Youth Empowering Youth
"Student Films for Social Change"
2006-2007 Program
Program Update
Sunday August 12, 2007
Our 2007-2008 program begins in September. If you can help support our program through a monthly or yearly pledge, or with film-making equipment please contact us as soon as possible:
Ron Garry
415 342-1879
ron.garry@comcast.net
See our website dedicated to:
Youth Empowering Youth
If you missed hearing about our successful participation in the 2007 Santa Cruz Film Festival:
Santa Cruz Film Festival at The Rio Theater
Saturday April 28th 11 am
SUCCESS!!!
WE are very proud to announce that all six of our studnt documentary shorts wereshown at the Santa Cruz Film Festival!!!
Help support our student film makers:
We need financial support immediately to help fund the film festival event and to also help pay for the state-of-the-art equipment we recentlypurchased that the students are using to shoot and edit their documentaries. If you can help please contact Ron Garry at: ron.garry@comcast.net, or by phone 415 459-1823
The six Documentary Shorts are:
San Lorenzo Valley High School:
- The Truth About Habits: Addiction
This film explores the dangers and often harsh realities that arise through drug abuse. Focusing on the high risk of Adolecents, and looking at how they are influenced by the societal pressures and adult drug use.
- Little Things Make a Big Difference
A creative video illustrating how lives can be shaped and changed in a brief moment. Although an occurance may last 60 seconds it's outcomes may influence an entire lifetime. We must be aware of how our actions especially the simple ones influence ourselves and those around us.
Aptos High:
- Passionately Caring for the Earth:
Time for Young People to Take a Stand
A short documentary video which shows that change needs to happen, and it is up to the youth to make this change. This video is environmental and humanitarian in nature and reflects the fragility of our planet and our dependence upon sustainability for future life on Earth. The young people or "Youth" is in a position where we must step up and take responsibility for our actions and the world we have inherited. We are willing and passionate about caring for Earth and this Video expresses that.
A video giving inside voice to an often misunderstood subculture of the "Straight Edge" Music Scene. Straight Edge (also known as sXe, and xXx) refers to a lifestyle, a personal commitment, a philosophy, and a subculture that is closely associated with hardcore punk music. Straight edgers abstain from recreational drugs, including tobacco and alcohol. Some followers of the straight-edge philosophy also abstain from promiscuous sex, the regular use of painkillers, and the intake of caffeine. Some also practice vegetarianism or veganism. The scene actually serves as a support for strong moral and ethical action, though often looked upon with harsh judgements from outsiders.
Watsonville High:
- Teenage Love & Pregnancy: Blindly Giving Life
Watsonville, California has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the Nation. This is reflected with a unique child care center on the high school campus available to students with children. Why such high rates of pregnancy, and what happens to a teenage student who becomes a young parent? Should we prevent young parenthood, and if so, how can we help prevent parenthood for those unready for that huge commitment and life change. We hope to educate through this video and encourage thought, and recognize their is choice in all of our actions, especially actions this potentially life altering.
- What Does Our Culture Mean To You?
In a largely Latino community like Watsonville, there are so many different ways in which people identify with their "shared culture" and each other. Stereotypes and beliefs change from generation to generation. We explore identitly in this video and share with the audience our findings.
We are pleased to announce our Youth Empowering Youth 2006-2007 program! This year we are honored to work with three high schools: Aptos, San Lorenzo, and Watsonville. We are especially honored to work with the esteemed video teachers from these schools: Jenny Angelacos, James Kallas, and Huve Rivas.
We wish to thank the numerous UCSC students who have applied to join our program as mentors this year. The quality and enthusiasm is very, very high.
For additional information please contact Ron Garry: ron.garry@comcast.net
or call 415 342-1879.
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We believe that the wellspring for a peaceful, joyful, and harmonious tomorrow lies within the youth of today. We also feel very strongly in the need to assist in the building of local community. Our youth program is designed to do both. Students become engaged in socially progressive issues in their community and use the creative medium of film as a means for raising consciousness and effecting change through making a documentary short. We help to bring together the students with local non-profit organizations and individuals already involved in their field of interest so they can work together. We also bring in local documentary film experts to teach the students at the corresponding juncture through out the film making process: experts on how to structure the entire project including timelines, how to write the script, tips on shooting the documentary, and on editing.
This September 2006 we embarked on our second year with a focus on the environment, global warming, and ways in which we as a community can create and put into practice a model for sustainable living in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties that other communities can then replicate.
* * * * *
Welcome new Advisory Board
members!!!
Visionary Arts and Media Foundation is pleased to announce two new members to our Advisory Board: Jane Sullivan, Director of the Santa Cruz Film Festival; and Mike Rotkin, lecturer and field studies coordinator of the community studies department at the University of California at Santa Cruz.
