KINOLABORATORY · “FILMMAKING” COURSE

Make your film in 4 months

An offline filmmaking course with psychotherapeutic support. From an idea to the premiere and the festival screen. 📍 Yerevan

Book an introductory interview

Who it's for

You love cinema and want to stop being just a viewer

This course is for those who want to: — figure out where to start and see it through to the end — feel the support of like-minded people and professionals — tell their own story — try directing, even if you already work in film — find out in 4 months whether it's for you, without spending 5 years at a university — experience film therapy first-hand — go through the full cycle of filmmaking in practice …and finally make your own film.

Film therapy

We believe that making films is therapy

Every director makes a film about themselves, even if the character is nothing like them. A film becomes gripping when it is built on a personal theme that truly matters to the author.

Making a film is a journey of exploration: from a vague feeling to a script, through directorial analysis, shooting, editing and dialogue with the audience. At every stage you look at your theme again and again from different angles, and gradually come to accept and understand it better.

You make your story visible, live through it and transform it. That turns cinema into another form of psychotherapy.

We made a 4-episode series about how film therapy works.

Watch on YouTube

Our values

Over the years, our film school has developed 3 core values

A safe space+
Inside the course we use the principles of nonviolent communication. We help you write a “manual” to yourself — what is and isn't okay with you — so you can work with yourself and within a team on set. To support you, group therapy with a psychotherapist takes place every 2 weeks.
We won't leave you+
The course master and curator support you all the way, answer your questions and gently remind you about deadlines and rest. Even after the course ends we stay in touch to help you along your career path.
We'll get you to a result+
We won't make the film for you — the course takes real work. But we'll do everything so that you don't fall off the path and see the process through to a result.

Format

How the course works

● Format: offline, Yerevan ● Duration: 4 months ● Twice a week, 3 hours each + group therapy every 2 weeks ● Groups of 6–8 people, a curator per group ● Live classes + practice + learning and extra materials ● Peer review: feedback to each other by our criteria ● Chat support + calendar We turn you into a ready-made film crew that shoots all the films together. In your own film you'll always be the screenwriter and director, while on other participants' films you'll work as production designer, costume and make-up artist, assistant director (clapper), camera assistant, sound assistant and set manager.

Our rules

We don't give grades, but we have 3 rules

Doing it badly is allowed — and necessary+
The first time you do something, you're unlikely to do it worse than you can. And you can only get better through trial and error — so allow yourself to do it badly.
Making mistakes is great+
Let's fight perfectionism. The fate of humanity doesn't depend on your mistake — and neither does yours. Only by making mistakes will you gain invaluable experience and a result you can work with.
Done is better than not done+
Cinema is an applied art, and you can only learn it through practice. You already dreamed of film before the course — now it's time to take it step by step.

Programme

The full cycle of filmmaking

In 4 months you'll go through every stage — from an idea to a festival submission.

01

Script

How to find an idea for your first film, or write a strong script if you already have one. We search for the idea, do research, develop the concept and write the logline, synopsis, step outline and first script drafts.

Анна Кузьминых · Ангелина Землянова

02

Pitching

Presenting the project as a talk with slides to test the idea on an audience. Everyone has 7 minutes to “sell” the idea of their film. A closed event — only for students and invited guests.

03

Pre-production

The most important stage

We ground the idea: budget it and work on the script as directors — doing a directorial analysis by Tovstonogov's method. We run the casting, rehearse with actors and block the scenes. A cycle of masterclasses from department heads: DoP, sound designer, production designer, prop master, make-up artist, costume designer and first AD. We create the storyboard, the shooting script and a detailed minute-by-minute shooting plan.

The film is ready for the shoot

Ангелина Землянова · Георгий Аветисян · Анаит Закарян · Михаил Некрасов · Наталья Силкина · Денис Гуляр · Тигран Асатуров

04

Production

The shoot. You already have the script, all the paperwork, actors, locations, crew and a detailed shooting plan. Time to make the film.

05

Post-production

In masterclasses we dive into editing, sound design and colour grading. We get professional feedback on our films.

Михаил Некрасов · Наталья Силкина · Денис Гуляр

06

Private premiere

Just like real cinema — we gather all the crews and close friends to watch your films on the big screen for the first time. A private premiere in Yerevan, with an online broadcast, questions from the audience and popcorn.

07

Festival promotion

We prepare the film for festivals: gather the paperwork, make subtitles, a poster and a trailer, write the logline, synopsis and director's statement. We build a festival strategy, choose festivals and submit applications.

Анаит Закарян · Ева Есаян (фестивальный агент)

08

Psychotherapy

Throughout the course a psychotherapist supports you. Group therapy helps you befriend your inner critic and support one another on this long creative path. Sessions take place every 2 weeks.

Любовь Черкасова

Result

After the course you'll have

● A finished short film ● An understanding of the full filmmaking cycle ● Experience of working in a team ● A project packaged for festivals

Reviews

What our students say

Interview with cohort 1

Interview with cohort 2

Interview with cohort 3

Podcast with cohort 4

Media

In the media

Voice of America

Hike Media

Team

Instructors — working film-industry professionals

Portfolio

Films by our students

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Do I need film experience?+
No. It doesn't matter what you watch — arthouse or mainstream, festival films or comedies like “Legally Blonde”. You don't need to know film history. Only one thing matters — your life experience, and we'll help turn it into cinema.
What is the introductory interview?+
It's an interview with Angelina where you tell us about yourself and we tell you about us. You don't need to know all of Tarkovsky and Bergman — your life experience is what matters. Angelina will explain the programme and workload in detail, and together you'll decide about joining. Only after that will you be sent a payment link. Plus you'll get a short trial lesson about how film departments work.
Where can I see the detailed programme?+
Angelina will go through the programme in detail during the introductory interview.
How much does it cost to make a film?+
We discuss the cost of participation and production individually during the introductory interview.
What happens after the course?+
The main thing is to breathe out, enjoy the result and rest. You'll decide whether this is your field. If not — you now know for sure you can make a film, and you watch cinema from a new angle. If yes — ahead lie festival selections, international labs, applying to film schools and independent projects.

Ready to make your film in 4 months? Start with the introductory interview.

Book an introductory interview