✨ Holiday Giving · through Dec 31, 2026
A dollar is never small here.
We're raising $25,000 by December 31 to start 2027 strong: free workshops for young artists, artists paid for their time, and studios that stay within reach. Give once or every month, right here on this page. It takes about a minute.
71 gifts made on this page so far this year. Yours could be next.
★ 501(c)(3) nonprofit · Tax-deductible · Gifts made by Dec 31 count for 2026
★ At $10,000, you've funded our summer camp scholarship fund for 2027!
Every gift made on this page moves the bar, usually within the hour.
Two ways to give.
★ Most impact
Become a monthly giver.
Become a Friend of Cinemaker.
Monthly gifts are the steadiest money we get. They let us book teaching artists months ahead, keep studio rates low, and say yes to free programs before grant money lands. Start at any amount and change or stop anytime.
- ★ Invites to everything we do, including Cinemaker Connect meetups
- ★ Discounts on Austin School of Film classes
- ★ VIP access at Cinemaker events
- ★ At $25 a month, a limited tote every summer
★ Any amount
Make a one-time gift.
Once, right now, any size.
Every dollar goes back into the programs: free youth workshops, camp scholarships, artists paid for their time, and studios that stay within reach. Gifts made by December 31 count for 2026.
Make a one-time gift →What your gift does.
Your gift supports all of Motion Media Arts Center: Austin School of Film, Cinemaker Studios, the Artist Access Program and our free public programs. Tap an amount and we'll fill it in for you below. Any amount counts.
Helps keep a free screening, showcase or workshop open to everyone.
Give $25 → $50Helps put film, supplies and gear in a student's hands.
Give $50 → $100Helps fund a scholarship so a young filmmaker can come to summer camp.
Give $100 → $165Covers one month of Cinemaker studio access for an artist who couldn't afford it.
Give $165 → $200Helps pay an Artist Access Program artist for their time learning and teaching.
Give $200 →What makes us different.
We are a small, artist-run nonprofit in East Austin, and we do things our own way.
Film, photography, animation and sound taught as art, not only as a product. Hand-painted 16mm, a darkroom, experimental work next to narrative and documentary.
Whether you make art every day or you're art curious, there's a place for you. Classes are small, 10 to 15 people, and beginners are always welcome.
The Artist Access Program isn't an internship. Each artist gets a $2,000 education stipend, a free year of Cinemaker, and paid work through the program: special events, teaching assistant roles, and photo and video documentation of our community programs. It's how they grow their careers in the arts and feed their hunger to create.
Cinemaker Studios has subsidized access to gear and space since 2014, so independent artists can make work without renting a soundstage.
Youth camps since 1999, need-based full scholarships, and free youth workshops in the Govalle Cultural District, open to every young person in Austin.
Austin's first media arts center, since 2003. We co-founded the Govalle Cultural District and just signed another 3-year lease at The Canopy.
In their words.
From the 2026 Artist Access Program cohort, artists paid to learn, make and grow with us.
“AAP gave me a sense of community when I was starting over in a new city… It has helped me step outside my comfort zone, connect with other artists, and feel more confident pursuing my dream of becoming a filmmaker.”
Raquel Medina AAP artist, 2026“It made the local filmmaking industry feel less intimidating and much more attainable.”
Chantal Lesley AAP artist, 2026“This program has provided me the confidence to create.”
Alisya Mora AAP artist, 2026Give here. It takes a minute.
- ★ Secure checkout
- ★ Tax-deductible
- ★ Receipt by email
- ★ One-time or monthly
- ★ Optional: cover the 3% card fee
★ A note from East Austin
We are a small arts nonprofit. That's the whole point.
Fifteen thousand people walk through our doors every year. We run on less than a million dollars. Donations are less than ten percent of that. There are no big salaries here.
A dollar is film in a young artist's hands.
A dollar is a studio light left on.
A dollar is an artist paid for their time.
Three decades in, we're still here because people like you keep the room open. Give what feels right. No pressure, ever. Every dollar goes back into the work.
With love from East Austin
Faiza Kracheni · Executive Director, Motion Media Arts Center
★ How we do it
A lot on a small budget.
We do all of this on a budget under $1 million. Here's where the money goes:
- People, about 50%. Every payment to our staff and teaching artists. A small team paid a living wage, and working filmmakers and artists paid to lead our classes and workshops.
- Space, about 30%. Rent and utilities for our studios, darkroom and classrooms at The Canopy and The Clayton, on locked leases.
- Program support, about 20%. Film, supplies, gear repair, software and everything that keeps classes and studios running.
Trusted by major arts funders. Because we run lean and deliver, our work is fueled by competitive grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Texas Commission on the Arts and City of Austin ACME. Donations are only about 2% of what comes in, which is exactly why your gift is felt.
★ What you funded in 2026
This year, together.
- Free motion picture film workshops for young artists during the Austin Studio Tour, starting at Govalle Elementary, with every supply provided.
- 20+ artists in the Artist Access Program, learning, teaching and getting paid for their time.
- A new three-year lease at The Canopy, so our studios and classrooms stay put in the Govalle Cultural District.
- Free public showcases like Film & Friends, where first-time filmmakers premiere their work.
★ More ways to give
Other ways in.
Double it
Many employers match gifts to nonprofits. Check your HR or giving portal, and email us if you need any paperwork.
Bigger gifts
Donor-advised funds, stock, year-end checks or in-kind gear. Email faiza@austinfilmschool.org and Faiza will get back to you personally.
Pass it on
Can't give right now? Share this page with one person who loves Austin's art scene. That counts too.
★ Good to know
Questions, answered.
Is my gift tax-deductible?
Yes. Motion Media Arts Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 36-4533347). Your gift is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law, and you'll get a receipt by email right after you give. Gifts made by December 31 count for 2026.
Where does my money go?
Straight into the work: free youth workshops, teaching artists, studio access, gear and the spaces that make it all happen. Motion Media Arts Center runs Austin School of Film, Cinemaker Studios and the Artist Access Program.
Should I give once or monthly?
Both help. Monthly gifts help most over time, because they let us plan ahead. If you give monthly you become a Friend of Cinemaker, and you can change or stop anytime by emailing us.
What is the fee checkbox?
Card processing costs us about 3% of every gift. If you check the box, you cover that cost and your whole gift goes to the programs. It's optional.
Does the thermometer really update?
Yes. It counts gifts made through our website this year, plus gifts by check and in person, and refreshes automatically, usually within the hour.