Over the last decade, Olympia, Tacoma and Seattle have taken steps tosupport and encourage youth appreciation of, and engagement with, the aural and cinematic arts. Where once there was a drought of legitimate all-ages venues, now there's no shortage of cool, volunteer-run enterprises, and more than ever, the power to coordinate and organize youth-centered events is being put in the hands of young go-getters themselves (the Redmond Fire House, WhAAM up in Bellingham, et al.). The Olympia Film Society's (OFS) seventh annual What You Got? Festival aims to provide local kids with a 48-hour arts festival of their own - like a "Bumbershoot Jr.," only with much better bands.

Starting Friday, Sept. 24, the festival will host workshops on a range of topics, including video editing, DJing and how to make comic books, with all festivities taking place in and around the historic Capitol Theater. The main attractions, however, will be screenings of youth-produced films, and performances by fresh-faced area bands.

WYGF volunteers Rosie Koppleman (16), Cleo Smith (16), Karielle Jackson (16), Jonah Teller (16) and OFS Theater Manager Audrey Henley collaborated to answers my interview questions.

They explain: "Usually there aren't enough youth bands for us to fill a set, [but] this year we're keeping it a little bit more true to the original idea."

And though "pretty much everyone who sent (the OFS) submissions is playing at the festival," the weekend roster isn't some mixed bag of good artists and crappy ones - there are great performers on deck, including no-fi thrashers Apache Chief, sugary-sweet Kelso quintet Seacats and remarkable Tacoma duo the Makeup Monsters (whose relative youth seems underscored by the fact that their sound inspires a nostalgia for millennial rock acts).

Apart from being stacked with admirable talent for the nightly concerts (8 p.m. Friday and Saturday on the outdoor stage), this year's What You Got? Fest is the second to feature a "skate jam," where local boarders can show off on ramps set up along Fifth Avenue, which will be reserved from 1 to 5 p.m. for jammers only.

"(Skateboarding is) a sport that represents the raw edge and DIY attitude that crosses generations," the volunteers told me. They also say not to be surprised if you spy some of the night's performers and other local musicians getting in on the jam.

Tickets for each night will be on sale at the Capitol Theater box office, and cost $5. Weekend passes ($8) are available through brownpapertickets.com.

What You Got? Festival

Bands, Movies, Art, Workshops
Friday-Sept. 24-Saturday, Sept. 25, $5-$8
Capitol Theater, 206 Fifth Ave., Olympia
360.754.6670

LINK: Full schedule of events