* * * * *
Read Governor Schwarzenegger's Message
for Our Documentary Screening Gala
in Praise of our Youth Program
* * * * *
A Look Back
at our
First Annual
Documentary Shorts Screening Gala
Visionary Arts & Media Foundation Presents
First Annual
Documentary Shorts Screening Gala
Saturday May 27, 2006
Success!!!
Over 175 people, standing room only, joined Visionary Arts
and Media's Youth Empowering Youth Program on Saturday evening,
May 27, 2006, our First Annual Documentary Screening Gala.
This was a memorable event for our community, the students
and their families, and for all of us involved at Visionary
Arts and Media. The Documentary shorts produced by our students
were extremely well-made, informative, thought
provoking, and entertaining.
 s
click for more photos
Ambience
The evening began elegantly at five with wine and cheese,
spectacular vegetable platters, ambient music by vocalist/pianist
Catherine McLellan, and the most incredible hospitality and service
by the staff of The Attic! During this time we all had a chance
to eat and talk together, a time-honored and joyful way of
building community.
Thank you Mr Kallas!
Our program commenced with James Kallas as Master of Ceremonies.
Mr Kallas did a spectacular job as video production teacher at
San Lorenzo High School. It was his classes that participated
in our pilot program, Youth Empowering Youth. We at VAM would
like to take this opportunity to commend James on his guidance
and expertise in supporting his students and we look forward
working with him and his class next year.
Opening Remarks by Mayor Cynthia Matthews
After Mr Kallas' introductory remarks we had the great pleasure
of having the mayor of Santa Cruz, Cynthia Matthews, grace our
program with opening remarks. Her kindness in commending our
program was much appreciated. We are happy, as we manifest
our wish to be an integral part of our community as a source
of hope for the future and joy getting there.
Greetings from Governor Schwarzenegger
Mr Kallas next read the exceptional letter we receive from
the governor greeting our gathering. Governor Schwarzenegger
wrote: “This tremendous event highlights the civic-minded efforts
an cooporative spirit of today's youth. The documentaries being
screened are made by visionary adolescents with mentors from
UC Santa Cruz who have generously given their time and talent.
Your collective efforts advance consciousness, and I commend
you for using the arts to inform, educate and empower your
fellow citizens. I wish you a memorable event and every continued
success.”
click for more photos
The Documentaries
We then proceeded into the heart of the program with Mr Kallas
introducing us to each documentary. He gave an overview of
each documentary. Afterwards he led an open discussion between
the audience and student-film makers. The films were excellent,
and it was difficult to tell that this was the students' first
documentary.
That's Not Me is a film made by Corderro Sweeney,
Geoffrey Dinneen, Chelsea Van Bloom, and Elizabeth (Fig) Chilcott,
mentored by Rachele Weiss, that hopes to change the typical
perceeptions adults have of teenagers.
Choice or Priviledge , an exploration of healthy
living in Santa Cruz, is a film made by Tanen Brown, Rebekah
Boroweic, Peter Copper, Kayla Chickos, Rory McKee, Ryan Mihous,
Skylar Storey, Ian Whitaker, Lucas McFadden McDaniel, mentored
by DJ (Derin Turner).
The Sky is Red is a film that explores the concept/
idea/ experience of what it means to be ‘homeless' in Santa
Cruz. We also had the privilege of screening the documentary What
the Camera Could Not Capture , the amazing story about
a woman whose only hope was to rely on her talent. Dina babbitt
painted her way through the infamous death camp Auzwitch. Dina
is now eighty and battling for her rights, as her paintings
remain captive in the Polish Holocaust Remembrance Museum.
This documentary was made by Elizabeth (Fig) Chilcott and Lucas
McFadden McDaniel. A moving highlight of the evening was when
we discovered that Dina was in the audience, who then stood
up and took a bow, to thunderous applause.
Bravo students
Visionary Arts and Media applauds the hard work and dedication
of all the High School students and UCSC mentors in taking
their ideas, feelings, and visions and making it manifest in
the world as a documentary that has a positve impact and influence
upon our community and society.
Fantastic Gypsy Folk Music
Our program concluded with gypsy folk music that brought us to
our feet dancing. The musicians, Masau Sato Osvaldo of Los Kombucheros
were fantastic!
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using
cinematic illustrations in the Fellini tradition.
John
Kerry, Al Gore, U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd, the Dalai
Lama, Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky, U.S. Rep. Dennis
Kucinich, Helen Caldicott, M.D.,Robert Geiger, M.D.,
Gore Vidal, Teresa Heinz-Kerry, Michael Moore, Pierce
Brosnan, and others speak with the power of truth. 