Pine Ridge Summer Film Institute 2026

This summer, Outlast Arts and Education returned to Pine Ridge Reservation for our annual Summer Film Institute, in partnership with Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation. Youth spent the week immersed in filmmaking, storytelling, and community — from scripting original trailers to learning behind-the-camera skills.

What's New This Year

For the first time, students used Coyote and Crow, a tabletop role-playing game set in an alternate timeline where colonization of the Americas never happened. Within this world, youth created characters, wrote scripts, and imagined futures where they lead self-determined lives — then turned those stories into original movie trailers.

Culture-building & game play
DJ workshop with Gogo
Pre-production & storyboarding
Production
Editing
Screening & celebration

Special Workshop

Mentor Gogo, a Los Angeles-based DJ and radio host, led a hands-on DJing workshop, giving students the chance to learn turntable basics and mixing.

Films Made This Summer

Watch the trailers

TGBOLT

We Are One

The Last Thing I Remember

THEE Anikora Chronicles

The Vengeance of the Cheesy Sticks

"I was not very good with public speaking but after my first camp with Outlast it really helped me use my words and finally speak up... Outlast is what I call home, and nothing could change my perspective on that."

— Outlast youth, 2026
"Outlast really helped me in a lot of ways I can't put into words. I loved my mentor LeRoy and LT for giving me all these opportunities to meet and see new people."

— Outlast youth, 2026