If you’re a high school student interested in film, storytelling, or visual media, you may already enjoy creating videos, analyzing movies, or experimenting with editing and production. But beyond watching films, you might still wonder what working in the film industry truly involves. One of the most effective ways to explore this world is through a film internship.

Imagine spending your time on set, assisting with production, learning how scenes are planned and executed, or working behind the scenes on editing and post-production. Picture collaborating with creative teams, contributing to real projects, and understanding how ideas are transformed into finished films. Film internships for high school students offer hands-on experiences that bring the filmmaking process to life.

How do you choose the right film internships for high school students?

With many options available, it’s important to distinguish between internships that offer meaningful, practical involvement and those that are more observational. Thoughtful research helps ensure you find an opportunity that aligns with your interests and goals.

Film internships may involve working with production companies, media organizations, film festivals, or creative studios. You might assist with filming, editing, script development, or production planning, gaining insight into how different roles come together in the filmmaking process.

You’ll learn from experienced professionals, collaborate with creative peers, and develop essential skills such as storytelling, communication, and teamwork. Along the way, you’ll build a portfolio, gain industry exposure, and develop a clearer understanding of what pursuing film at the university level might truly look like.

To help you get started, we’ve curated a list of 15 Film Internships for High School Students. They’ve been selected for their hands-on learning opportunities, strong mentorship, and ability to provide meaningful early exposure to the world of filmmaking.

For adjacent opportunities, you can check out media internships and art internships.

15 Film Internships for High School Students

1. The USC School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) Summer Program

Location: University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, Los Angeles, CA
Cost/Stipend: A non-refundable fee of $75, and the program fee varies by the course units you enroll in.
Dates: June 25th – August 7th
Application Deadline: Opens on December 15th, and there are multiple deadlines until May 1st
Eligibility: High school students should apply as pre-college students and be 16 or 17 years old; international students can apply too

Known as one of the most prestigious film internships for high school students, this six-week programme gives you the opportunity to dive into diverse aspects of the film industry, including directing, writing, editing, animation, and more. With the programme taking place at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, you will have access to advanced film production tools and learn from expert professors there.

Participating in this summer program, you can choose the different courses offered by the program, for which you will earn transferable college credits. Your choices include production classes, screenwriting classes, producing and editing classes, and more. Make sure to read through the program’s class selection policies carefully before making your pick. 

Why it stands out: You will attend seminars, screenings, and special talks with leading filmmakers, actors, and executives who give you a better insight into the industry

2. Immerse Education’s Film Studies Summer School

Location: Oxford, and London
Cost/Stipend: Varies; summer school scholarship available through our bursary programme
Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Multiple summer cohorts; rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students worldwide aged 16 to 18

This two-week program, designed for students who are passionate about visual arts and storytelling, provides an introduction to the world of film production. The curriculum combines both the theoretical and practical aspects of filmmaking. That said, you will be introduced to the history of filmmaking, and you will cover various topics, including film theory, narrative structure, visual languages, and more.

Simultaneously, the program will engage you in hands-on projects that teach you the different techniques filmmakers use to turn a script into a captivating scene. You will also gain practice in critically analyzing a film. Learning is often done through discussions, research projects, and hands-on workshops. Ultimately, this program helps you understand filmmaking and cinema better. 

Why it stands out: As a participant, you would receive one-on-one guidance that ensures that you receive the best learning outcome from the program. 

3. BRIC Youth Media Fellowship

Location: Rockwell Place, Brooklyn, NY
Cost/Stipend: $15/hr (students get paid $30 per day, for 29 days in total)
Dates: October 25th – May 29th (Wednesdays, 4 pm – 6 pm)
Application Deadline: Typically closes in September
Eligibility: 10th through 12th graders from ages 15 to 19 from New York City

Among film internships for high school students, the BRIC Youth Media Fellowship offers a distinctive opportunity to take part in the development and production of Concrete Stories: BRIC Youth Media Festival. This annual festival continues to serve as a platform for students to show their creative potential, screening films that are unique, original, entertaining, and created by young filmmakers from New York City.

As a Youth Media Fellow, you would be part of weekly meetings alongside other fellows and BRIC staff in which decisions regarding the festival are made. During these meetings, you will decide the festival’s theme, check the film entries, promote the event using marketing materials, choose the films that will be screened, and take other responsibilities in the smooth running of the festival. This role will enhance your skills in event management, marketing, and video production. 

