From Production Institute Alum to Documentarian: Claudia Parker and ‘DSI Southside Chi’
by Elizabeth Myles, Digital Storytelling Initiative Senior Program Manager & Production Institute Editing Instructor
Photos by Claudia Parker
The Production Institute is an intensive filmmaking program presented in partnership with the Digital Storytelling Initiative at the Logan Center and the Community Film Workshop of Chicago. CFWC has been a staple for growing filmmakers on the South Side for over 50 years and has been a partner of the DSI since its inception in 2019.
In its seventh year, the Production Institute brought 2023 alumna, Claudia Parker, onto the instruction team as an intern for the Community Film Workshop. Claudia Parker completed this internship as part of her Masters program in Independent Film and Digital Imaging at Governor’s State University, where she will graduate in May 2026. During the summer of 2025, Claudia Parker not only photographed the diverse variety of film classes offered in the Production Institute but went above and beyond in producing and directing a short documentary addressing the legacy and impact of this program and the Community Film Workshop.
The DSI is greatly honored to celebrate Claudia’s achievements as a talented filmmaker and photographer and share her documentary, DSI Southside Chi, as a representation of this program’s ethos: everyone should have access to telling their own stories. Learn more about the Digital Storytelling Initiative.
Watch DSI Southside Chi below: