We’ve been building toward this one for a while. And now, finally, here it is: FILM 1: Introduction to Cinema — the first course in the APS Film School — is open for registration.
The class runs eight Wednesday evenings this summer, July 8 through August 26, from 7:00–8:30 PM at Towler Hall Room 201 on the CCC Lexington Campus. It’s taught in partnership with Clatsop Community College, and it’s designed for everyone: the person who watches three movies a week and wants to understand why they work, the aspiring filmmaker who needs the vocabulary before picking up a camera, the curious adult who just wants a good reason to talk about cinema with other people who take it seriously.
Over those eight sessions, we’ll get into the real bones of how movies are made — story construction, cinematography, editing, sound — and move through genre, auteur theory, documentary, music videos, and the ways film shapes (and reflects) culture. This isn’t a passive lecture series. It’s active, clip-driven, discussion-forward, and built around the idea that understanding how something is made changes the way you experience it forever.
The details:
- Dates: July 8 – August 26, 2026 (eight Wednesdays)
- Time: 7:00 – 8:30 PM
- Location: Towler Hall Room 201, CCC Lexington Campus — 1660 Lexington Ave, Astoria
- Cost: $115 General Public | High School Scholarships Available
- Course Details
High school students: this one’s for you, too.
Scholarships are available for students ages 16 and up. To request an application, just contact us. We’ll take it from there.
FILM 1 is the first step in something bigger. It feeds directly into FILM 2: Introduction to Filmmaking — and student work made through the Film School has a home at the Astoria Picture Show each year. We’re building a loop, not a ladder.
Come learn how movies actually work. We’ll see you this summer.