Why it stands out: By participating in these meetings regularly, you will develop the skills and gain the professional insights of planning, curating, and promoting a short film festival. 

4. Moving Picture Institute’s Hollywood Career Launch Program 

Location: Most placements are in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, DC.
Cost/Stipend: Stipends provided
Dates: Typically 12 weeks
Application Deadline: Accepted on a rolling basis; it is recommended that you apply in February for summer internship opportunities.
Eligibility: High school students or recent graduates; must have legal right to work in the United States

The Hollywood Career Launch Program gives high school students like you the opportunity to explore careers in the entertainment industry by placing you as an intern in partner production companies. Since its inception, the program has helped more than 250 students to find placements, and these students have interned at studios like Millennium Media, BRON Studios, and Skybound Entertainment.

Given that MPI has a partnership with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, participants of the program are also invited to apply to Academy Gold. This is a seven-week mentorship program that lets you be part of special panels with Academy members and screenings while exposing you to career advancement opportunities. 

Why it stands out: Students who previously participated in this highly competitive program have gone on to take full-time jobs in well-established production houses like FOX, Disney, NBC, and more.

5. Fresh Films Weekly Filmmaking

Location: Available virtually and in 34 locations across the US; check them here
Cost/Stipend: Free
Dates: Held every Tuesday and Thursday after school from January to May; starts on January 13th
Application Deadline: Opens in early November and is accepted on a rolling basis
Eligibility: Students worldwide aged 13 to 19

Fresh Films Weekly Filmmaking is a strong option within film internships for high school students, especially if you want early experience in both production and digital media. You will learn and gain practice in everything from shooting to editing a video, thus making it suitable for students who would like to tell stories through audio-visual elements. This program lets you become a part of a film crew, involving yourself in pre-production and the technical side of filmmaking. It introduces you to the different roles that people working on film sets take.

Since you will be working next to these professionals, you will learn more about their responsibilities while developing your skills and the confidence needed for the role. Students leave the five-month program with an in-depth understanding of filmmaking and a portfolio consisting of a music video, an unscripted how-to video, a documentary, and a short film to show for it.

Why it stands out: You will meet and work next to more than 40 industry professionals over the duration of the program, ultimately expanding your network in the field.

6. USF Art of Filmmaking

Location: University of South Florida (USF) Fine Arts Building, Tampa, FL
Cost/Stipend: $795
Dates: June 22-26 or July 13-17
Application Deadline: Opens February 1st
Eligibility: Rising 10th through 12th graders; international students are welcome to apply

If selected for this intensive camp, you will learn the different techniques you can use to tell a story visually in a compelling manner. The curriculum covers shot composition, cinematography, lighting, and editing techniques. You will also complete a project, making a short film for which you write the screenplay and use every skill you acquired during the one-week program.

By working on this short film, you will also gain exposure to collaborating with others, thus developing your interpersonal skills. The program also teaches you to handle the complexities of long-distance and remote production. In addition to adding the film to your portfolio, you also get to share the outcome at the screening event that is scheduled on the closing day of the camp.

Why it stands out: As you will be working in teams, this will help enhance your interpersonal skills that will be highly valued when you begin a career as a film professional in the future.

7. Museum of the Moving Image Teen Digital Media Innovators

Location: Museum of the Moving Image (MoMi), Queens, NY
Cost/Stipend: Stipends provided
Dates: November through May on select Wednesdays and Saturdays; check here for the exact schedule
Application Deadline: October 17th
Eligibility: 11th and 12th-graders who are at least 15 years old and from New York

This job-training program at the Museum of the Moving Image allows high school students to gain work experience in the world of audiovisual and media arts. If selected for the program, you will become a part of MoMi’s Teen Council and be responsible for film festivals, media workshops, and other activities at the museum. By involving high school students like you in this program, MoMi aims to bring in more teen voices and opinions to the museum’s events and educational opportunities.

For this purpose, the museum selects 15-20 NYC high schoolers as the Teen Council each year. Working here, you also gain an insight into the daily operations of any cultural organization, plus you become familiar with the history of moving images and the technology used for it.

Why it stands out: As a Teen Council member, you work next to industry professionals like museum media educators, filmmakers, actors, and more, who also mentor you during the program.

