Keith Brown started making movies with his parents’ Super 8 camera when he was just a boy. He went on to become an award-winning filmmaker, but he never forgot the thrill of those early days behind the camera. So for the last 13 years he’s been teaching filmmaking to kids at a summer camp on the Kingston campus. And now his colleagues in the industry have said thanks.

The University of Rhode Island lecturer was surprised to receive the Producer’s Circle Award from The Rhode Island International Film Festival during a celebration this month at the Providence Performing Arts Center. He was recognized for his dedication to the KidsEye Summer Camp, which just wrapped up its 18th year. Brown is the camp’s co-director and one of its first counselors.

When he’s not working at camp or teaching at URI’s Harrington School of Communication and Media, Brown produces his own films, including “Survive D.C.,’’ a documentary about a zombie chase in the nation’s capital. Another recent project is “80s Birthday Party,’’ about a man who throws a costume birthday party for himself but gets some unexpected guests, thanks to Facebook. His films have been exhibited at the Boston Cinema Census, the Antelope Valley International Film Festival, the Georgetown Indy Film Fest and the Syracuse International Film and Video Festival.

“I think I’m a natural storyteller,’’ he said. “That’s the part of filmmaking I really enjoy.’’