American History Film Project Exhibition

20/10/2021

Puerto Rico is contributing a film to our online archive for 2021. Here is a sneak peak...

24/02/2021

Loving our updated website! www.americanhistoryfilmproject.org

Students create hometown history films to connect with community and our nation’s story 2020 – A Year We Will Never Forget2020 is the year we’ll never forget. Tell us how COVID-19 has affected your community and compare it with other … Breaking the Gender Barrier at the Virginia Military In...

20/02/2021

Determined to counter racist stereotypes, Carter G. Woodson worked tirelessly to promote the accomplishments of African Americans.

14/02/2021

Flashback: Syneese Noble mentored and assisted the Williams family in researching Mt. Pleasant community history for American History Film Project. Their short film from a few years ago is part of a larger retrospective and remains in our digital archive under Eastern States.

30/08/2020

Applying this week for a grant from NEH to expand enough to do other presentations like this online or in person. Kelly Garcia leads this Historical Society Brown Bag luncheon about the Sandhills.

Struggles and Survival in the Sandhills, an illustrated lecture by Kelly Garcia and students from Mullen High School.

15/08/2020

Something new from Texas about the value of community identity for youth; this came across my desk from Darold Cuba. ---Kimberli https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAEYz8DtJvQ&list=PLAuvyujqKbsdozDgZNBa8evZbWD8-JLv3&index=7

Descendants of Jasper and Newton County Freedom Colonies discuss the rich legacies of these communities and their places in telling the full story of Texas--...

07/08/2020

AHFP President Martha Barns challenges students (elementary and high school) to create a 3-10 minute film about hometown history.

03/08/2020

An Illinois high school student challenges others to do a documentary film on the comparisons of Covid 19 to other disasters in American History, interviewing locals for their reactions and responses to change.

27/07/2020

25/07/2020

You can qualify for both the American History Film Project Exhibition and your state's National History Day competition with these tips from Sam Florer of the Virginia Museum of Culture and History (VHD coordinator).

09/07/2020

We normally highlight films on a student's own local history. Because the anniversary of Stonewall was in June, we are sharing a film that won the Virginia History Day competition on the state level. Virginia students from West Springfield created this film about a NYC event. While it doesn't fit our local criteria, it is an example of great editing and research. Now hoping W. Springfield can explore a subject from Fairfax County history. Stay tuned for more from Richmond's VHD! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr0OnNepqzk&feature=youtu.be

Trinity Green and Megan Hogan Senior Division Group Documentary

23/06/2020

Seal thanks a filmmaker...

20/06/2020

Syneese Noble brings up an important point.

19/06/2020

Summer project with your kids---watch these "how to" videos on our playlist and do a film about your own neighborhood.

17/06/2020

This film is about our organization honoring African American History. this film shows the history of the Underground Railroad in New Jersey. However, the vast majority of the film is about the Mount Pleasent Baptist Church in Annandale Virginia. this film shows the church celebrating its 150 aniversary. Some footage was taken from Inside Scoop along with student films and footage shot by our film teacher Stephen Wright

06/06/2020

Do you have a family member who demonstrated this month or decades ago? An older friend who defended our country in the military or took a risk and spoke the truth about something? These are all stories to preserve; where were they during a historic moment? Break down the generational walls and talk. How did they handle a challenge? You be the reporter & historian today. Then message us to submit your documentary.

06/06/2020

Student Micayla Mitchell explores the grounds and historic markers of a church museum in Showell near the Eastern Shore of Maryland then happens upon some visiting singers from Holy Trinity Cathedral of Berlin, Maryland. Original music by Christen Campbell and Mary Beth Gunther written on the occasion of an Ocean City retreat.

05/06/2020

No need to go far from home. K-12 students can do an American History Film Project video using stop motion video and their own dolls and toys to tell a story about local history or portray a U.S. History story told by their relatives. You may splice in photos or slides from family or library photo files or dress your dolls and actors in period costumes. Here are tips on how to edit a stop motion video. Thinking about Robin Arnold, Tasha Brown, Mary Hilbrink, and Syneese Noble back in the day getting creative. We're not too old to play with dolls if it is a film prop.

Editing is the last step in making a movie. In this episode of AGZcrew, Z shows us the process of editing stop motion videos. She also want to know what you ...

04/06/2020

This film is an excerpt from a larger film being edited by our brilliant film teacher Stephen Cooper Wright. This is on Mount Pleasant Baptist Church celebrating their 150th Anniversary. (AHFP Honors our History Lessons ALWAYS).

03/06/2020

Interview with Deacon Stark. AHFP Honors our History Lessons ALWAYS

15/05/2020

How to make costumes for the films you are doing at home:

08/05/2020

Students from Eden Hope Academy (home school co-op) met with a local curator to retell how General Mosby took civil war territory and escaped to a church with only eight men. The students also researched and created a musical segway to Clara Barton called "The Angel of the Battlefield." Who knew Clara timetraveled to learn CPR? This was filmed and edited by AHFP Film Teacher Stephen Cooper Wright, under the creative direction of the student team from Eden Hope. The kids loved the process because Stephen showed them how fun it can be making movies. They later wrote and published a book about their day of filming and learning about the Northern Virginia historic site.

06/05/2020

Filmed by students from Mullen Nebraska, this dramatization (loosely based on a local legend in Nebraska) involves Native American Crazy Horse after Gen. Custer's Last Stand. AHFP teacher Stephen Wright worked remotely to guide the students in reshooting some scenes after the film was selected; crafting a better film. Mullen teacher Kelly Garcia said the boys who starred in it said they loved learning from Stephen. The boys developed their own stunt riding, fight blocking, and choice of music from YouTube's royalty free library.

30/04/2020

This film is about locals trying to save Naro Expanded Video; a video store that had an extensive classic and art film collection and became a "library." Sadly it closed its doors last August. Our film teacher (Stephen Cooper Wright) produced this film to help the Naro battle online streaming.

28/04/2020

Narrated by student Caroline Smith of Annandale, this film is about the 29 Diner in Fairfax, Virginia. Step inside to learn the history behind this landmark.

27/04/2020

Two different scout troops were represented at last year's exhibition. One scout interviewed local leaders about the history of Clifton, Virginia. Another troup, near Falls Church, did a group project on the history of their parochial school complete with singing and nuns.

26/04/2020

Take a trip back in time to the Eastern Shore without leaving your house...

“Meet the Past” and “Lewes Legends & Landmarks” will each be the focus of the Lewes Historical Society’s ongoing efforts to keep citizens engaged in the history of America’s first

20/04/2020

Fairfax Museum & Visitor Center captured an historic moment on film; shall we say "back to the future" with a robot? Message us links to YOUR history news clips.

13/04/2020

Kim Costabile tells K-12 students how to interview parents and grandparents (at home during Covid 19 & Passover/Holy Week) using just a smart phone or Zoom. AHFP will post & archive oral history films & documentaries 3-10 minutes long. See our website for details on how to submit (no fees) to the American History Film Project Exhibition before May 25.