC. The Fall 2011 Session holds a youth class titled, “City of Angels”. The class meets every Thursday evening for 13 weeks. The young students will individually create a documentary that examines and celebrates the City of Los Angeles. A young bi-racial girl, age 11, fell in love with EPFC after her first class in the summer and is now here again for the Fall Term and plans to make a short film about being different and standing out. She explains that film helps us see things that we may not normally see. “In film, you see that everything is art.” The fact that the students at EPFC come from different backgrounds and are joined together by a common interest also draws her attention. She hopes that her film will help us celebrate the very things that make one unique from another.

EPFC provides a revolutionary service to the community by teaching classes FREE of charge to youth under the age of 19 and seniors. As a community we receive much needed vision, wisdom, and understanding from both of these age groups. EPFC makes the equipment very accessible, letting the students use and take home the filmmaking technology by the 2nd class.

Adult classes and workshops are available at affordable prices. Classes are hands-on and range from lessons on Digital Editing to Super 8 Filmmaking & Hand-Processing. EPFC provides the material and equipment needed. The center rents out equipment and has Macs with editing software available for use in the back.

There is an opportunity for filmmakers to screen their movies (10 minutes long max) on the 1st Thursday of every month. Details are on the schedule of events. For more information on Classes, Equipment, & Screenings, visit: http://www.echoparkfilmcenter.org/.

EPFC uses an eco-friendly bus that has been transformed into a mobile cinema and a venue that holds classes and workshops for people across our nation. The Filmmobile tours across the United States, providing film and video making resources for people in poor and rural communities, creating the “fertile meeting space” that EPFC strives for, in order to attain “the exchange and validation of ideas, knowledge, and experiences, empowering individuals to share their unique stories with the world.”

Upon asking Paolo Davanzo about his hopes for the future of EPFC, he answers, “The future is now.” Visiting EPFC will indeed give you the sense that it is successfully doing what it had originally intended to do. It is a place that empowers its community through its fulfillment of its mission to provide film and video making tools to media-marginalized populations, such as the homeless, at-risk youth, or low-income earners, so that our production of films across the country can “truly reflect the many voices and visions that make up the fabric of contemporary American Life”.

If your dream is to express yourself, and even more so, to do it through film, EPFC is a dream come true as it provides the resources, equipment, and network to help you produce and showcase your work immediately.

As Paolo Davanzo describes EPFC, it is a “humble” place where anyone can come in and explore film without feeling intimidated, but feeling welcomed and free to experiment. You are welcomed to visit during store hours: Thursdays & Fridays 2 – 7PM & Saturdays 12 – 5PM. You will encounter Paolo during your visit, as well as many other friendly faces that will be more than happy to help you with any questions or concerns that you may have on your filmmaking journey.

Events are held Thursday-Friday evenings. These are great for familiarizing yourself with people and issues that are impacting your immediate and international community. Check them Out! There are also volunteering opportunities for those who are looking to invest their time.

For information on October's events, please visit: http://www.echoparkfilmcenter.org/cinema/schedule.html

 

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