On Aug. 8 at UCR ARTS, 16 students, along with a captivated audience of family, friends, and program staff, watched the debut of their own documentary films. This showcase was the culmination of the students’ work during the Off the Block summer workshop.

Off the Block is a six-week documentary filmmaking program offered to high school and college students during the summer. This is the program’s 17th year, bringing aspiring film production students together to learn new skills, improve their critical thinking, and problem-solve. 

There were four short documentaries created by groups of three to four students. Following the initial screening, Christophe Katrib, an assistant professor in the Department of Theatre, Film, and Digital Production, presented shorts the students made on 16mm black-and-white film at the workshops he led.

The 16mm film component was a new addition to the program this year. “With CHASS support, we were able to get equipment and cameras,” Katrib said. “They each created a short film just under three minutes long. We also did that for university students, so we sent a call for applications for UCR and RCC students.” 

Applicants who are curious about filmmaking, arts, and media in a collaborative environment are ideal candidates for this workshop. Nikolay Maslov, program director of Off the Block, said, “It’s an opportunity to meet like-minded creative folks and get to make an awesome film.”

The program begins in July and accepts about 15 students each year. It is free of charge and provides the students with all the necessary tools for filmmaking and the priceless opportunity to create their own documentary.

“Applications for the 2027 workshop will go live in January,” Maslov added. “It’s open to students who live in the Greater Riverside area. Free of charge and we’d love to have you be a part of it.”