Aims Community College is partnering with the Patton Veteran Project (PVP) to host an “I Was There Film Workshop” and a Veterans Day film festival in November.
Aims Hosts Patton Veteran Project Film Workshop and Veterans Day Film Festival
October 22, 2025
Patton Veterans Project Workshop crew and participants creating a film at Aims Community College Student Commons in January 2025.
The Patton Veteran Project uses collaborative filmmaking as a therapeutic tool for veterans, giving them a chance to share their stories. This approach not only validates their service accomplishments but also reduces social isolation and strengthens family and community bonds. The project achieves this through community screenings, breaking down barriers between veterans and civilians, and educating the public about the mental health challenges facing veterans and military families.
Under the leadership of Benjamin Patton (grandson of WWII’s General George S. Patton) and a team of professional film instructors, PVP’s free 3-day “I Was There Film Workshops” help veterans learn the art of filmmaking while working with fellow vets and, through these screenings, help veterans, military families and community members connect to better understand each other. “This work is how I carry forward my family’s legacy of helping soldiers,” Patton said. ”My grandfather and father were known for taking care of their troops and that’s our mission now: to take care of them through storytelling.”
The Patton Veterans Project has hosted workshops with more than 1,500 veterans worldwide. Results show that the program helps reduce PTSD symptoms and strengthen bonds among participants. “Storytelling has always been therapeutic, keeping a diary, writing music, poetry, theater,” Patton said. “Film just happens to be the most powerful storytelling tool we have today. Every person has a video camera in their pocket.”
Veterans Day Filmfest at Aims: November 11
The entire community is invited to the special Veterans Day Film Festival on November 11 at the Aims Welcome Center, located at 4901 West 20th Street. Benjamin Patton and Former Commander of the largest Corps in the Army, Lt. General (Ret.) Joe Anderson will be featured speakers. Enjoy a full reception with food and drinks at 5:30 p.m., followed by the program at 6 p.m. This is a full reception with food for all. The event is free, but registration is required. Seating is limited to 300.
Join us to watch a powerful showcase of short films created by veterans at the Patton Veterans Project workshops. The films explore universal emotions, including grief, loss and transition. “When veterans make these videos, they’re learning about each other and themselves,” Patton said. It enables people to express things that words alone can’t capture. “There’s extraordinary validation in being able to create something yourself, show it to your community, and see people respond with empathy.”
Patton believes that one of the most significant divides between veterans and civilians is indifference. “People aren’t paying attention to veterans’ experiences. Film helps close that gap.”
Filmmaking Workshop at Aims for Women Veterans: November 7-9
Before the film festival, a film workshop will be held in Greeley, focusing on the experiences of female veterans. Participants will collaborate to create short films that reflect their personal stories both in military service and beyond. The process includes brainstorming, scripting, shooting and editing. Professional filmmakers guide the productions. The workshops take place on the Aims Community College Greeley Campus. People can watch the films from the workshop at the event on November 11.
Some workshops are open to all veterans, while others focus on specific populations. “When you bring together 15 or 20 women veterans, you create an environment where they feel even safer and more comfortable opening up,” Patton said. “There are many things women prefer to express in front of other women.”
One example that resulted from a women-focused workshop is “Scenes of Service,” one of the PVP’s most powerful films, which five women who had never met created during a 2024 workshop at Colorado State University. “It beautifully captured the shared challenges women face in the military,” Patton said. “That’s the kind of connection we want to create.”
The Supervising Instructor for this session is Chris Ungco, an award-winning creative director and cinematographer with extensive experience in narrative, documentary and commercial work for agencies and studios including Billboard, Universal McCann, Comedy Central, NBC, HBO, Amazon, Netflix, and Sesame Street. Ungco was on the team of the 2024 Academy Award-winning animated short film, “War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko.”
People who can join the film workshop include veterans, active-duty personnel, reservists and National Guard members. Others that PVP may consider for participation are veteran advocates who provide dedicated, individualized support and guidance, as well as spouses serving as primary caregivers to veterans.
Registration for this session is currently open. Please visit the website to sign up and get more information.
PVP hosts monthly collaborative film workshops at colleges across Wyoming, Colorado and Montana throughout the year. Interested veterans may register at pattonvets.org, by calling (970) 657-5500, or via email at workshops@pattonveteransproject.org.
