Franklin Academy

Cinematic Arts Residency

Application Deadline: Monday, June 1st, 2026

Application Form: https://forms.gle/LioynHPjFjdZmStF7

The Franklin Academy Cinematic Arts Residency, run by Experimental Filmmaker and Residency Director Josh Weissbach, is pleased to announce its open call for a two-week summer residency.

This program will support artists working in analog film and digital video, taking place from Saturday, July 11th, 2026, to Friday, July 24th, 2026. The residency is located at Franklin Academy in East Haddam, Connecticut, which is a private boarding school for neurodivergent teenagers.

This residency is designed as a focused program for artistic production and exchange, and will bring together a cohort of approximately five to seven artists to independently develop new work while sharing space, ideas, and processes with fellow residents (and possibly with the summer program students) within a supportive, rural environment along the Connecticut River.

Overview

The residency will run concurrently with the final two weeks of Franklin Academy’s summer program. It is conceived as a dedicated period for:

  • Artistic production

  • Experimentation and development of new work

  • Exchange between residents to foster personal and professional relationships

Residents will be given time and space to concentrate on their individual practices while being part of a small, temporary creative community.

Residency Structure and Support

Participating artists will receive:

  • Single room housing

    • Located in a satellite dormitory removed from the heart of campus for additional privacy

    • Double rooms are available if residents are working as part of an artistic partnership

    • Bedding and towels will also be provided

  • Daily meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) via the campus dining hall

  • Access to a shared kitchen for independent cooking

  • Transportation support upon arrival and departure

    • New Haven Union Station

    • Old Saybrook Train Station

    • Bradley International Airport

Artists bringing their own vehicles will have greater flexibility. Limited transport to local areas may be arranged depending on scheduling.

Artistic Production Expectations

Each resident is expected to produce one new work connected to their residency stay.

  • The work does not need to be completed on-site during the residency period

  • A finished version must be submitted within six months of the residency’s conclusion

  • Extensions may be requested if needed

Artists may:

  • Continue an existing project

  • Develop a new project idea submitted during application

  • Create work responding to the residency environment

Location and Environment

Franklin Academy is located in the Connecticut River Valley, offering access to a range of natural and historical sites, including:

  • Gillette Castle

  • Devil’s Hopyard

  • East Haddam Ferry

  • Machimoodus State Park

The rural setting offers a quiet and immersive environment well-suited to site-responsive, landscape-based, or studio-focused practices, though artists are free to engage with the surroundings in ways that align with their work.

Community Engagement and Screenings

Residents will have the opportunity to present their work through a screening or presentation during the residency either at Franklin Academy or the larger East Haddam community.

These presentations are intended to:

  • Foster dialogue among residents

  • Share work-in-progress or completed pieces

  • Create a moment of exchange within the residency environment and local community

Materials and Resources

Franklin Academy will provide room and board support during the residency, but artists must bring their own primary equipment, including:

  • Cameras (analog or digital)

  • Computers and editing tools

  • Film, chemistry, or specialized materials

Additional notes:

  • Access to at least one 16mm film projector

  • Limited eco-friendly film developer may be available

  • Select equipment provided by Josh Weissbach may be shared on a case-by-case basis such as:

    • Tripod

    • Tube Tank

    • Lomo Tank

    • Film Drying Rack

    • Phytogram Supplies

    • 16mm Film Arri Camera

    • 16mm Film Bolex Camera

    • Dark Room Supplies (not including chemistry)

Financial Information

  • No residency fee

  • No travel support to Connecticut

  • No additional financial support provided

Artists are responsible for:

  • Travel costs

  • Project materials

  • Any additional personal expenses

Ownership, Rights, and Archiving

  • All work created by resident artists remains the artist’s property

  • Participation in the residency does not transfer ownership or copyright

  • Completed works are used only for archival purposes or future screening opportunities

What Is Expected from Residents

  • Be self-directed and independent

  • Actively work on their artistic projects

  • Engage respectfully with the shared living and working environment

  • Be open to developing personal and professional relationships with fellow residents

Who Can Apply

  • Individuals with prior experience in their field

  • Artists seeking time and space for focused creative development

  • Artists working in analog film, digital video, or moving-image practices

Optional Cinema Workshop Experience

  • Applicants have the opportunity to also propose an analog film or digital video workshop for students attending Franklin Academy’s summer program

  • The workshop would run for two consecutive afternoons from approximately 1 pm to 4 pm each day

  • Limited materials can be provided and purchased if workshop proposal is accepted

  • A financial stipend will not be offered to run this optional cinema workshop experience

  • Residents who run a cinema workshop experience can incorporate the work done over these two afternoons into their residency project or speak to Josh Weissbach about asking students to collaborate in the making of their residency project if that is of interest

Application

  • Apply by Monday, June 1st, 2026 by filling out the application form: https://forms.gle/LioynHPjFjdZmStF7

  • For any questions, email Josh Weissbach at: joshweissbach@gmail.com

  • An interview with long-listed finalists might be requested

  • All applicants will be notified no later than June 15th

  • All selected residents will be subject to a general background check