With support from the California Arts Council, Media Arts Center San Diego trains disadvantaged students in 21st century media arts skills during our after-school Teen Producers Project. Beneficiaries are Latino and immigrant youth grades 9-12. TPP takes place after-school at Juvenile Court and Community School, Sweetwater High School, and our Digital Gym community technology center. Students collaborate and learn to produce digital stories about issues that affect their lives and communities.
MACSD programs, events, and film festivals are inclusionary—designed with audiences, participants, and community collaboration in mind. A summary of core organizational programs and services can be broken down into three categories:
WATCH—San Diego Latino Film Festival (SDLFF) celebrates its 32nd anniversary in March 2025 introducing viewers to contemporary US-Latino and Latin American cinema. Additional programming includes the Que Viva Outdoor Cine Latino Series, and daily screenings of at our Digital Gym Cinema.
LEARN—Media education programs for youth include: Teen Producers Project, Youth Media & Tech Camps, ¡Tu Cine! Student Film Showcase, the iVIE Awards & Student Film Festival and in-school media programs.
CREATE—Tools for community-based media production and collaboration include: Frontera Filmmakers, a grassroots training course for independent filmmakers; and Video Production Services, helping community groups make digital media presence accessible and affordable.

