The Dallas Film Society (DFS) is excited to announce their latest initiative, the Veterans Institute for Film and Media (VIFM). The institute will provide education, resources and mentorships for honorably discharged US veterans to prepare them for careers in the film and digital media production industries.
The three-month fully sponsored program provides participants unparalleled access to an innovative curriculum taught by engaged faculty, staff and working professionals. The VIFM is a three-phase program including four weeks of classroom education, four weeks of a paid internship and four weeks of paid placement.
The curriculum will cover the following fields:
• Digital Cinema
• Broadcast Television
• Corporate Films
• Online and Social Media Content
• Digital Editing
• Audio Production
• Post-Production
More than half a million veterans currently live in North Texas, and of those, approximately 60% are under the age of 50, many living with some level of service-connected disability. Overall, veterans are better educated than the average civilian workforce and yet the unemployment rate of veterans is higher than non-veterans. The Dallas Film Society believes that veterans are an exceptional choice for employment and a natural fit for media production, bringing a strong work ethic, professionalism, an eagerness to learn and an appreciation of a team ethos.
Applications for the Institute can be found on the Dallas Film Society website, at dallasfilm.org and require a short essay, two letters of recommendation, and two references.
The Veterans Institute for Film and Media Steering Committee includes the following Dallas leaders:
Johnathan Brownlee, President and CEO Dallas Film Society*
Maggy Croxville, Director Film Basic Training*
John E. Shanks, USAF, Retired
Sandra E. Taylor, USA, Retired
Barb Barton Weiszhaar, Senior Vice president, Global Tax, Hewlett-Packard*
* Bios available on request
