POLYNATION PROJECT

Emotion. Identity. Cinema across borders.

OUR STORY

INTRO

Polynation is a month-long online workshop for high school-aged teen filmmakers living outside the U.S. The program helps youth explore cultural identity and hard-to-name emotions through film—starting with a single powerful clip and ending with an original short inspired by what they discover along the way of meeting with artist mentors outside of but related to the medium of film.

WHEN

4-week online international workshop (October 2025)

HOW

Virtual, with live sessions and asynchronous creative tasks

WHO

Teen filmmakers ages 14-18 living outside the U.S.

GUESTS

Global mentors and guest artists

SCHEDULE

WEEK 1

Select & share a film clip that feels emotionally powerful

WEEK 2

Explore its emotional tone through sound, movement, poetry, or visual art

WEEK 3

Create a short concept or scene based on that emotional reinterpretation

WEEK 4

Finalize and present your original piece in a global showcase

FAQs

Got questions? Want to bring this to your city?

Lead the way

In this fast-paced, creative internship, youth lead the way.

Share your vision

You’ll plan and host an arts-based community event that brings people together and shares your vision.

Take charge

From media to outreach, you’re in charge—with support from mentors, tools, and each other.

SUMMARY

Participants begin by selecting a clip from a film they love—something that moves them but is hard to explain. Over the next four weeks, they work with artists and mentors from around the world to reinterpret the emotional tone of that clip through different creative mediums. In the end, each teen creates an original short film or scene that reflects who they are, how they feel, and where they come from—beyond language. The program closes with a virtual showcase of raw, global, cross-cultural cinematic expression.