Prescott Youth Filmmakers Showcase Their Films at Annual Red Carpet Premiere Event June 2nd at Harkins Theater

The Youth Film Program’s 2nd Annual Red Carpet Film Festival Premiere Event on June 2nd, 4:00 pm at Harkins Theater in Prescott Valley.  

The Youth Film Program is is more than halfway through their second groundbreaking seasonal program, empowering young filmmakers, ages 9-17, to transform their passion for visual storytelling into professional skills using professional equipment. In June, these student films will showcase these films to the public at an exciting all-ages red carpet festival screening for the Quad City Community. And tickets are available now!

Since January, a group of 30 students have been writing, filming, and editing their film projects, creating original short films using professional equipment, access to visual effects and animation tools,  and mentorship from industry experts. Students began by “pitching” their film ideas, just like at a professional movie studio. The students have dedicated their Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays to learning how to operate professional cinema cameras, act on camera, write scripts, plan a production, and capture their footage at iconic Prescott locations and local businesses. The students are on track to present ten original short films at this year’s event.

The Youth Film Program is hosted by Parallel Media, LLC, a professional media production company located in Downtown Prescott, founded by husband and wife Gulliver and Christine Parascandolo. “The community will be astounded at what these young filmmakers have created.” Gulliver commented.  “It takes time, focus, dedication, and passion to make a film. The younger you can commit to a goal and follow it through to the end, the better you’ll do in life. ”.

This year’s Festival Showcase will include a thrilling space drama, a move-hopping adventure, a hilarious supernatural comedy, anime-style chess battles, haunted houses, friends who save their town from aliens, animations, and much more! 

“There’s nothing better than seeing your film in a packed movie theater. We can’t wait for our filmmakers and this community to see these films on the big screen!” Christine Parascandolo said. “This event is a great way for middle or high school students, who have a passion or strong interest in filmmaking, to see what’s possible here in Prescott, meet other youth filmmakers, and get involved.”

Students are now shooting their remaining scenes, and adding the final touches on their films in post-production before they are shown for the first time on the Big Screen at Harkins Theater!

Transforming Passion into Professional Skills
The unique goal of The Youth Film Program is to blend creative vision and technical expertise, with a focus on entrepreneurship within the film and video production fields.  Participants are developing a robust foundation in filmmaking through hands-on workshops, real-world projects, and expert instruction. Over the course of the program, students are learning several industry skills:

• Professional Cinematography and Camera Operation
• Scriptwriting and Storytelling Techniques
• Directing and Project Management
• Sound Design and Lighting
• Professional Editing, VFX, and AI Tools
• Marketing & Media Entrepreneurship

Students are gaining invaluable experience working in collaborative teams, creating professional-quality short films, and preparing for creative careers in the digital age. The program hopes to grow in the following years to become a hub for original film and media content in Arizona, and aims to create partnerships with organizations and communities to create media career pathways, promote film education and production in the Prescott area.

The Grand Finale: Red Carpet Premiere
June 02, 2026, marks the culmination of these young filmmakers’ hard work with a professional Red Carpet screening event at the Harkins Theater in Prescott Valley! This celebration of creativity will showcase all student films to the public, recognize outstanding achievements in filmmaking, and bring together our entire creative community. It’s more than just a screening – it’s a professional launch pad for these young filmmakers.

The evening includes:

• Premiere screenings of all student films, appropriate for all ages.
• Live Q&A sessions with our young filmmakers
• Special appearances by guest film professionals
• Student Filmmaker Awards ceremony
• Red carpet photo opportunities

Tickets available HERE

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About The Instructors
Gulliver and Christine Parascandolo, the dynamic husband-and-wife team behind the Youth Film Program, each bring over 28 years of experience and passion for storytelling to their roles as instructors. Gulliver has created award-winning films, commercials, and TV projects while pioneering new educational and entertainment experiences in Virtual Reality. His love for innovative storytelling drives him to inspire the next generation of filmmakers. He recently finished his second semester teaching video editing at Yavapai College as an Adjunct Professor.  

A producer working across the world, Christine has led successful documentary, marketing, commercial and educational video projects for major brands like Sony PlayStation, HP, Pepsi, El Pollo Loco and FOX Sports. Together, they bring their extensive industry knowledge and creative vision to students, empowering them to explore their own filmmaking potential.

Parallel Media
Based in Prescott, Arizona, Parallel Media is a premier video film production company serving diverse industries across the Southwest and beyond. Our 35+ years of experience have built trusted partnerships with commercial agencies needing broadcast-quality content, healthcare and biotech companies requiring complex medical video production, and higher education institutions creating compelling enrollment and research documentation. They support independent filmmakers and movie studios with comprehensive film production services, from pre-production planning to post-production finishing for Arizona-based shoots and national productions. Our Prescott-based studio combines small-town accessibility with big-city capabilities. We understand both local market dynamics and national industry standards, making Parallel Media the ideal video production partner for organizations that need sophisticated content creation without the complexity of working with distant studios.