Julia Levy is one of 22 teens
awarded a Project VoiceScape
filmmaking grant this year.
Keep up with news from the filmmakers and their mentors on the Project VoiceScape blog!
Project VoiceScape is a partnership with Adobe Youth Voices, PBS and POV to mentor today’s best young documentary filmmakers.
In June, Project VoiceScape announced the awarding of $2,000 filmmaking grants to 15 documentary projects by 22 talented teen filmmakers.
Now that it’s August and the teams are working to complete production, it’s time to get to know them a little better, and to introduce you to an amazing group of mentors who are guiding them through this last phase.
The Project VoiceScape Filmmaker-Finalists
We’re calling these young filmmakers “filmmaker-finalists” because more awards will be announced in an October showcase at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. (Stay tuned to this blog to find out how you can be part of that process!) We’re very excited to introduce you to these documentarians and we hope you’ll continue to follow their progress on the Project VoiceScape blog! Let’s meet the filmmakers…
Tyre Brown (San Francisco, Calif.)
What Is Jerkin?: A gang-related turf dance from the ’80s is reinvented for positive goals by urban youth.
Negesti Cantave (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Bed Stuy: Do or Buy?: Gentrification in the historically African-American community of Bedford Stuyvesant in Brooklyn.
Bidhya Dhakal, Jalisa Edwards, Armando Emery, Indra Karki, Raul Ortega, Lal Thapa, Xiuhua Zheng (Oakland, Calif.)
Sexploitation: Oakland Youth In Crisis: Young girls on Oakland’s street corners: Are they prostitutes or victims?
Alejandra Gama (Goodyear, Ariz.)
Right to Be an American: Children of illegal immigrants in Arizona and their struggles.
Mohamed Gardner, Imani Peterkin (Albany, N.Y.)
Seeds of Hope: A mother turns tragedy into hope after her son is killed.
Angel Gatus (San Diego, Calif.)
Musical Warrior: A young boy with cancer inspires others to care through music and friendship.
Drew Morton Goldsmith (Middleton, Wis.)
No Pity: Autism disability self-advocates’ empowered response to our culture’s pity for the disabled.
Madena Henderson (Troy, N.Y.)
Untitled: The financial struggles of students going to college today.
Julia Levy (Seattle, Wash.)
The Fifth Star: Follow Naomi as she explores the story of women receiving the right to vote in Washington State 100 years ago.
Sergio Ricardo Ortiz (Viera, Fla.)
PWNING at Life: Behavior patterns of one person who plays videogames and another who does not.
Emileigh Potter (San Antonio, Texas)
The Dreamers: A look at the struggles that Bennie Veliz, the poster child for the Dream Act, has encountered to fulfill her dream.
Matthew Seife (Scarsdale, N.Y.)
Untitled: Follow a baseball league for people with disabilities as the teammates enjoy social interactions and develop life skills.
Trevor Seines (San Diego, Calif.)
In Between: This 27-year-old has faced the prospect of being deported ever since being illegally brought into the U.S. as a baby.
Jesus Manuel Villalba (Bronx, N.Y.)
Gardens of Justice: New York City’s food-justice movement in community gardens.
Morgan Wilcock (Minneapolis, Minn.)
This Gay and Age (working title): The evolving expectations surrounding teen gays and lesbians due to stereotypes and media influences.
The Project VoiceScape Mentors
The Project VoiceScape filmmakers have been paired with award-winning documentarians based on the style and content of each project. Find out more about the Project VoiceScape mentors and their films:
- Natalia Almada (El General, Al Otro Lado)
- Yoni Brook (Bronx Princess)
- Linda Goode Bryant (Flag Wars)
- Sharese Bullock (Off and Running)
- Almudena Carracedo (Made in L.A.)
- Katy Chevigny (Election Day)
- Thomas Allen Harris (Twelve Disciples of Nelson Mandela)
- Jeremy Levine (Good Fortune)
- Aaron Matthews (A Panther in Africa, My American Girls)
- Rose Rosenblatt & Marion Lipschutz (Live Free or Die, The Education of Shelby Knox)
- Carlos Sandoval (Farmingville)
- Musa Syeed (Bronx Princess)
- Jennifer Taylor (New Muslim Cool)
- Angela Tucker (Election Day)
- Juan Carlos Zaldívar (90 Miles)
We’ll be hearing more from the filmmaking teams all throughout the month of August. Follow Project VoiceScape news on our Facebook page!
Project VoiceScape is a partnership with Adobe Youth Voices, PBS and POV to mentor today’s best young documentary filmmakers.
