Youth Filmmaker Showcase 2019 (vol. 1)

Director(s): Multiple
Country: Multi-national
Language: English w/ some English subtitles, In English or w/English subtitles
Youth Filmmaker | 2018 | 90 min
Recommended for ages 13+ (Parental Guidance: intense bullying, profanity, alcohol abuse, domestic abuse, suicide, inference of rape)

Join us for our 6th Annual Youth Filmmakers Showcase. This juried collection of youth (ages 8-17) produced animation, live action, experimental and documentary films celebrates their creative vision with stories from around the world. Juried by our Director of Programming and community jury members. Followed by Q&A with attending youth filmmakers.

Films invited to this show come from as far away as Los Angeles (GREY HEART) and Taiwan (DRAGONS OF MARITTEN). But let’s not overlook the local, organic talent we have growing in our very backyard with films from Woonsocket (CHOICES), Barrington (CLUELESS, DESPERATE, ANYTHING HELPS!,  BROAD DAYLIGHT) and Providence (DASHED). This reel of shorts is unique in multiple ways. Surprisingly, ten are live action shorts with only one animation in the bunch. The narrative themes vary as much as the personalities of the filmmakers themselves: trying to catch the eye of a boy at school, being the best high school runner at all costs, planning a heist during an eclipse, and showing how intense bullying can lead to lethal consequences. There’s comedy, tragedy, suspense and music. Several filmmaking organizations are back this year: RAW Art Works (Lynn, MA), Public Television Service of Taiwan (Taipei, Taiwan), and Beacon Charter High School (Woonsocket, RI). We also welcome our newest filmmaking group,  the Rhode Island School for the Deaf!

• 6:30pm: Live music with 2020 band (students from Classical High School)
• 7:00pm: Film screening followed by Q & A with filmmakers

Film lineup is subject to change without notice.

Desperate, Anything Helps!
A woman desperate for the attention of a young man becomes determined to find ways to be noticed.
USA, 2018 / English / Haley Pine (age 15) of Barrington High School – Barrington, RI / 4 min / Live Action

Dragons of Maritten
Cambo is a brave and kind hunter who seeks to help his ill brother. He sets out on a quest to find a vanishing dragon of Maritten whose core may be the cure. A dilemma develops when a dragon ends up saving him!
Taiwan, 2018 / Mandarin Chinese (w/English subtitles) / Bao Li Wang (age 10), Yun Chia Chang (age 11), Yu En Chang (age 9), Ting Yuk Yuen (age 10), Yi Chiang Yang (age 10) of Public Service Television Foundation – Taipei, Taiwan / 9 min / Animation

Infinity
A fourteen-year-old girl is trying to deal with the death of her twin sister.
USA, 2018 / English / Marley Boss (age 14) of Chevy Chase, MD / 5 min / Live Action

My Black Is…
Young women of color set out to redefine what black is to them.
USA, 2018 / English / Migual Valdez (age 17), Eunice Beato (age 17) of RAW Art Works – Lynn, MA / 6 min / Experimental-Documentary

Dashed
Two high school track stars test their commitment to the sport of running with a rivalry that turns violent.
USA, 2018 / English / Dylan Itkin (age 17) of Classical High School – Providence, RI / 5 min / Live Action

Wanderer
A homeless, undocumented youth struggles to find a place to live. A samaritan is moved to help him upon listening to his musical talent.
USA, 2018 / English / Reid Burton (age 17) of Grandin Theater Film Lab – Roanoke, VA / 15 min / Live Action

Clueless
Getting a teenager’s attention when their earphones are in is a frustrating task, especially when it’s an emergency!
USA, 2018 / English / Calvin Hennessey (age 17) of Barrington High School – Barrington, RI / 4 min / Live Action

Broad Daylight
What starts out as a joke quickly morphs into the “perfect crime.” Under the shadow of the solar eclipse, two friends in a small town try to rob their neighborhood blind, only to discover a blind spot of their own…
USA, 2018 / English / Andrew Gerstenblatt (age 17) of Barrington High School – Barrington, RI / 11 min / Live Action

Grey Heart
A family is broken apart upon the father’s departure. The teenage son and younger sister must learn to cope and redefine what their new family will be. Having his hair turn gray at the same time doesn’t help things at first.
USA, 2018 / English / Theo Taplitz (age 16) of Los Angeles County High School for the Arts – Los Angeles, CA / 11 min / Live Action

Start With Hello
Inspired by recent school shootings, the narrative of this film attempts to prevent others by suggesting a proactive solution. Metal detectors? Background checks? How about just saying “hello”?
USA, 2018 / American Sign Language (w/English subtitles) / Brian Peets & Yasmin Sicaju of R.I. School for the Deaf – Providence, RI / 9 min / Live Action 

Choices
Through the story of one family, we see the impact of our everyday choices on the people around us.
(Parental guidance: intense bullying, profanity, alcohol abuse, domestic abuse, suicide, inference of rape) / USA, 2018 / English / Melissa Ferrante (age 17) of Beacon Charter High School for The Arts – Woonsocket, RI / 13 min / Live Action