Films BYkids

Mentored by filmmakers Neal Baer and Chris Zalla, Alcides, a 16-year-old orphan living in Mozambique, conveys his inspiring story about finding family and how he and his young friends face hardship with dignity and resilience.

India is home to tens of thousands of Tibetan refugees, but only 17-year-old Namgyal Wangchuk Trichen Lhagyari was crowned King of Tibet by the Dalai Lama. Mentored by filmmaker Dirk Simon, Namgyal shows how he and other young exiles preserve their traditional culture while hoping to return to an independent Tibet.

For decades, Civil War in Colombia has displaced thousands of people like 16-year-old María Ceballos, who fled her home when guerrillas killed her father. Moving from gang-infested settlements to over-crowded rooms, María’s family finds comfort among fellow displaced families. Through her lens and mentored by filmmaker Susan Hoenig, María puts a human face on displacement.

Moving to a new country was challenging for Faiza Almontaser, a 17-year-old from New York City, who immigrated with her family to the US from Yemen when she was in middle school. Mentored by the legendary pioneer of direct cinema, Albert Maysles, Faiza’s film documents her courageous and inspiring journey from victim to activist.

Like most girls from rural India, 16-year-old Jayshree Janu Kharpade never expected to get an education. Film mentor, Joyce Chopra, a pioneer of documentary film, helped Jayshree share her journey from illiterate laborer, to scholar and young activist – in this powerful story that illuminates the social and economic potential of educating girls in the developing world.