The Summer CHA Programs Mentor Application

Become a Filmmaker 

In this award-winning program, participants learn every step of filmmaking—from story development and producing to camera operation, lighting, sound, and editing. Youth will work in small groups supported by film students and professional filmmakers to complete their films. The short films they create will be submitted to festivals and competitions nationwide. Participants will also meet industry experts and go on experiential field trips, including a tour of Cinespace, the largest film studio outside of Hollywood.

Next Level Photography

Through two lenses—the lens of a camera and the lens of their life experiences—CHA participants gain technical photography skills and learn the power of their personal narratives. The program is designed to expose participants to photography as a career option in several genres including portraiture, commercial, fine art and journalism. This will include a variety of guest speakers and onsite photography workshops. Every assignment will utilize a new skill to develop cumulative knowledge of professional standards in imaging. Students will be challenged to think conceptually about their own visual development while acquiring technical skills. The program culminates with a final portfolio showcasing their artistry and original voice.

Become an Animator

In this six-week, hands-on intensive, participants learn the full animation pipeline—from concept development and character design to storyboarding, animatics, production, sound, and final exhibition—with mentorship from professional artists and DePaul creatives. Participants will build a portfolio-ready project and explore career pathways in animation, game design, VFX, motion graphics, advertising, and digital content creation.

For additional questions email CHASummerProgram@depaul.edu

The Filmmaking, Photography, and Animation programs are six week intensives designed for Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) youth participating in One Summer Chicago jobs. This year’s intensive will be held in-person from June 22 through July 30, 2026.

CDM is looking to hire a graduate Student Assistant Program Administrator and several Graduate Student Mentors with skills in one of the following areas: filmmaking, photography, and animation.

Priority will be given to students currently enrolled in one of the following graduate CDM programs: MFA or MS Film and Television, MFA Documentary, MFA or MA Animation, and MA Digital Communication and Media Arts. However, undergraduate students with great enthusiasm for the program and position are welcome to apply.

Specific skills required for each of the positions can be found below.

Applicants must be available for all days and times of the program schedule.

Program Schedule

Applicant Must Be Available for All Program Days 
Program hours are 9:30 am to 3:30 pm.

• Week 1: Mon, June 22 – Thurs, June 25
• Week 2: Mon,  June 29 – Thurs, July 2
• Week 3: Mon, July 6 – Thurs, July 9
• Week 4: Mon, July 13 – Thurs, July 16
• Week 5: Mon, July 20 – Thurs, July 23
• Week 6: Mon, July 27 – Thurs, July 30

Required Skills

Student Assistant Program Administrator

This position requires strong organizational skills and production knowledge. The student assistant program administrator will work directly with the program director to support the three CHA programs in a variety of logistical capacities including updating rosters, submitting payroll information, setting up potential field trips, processing expenses, and potentially coordinating graduation day activities.

Filmmaking Graduate Student Mentor

We are hiring four student positions that have competencies in all areas of film production in order to support youth teams in creating original short films. Therefore, we are recruiting graduate students who are comfortable in all aspects of production: pre-production, production (camera, lights, sound), and post-production (editing software). Mentors will lead workshops and training exercises for sixteen Chicago-area, female-identifying youth participants. They will also guide youth through the production and editing phases of their short films.

Animation Graduate Student Mentor

Students applying for the Animation mentor role must have a good knowledge of 2d hand drawn animation principles and a basic knowledge of editing software such as Adobe Premiere. Applicants must work well with others, be organized, and be punctual. A bonus if applicants have any of the following: know how to use a DSLR camera, can learn new software quickly, experience working in sound (for example: creating their own soundtracks). 
 

Photography Mentors

Student mentors should have a strong command of DSLR cameras including how to manually control ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. They should also have working knowledge in Lightroom and/or Photoshop. The candidate should be able to provide an established body of work in their application.

Compensation

Student mentors and assistants will be paid $18.00 per hour and must be available all dates/times of the program.

2026 Application coming soon.

For additional questions email CHASummerProgram@depaul.edu.

Deadline to apply: Sunday, April 19 OR until positions have been filled.

Liliane Calfee

Program Director & Photography Faculty Mentor

Liliane Calfee spearheaded the launch of DePaul University’s youth media programs in 2016, establishing a model rooted in access, mentorship, and creative agency. Prior to joining DePaul’s School of Cinematic Arts, she worked in international development and founded the digital media company Soleil Media. Drawing from professional experience in community-based settings—including immigrant housing projects in Paris, France; local NGOs in Dakar, Senegal; and rural health clinics in southeastern Kenya—Liliane developed the DePaul + Chicago Housing Authority youth intensives with a community-centered approach that prioritizes youth voice, collaboration, and shared authorship in the creative process. The programs also seek to expose youth to unique experiences, such as visiting production studios and meeting established industry professionals, in order to ignite inspiration and provide a framework for youth achieving their long-term career goals. 

James Choi

Filmmaking Program Faculty Mentor

James Choi is a prolific, award-winning filmmaker with over a decade of film industry experience in Los Angeles having worked in representation (Innovative Artists and The Firm), production (Sarkissian Productions, Rush Hour) and digital media (Ifilm.com/MTV Networks). As an independent producer, James has produced two feature films from first time directors that have premiered at South by Southwest. “Made in China” which won the Grand Jury Award for Best Film and distributed by IFC Films and “Saint Frances” which makes its world premiere at South by Southwest in 2019. James was selected as one of Newcity’s Film 50 – the leaders of Chicago’s film culture of 2018. Having been in the forefront of the micro independent film movement in the last decade, James has produced and directed numerous films that have screen widely all around the world, winning awards and receiving distribution. James has a deep passion for independent films and constantly working to break new ground in our digital age.

Amy Lockhart

Animation Program Faculty Mentor

Amy Lockhart is a filmmaker, animator and artist. Her animations have screened internationally, including the Whitney, NY, British Film Institute, N.Y. Anthology Film Archives, GLAS Animation Festival, Ann Arbor Film Festival, The Ottawa International Animation Festival, Carnegie Mellon, and Hiroshima International Animation Festival. Lockhart has received fellowship at the National Film Board of Canada and support from the Canada Council for the Arts. She has completed residencies at Calgary’s Quickdraw Animation Society, Struts Gallery, and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her drawings, comics and paintings have been published by Drawn & Quarterly (Dirty Dishes, 2009), and by Colour Code (Looking Inward, 2016). She has been commissioned to create work for Adult Swim (Rick and Morty Exquisite Corpse bumper) and Super Deluxe (Those Shoes).
 

Brian Mellen

Filmmaking Program Faculty Mentor

Brian Mellen completed his degree in broadcast journalism at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana followed by a Master of Fine Arts in Digital Cinema at DePaul University. He has extensive experience teaching film courses within DePaul’s School of Cinematic Arts and Flashpoint Chicago. Outside of teaching, he runs his own videography and editing business serving clients in Chicago and nationally. This is the fifth year Brian will serve as a faculty mentor for our Become a Filmmaker program. Under his guidance, CHA youth short films have played and won at several film festivals including Apple’s “Anyone Can Create” Youth Showcase, Black Harvest Film Festival, No Malice Film Festival, and Cineyouth Film Festival.