The fresh group of directors and filmmakers from the brand-new Coney Island Film School will present their work this weekend.

On March 21, the first-ever Coney Island Student Film Festival will debut at Coney Island USA, starting at 7 p.m. The show will feature the works of 

Led by the school’s lead teacher and cult filmmaker Dylan Mars Greenberg, the event will feature Q&As with the directors.

“People taking this class come from all walks of life,” said Greenberg. “It’s really interesting, we have people who have been making films for years and want to learn a different approach to making art, and people who have never made a film in their lives. We all learn from each other, and everyone has made such a diverse array of films. It’s really exciting seeing the work take shape.”

Greenberg, who has exhibited at the Museum of the Moving Image and in outlets such as Rolling Stone and NPR, started the Coney Island Film School alongside the non-profit Coney Island USA to impart her philosophies and techniques of experimental film on both aspiring and working artists in New York City.

“The very first day, I make a film that I direct, and cast every student in it as an actor. The next week, they see the film edited and we discuss it. I try to immerse them in the world of filmmaking as soon as they walk into the classroom,” said Greenberg. “We are learning how to make films with the tools we have available, and my goal is that the learning doesn’t end in the classroom, but that all of my students will go on to make films of their own without the infrastructure of the class. It’s like training wheels, and once you take them off, you can go anywhere!”

“The Coney Island Film School is an incredible resource for aspiring filmmakers of all ages,” says Coney Island Artistic Director Adam Rinn. “We’re thrilled to have partnered with Dylan and I’m really looking forward to seeing the films that the students have produced.” 

Tickets for the Student Film Festival can be purchased at www.coneyisland.com/event/filmschoolfest032126.

Details

What: Coney Island Student Film Festival

When: March 21, 7 p.m.

Where: Coney Island USA, 1208 Surf Ave., Brooklyn

Price: $15