8. Warner Bros. Reach Honorship Program

Location: Warner Bros. Studios, Los Angeles, CA
Cost/Stipend: Stipend paid during summer internship + $5,000 scholarship towards college
Dates: Four consecutive summers beginning from the summer you graduate from high school
Application Deadline: Typically January or February
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors from Burbank or Los Angeles County with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0

As one of the most recognised film internships for high school students, the Reach Honorship Program makes it possible to explore different departments of the entertainment industry through a four-year internship opportunity at Warner Bros. You can choose from over 60 departments and work in the ones that interest you most, including those related to content development, post-production, sound editing, and others.

The program aims to give you hands-on experience by having you contribute to the projects that are actually being done by Warner Bros. at that time. This experience results in professional development and career readiness while also growing your network in the industry. Only five or six students are typically selected each year to receive the honorships and internship-scholarship packages, making it a highly competitive and highly selective program.

Why it stands out: Every summer, you will be paired with an executive from the department you work for and receive mentorship from them that year.

9. Film Forward Camp

Location: AutoNation Center for the Arts, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Cost/Stipend: Early Bird Price: $1000 for students who register by May 1st and $1200 for students who register after May 1st
Dates: July 27-31
Application Deadline: July 15th
Eligibility: Open to U.K. high school students

Hosted by the All-American High School Film Festival and NSU University School, this rigorous camp explores three important aspects of filmmaking: creativity, technology, and media literacy. You will spend your time in the one-week camp learning about them and gaining experience in them by working next to professional filmmakers. As a result, you will also gain practice in using some of the advanced tools and technology at the AutoNation Center for the Arts.

By the end of the program, you can confidently say that you have a basic understanding of pre-production, cinematography, lighting, sound and score, editing, and many more sides of filmmaking. Moreover, the program assigns a mentor for each participating team who will guide you throughout the program.

Why it stands out: The ultimate goal of the program is to equip you with the skills you need to produce a visually appealing film under the constraints of time, location, or other circumstances.

10. Apollo Theater Academy Technical Theater Production Internship

Location: Apollo, New York City, NY
Cost/Stipend: A stipend of $16.50 per hour
Dates: July 7th – August 15th
Application Deadline: April 7th
Eligibility: 11th graders who reside in one of the five boroughs of New York City

This is a six-week internship that allows you to work alongside the crew at the Apollo Theater, thus learning from them the different technical aspects of stage production. As an intern, you will be involved in the day-to-day production activities of the theater. In the process, you will equip yourself with technical skills in lighting design, audio engineering, videography, and more.

The program will focus on teaching you how these technical aspects are used in both live and recorded stage productions. Ultimately, you will become familiar with creating events for Apollo. Prior to the internship, selected interns have to compulsorily participate in the orientation sessions held in the first three days of July and an orientation with their parents or guardian in May.

Why it stands out: If selected for the program, following the group interview, you will receive training from the theater professionals before being given any work, so that you have the skills to perform it well.

11. LFA Young Filmmakers’ Academy

Location: London Film Academy, London, UK
Cost/Stipend: £595 for one week and £995 for two weeks (early bird discounts available)
Dates: Various cohorts available
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: Students aged 13 to 17 from anywhere in the world

The London Film Academy gives you training in the art of filmmaking by allowing you to explore the different roles of crew members on a film set. In this program, you will gain practice in your chosen role, such as director, script supervisor, cinematographer, sound recordist, assistant director, and more. The ultimate goal of the program is to equip you with the skills needed to shoot your film in your personal time.

You will also be scheduled with some engaging workshops that teach you some of the core elements of filmmaking. Available in one-week and two-week cohorts, the one-week program equips you with the skills required to shoot a film with a smartphone, while the two-week course teaches you to do the same using digital cameras.

Why it stands out: You gain hands-on practice editing your recorded videos using Adobe Premiere Pro, thus familiarizing yourself with the editing software that is commonly used in the industry.

12. Vancouver Film School Summer Intensives: Film Production

Location: Vancouver Film School, Vancouver (BC), Canada
Cost/Stipend: CA$825
Dates: July 13-17
Application Deadline: One week prior to workshop start date
Eligibility: High school students worldwide who are at least 15 years old 

This five-day camp is one way to explore different components of filmmaking, as it introduces you to directing, producing, cinematography, production design, and post-production in a short period. You will have the chance to shoot a scene and learn how to edit it for screening on the final day. Apart from that, the program also gives you an insight into the entertainment industry by discussing the business and politics.

