Film Kids curriculum developers hold secondary teaching certificates in English, Communications and Technology Applications and have developed curriculum with the Charles A. Dana Center and AISD elementary and high schools. All Film Kids lessons are aligned to 5th Grade ELA and Fine Arts TEKS, but the greatest benefit is the collaboration, teamwork and social emotional skills that are developed by the filmmakers as they explore their creative ideas and the issues in their community.
Brian Cox
Brian taught in high school and middle school classrooms for fourteen years, gaining four teaching certificates in English, Speech Communications and Video Production. Then, while making movies with his own children, he realized that younger people can benefit greatly from the creativity and collaboration of filmmaking. His experience with non-profit organizations like Badgerdog Creative Writing and Violet Crown Community Theater led him to develop a series of original video projects for young people. These projects give filmmakers creative input in developing their stories and the “hands-on” experience of live video production.
Dena Goldstein
Dena is a visual storyteller who graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor’s in Journalism and Mass Communication. Her love for storytelling began in high school when she created a video honoring motherhood for a group supporting women with postpartum depression. They played it at their Mother’s Day luncheon, and everyone in the room was in tears. That’s what drives Dena to produce videos: the power of stories to move people and make them feel seen. She’s created promotional content for an array of organizations and served as a Marketing Producer at KVUE-TV, Austin’s ABC affiliate, where she was part of a team that won a Lone Star Regional Emmy. As an instructor, Dena is excited to cultivate a positive learning environment in which kids feel seen and their ideas matter.
Colby Thompson
Colby's filmmaking journey began like many kids enrolled in Film Kids. When he was eight years old, his mom enrolled him in a filmmaking summer camp that created a love in him for movie-making. He was mostly self-taught until high school, where he got the opportunity to intern and create video content at a marketing firm. Colby went on to earn a degree in Creative Media Production from Arkansas State University. While in school, he directed two game shows and created Aluminum Man, a silly comedy short that he loves showing to the kids. As an instructor, Colby loves teaching kids not only the art of filmmaking but also how to work collaboratively with others.
James Ross II
James is a filmmaker who studied at Florida State University’s College of Motion Picture Arts, where he honed his skills in writing and directing. Over the past five years, he has made five short films and a feature, Parasomnia, which premiered internationally after his short Don’t Blink won the Gotham and Focus Features Student Showcase Award. Originally from the Washington, D.C. area, James has shared his love of filmmaking with kids at the Boys and Girls Club in Florida, and he’s excited to continue bringing his passion for storytelling and collaboration to the next generation of filmmakers.
Kaleb Williams
Kaleb is an interdisciplinary artist who holds degrees in Theater and Film Production from Austin Community College and The University of Texas. Acting and making films in and around Central Texas has been his passion for over thirty years. He has spent time teaching with AISD, The Lindamood-Bell school and the Just Imagine! Program here in Austin, and he relishes the opportunity to share his passion for storytelling and film with a new generation of cinephiles!