Students also learn the techniques used to maintain the safety and efficiency of a film set. You will also be introduced to some of the rules and etiquette that you would be expected to follow when you are on a film set, and how post-production work is managed. If selected for the program, you are expected to bring a wired headphone, a USB to take your project home, and a notebook & pen or laptop to take notes.

Why it stands out: Professionals currently working in the film and TV industry will be the ones teaching you.

13. Internship Opportunities with the Atlanta Film Society

Location: Atlanta, GA.
Cost/Stipend: No stipends provided; Instead, students gain college credit and a free ATLFS membership
Dates: January-May (Spring) | June-August (Summer) | September-December (Fall)
Application Deadline: Accepted on a rolling basis in between sessions. Mid-December (Spring) | Mid-April (Summer) | Mid-August (Fall)
Eligibility: Open to 12th graders who are at least 18 years old on a case-by-case basis, must be based in Atlanta

Known as one of the more hands-on film internships for high school students, this Atlanta Film Society internship gives you the chance to be part of the team responsible for producing the Atlanta Film Festival. Through your participation, you do not just gain work experience, but also learn what happens behind the scenes of events like this. As an intern, you can take on responsibilities in administration, membership, event planning, and coordination.

Some of the roles available through this internship program are in operations, screenplay programming, business development, outreach, and others. Given the nature of these roles, ATLFS would value your application highly if you had excellent communication and organizational skills, plus good phone manners.

Why it stands out: By working for an organization like the Atlanta Film Society, you gain an understanding of what goes on in non-profit, member-based, media arts organizations.  

14. Brooklyn Interns for Arts and Culture (BIAC)

Location: Brooklyn, NY
Cost/Stipend: Students will receive stipends for all three sessions. Stipend Amounts: Summer: $375 | Fall: $450 | Spring: $525
Dates: Summer: One week in August, Fall: October – December, and Spring: February – June; Fall and Spring programs happen 1-2 days per week after school from 4-6pm
Application Deadline: June 3rd
Eligibility: Rising 12th graders who attend a high school in one of the five New York boroughs (Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island, Queens, or the Bronx) and have an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher

Brooklyn Interns for Arts and Culture is described as a college, career, and life-readiness program, as it provides you with the tools and support needed to prepare for life after high school. The program is particularly catered to those students who are considering careers in the arts field. You will learn what are some of the skills needed to step into a career in art management and be successful in it.

As a participant, you will also get help in planning your post-high school schedule and how you can manage your transition from school to college in a smooth manner while caring for your wellness. BIAC provides college preparation support by offering you one-on-one guidance with your college application, plus giving you college application fee waiver(s) and/or SAT/ACT fee waiver(s).

Why it stands out: This program gives you the opportunity to work at one of the oldest performing arts venues in the country while getting to learn from the professionals who work there. 

15. BFI Film Academy

Location: Various locations across the UK.
Cost/stipend: The course fee ranges from zero to £210 (a bursary scheme that covers the entire fee is available for students with financial needs)
Dates: Vary by the course; the classes are typically one week long or scheduled across multiple weekends
Application Deadline: Varies by the course
Eligibility: Students aged 16 to 19 who are UK residents and not yet  enrolled in a university can apply for the special courses; the BFI Film Academy is open to UK students from ages 16 to 25

For those students who would like to set foot inside the entertainment industry, the BFI (British Film Institute) Academy gives you the training to do so. As a participant, you will work alongside other trainees in filmmaking while concentrating mainly on the technical components of it.

The program offers special courses so that you can dive into a specific filmmaking skill. Your options generally include film programming, editing and post-production, camera and lighting, and more. Attending these courses offers you the chance to work alongside industry professionals who guide you and provide their unique insights into the field.

Why it stands out: BFI Film Academy offers its support even after you have finished participating in the program, helping you to shoot a film for a larger audience and giving advice regarding career advancement.

Lights, Camera, Career Possibilities

Film becomes much clearer when you step inside the process, because sets, editing suites, and production teams reveal how creative work actually happens.

That is why the 15 film internships for high school students featured in this article can be such a valuable starting point, offering real exposure to storytelling, collaboration, and industry expectations.

As you assist, observe, and contribute, you begin to notice which parts of filmmaking excite you most and where your skills could grow further.

Open our Career Exploration blogs to discover exciting creative paths, fresh industry insight, and future roles that could completely change how you see your next step.