Youthwalks Media Project Premiere Tonight!

Date: Saturday, June 19, 2010 – Red Carpet: 6:00
Awards Screening, Presentation, and Refreshments: 7:00pm
Location: ZUMIX, 260 Sumner St., East Boston, MA 02128
Please RSVP: http://commonbostonyouthmedia.eventbrite.com/

Free Radical Creative across Boston

The ABCD Career Explorations Multi-Media youth participants were asked, “What is your Boston?” The mentors gave their filmmakers the freedom to interpret the theme, so these works use fiction and observation to give sincere accounts of their neighborhoods. Cutting class, drug dealing, and gender issues, family relationships, and the history of places are just some of the aspects covered.

• Harmless Fun, Khyal Brown: Khyal is graduating from University High School this year and plans on taking classes next year at Mass Bay. Khyal has lived his whole life in Fields Corner where he shot his film.
• hISTORICAL bOSTON, Pierre Clemat: Pierre is a graduate of Brighton High. He was taking engineering classes at Benjamin Franklin Institute, but transferred this year to the American Careers Institute to complete a one year high intense multi-media program. Pierre’s video reflects the historical aspect of downtown Boston, where he spends a lot of his day.
• 2 Man Army, Dariyus Harding: Dariyus is the father of a newly born daughter. He is currently working towards attaining a GED, because he wants a better future for his daughter and it starts with him. Dariyus grew up and shot a portion of his video at Quincy St on the Roxbury-Dorchester boarder. His video reflects the language and life style he sees people from his neighborhood living, which highly differs from that of Beacon Hill residents.
• The Day I Was a Boy, Naomi Hatfield: Naomi is a graduate of Madison High School and a former high school basketball player. She is currently working towards attending Bunker Hill Community College and is holding down two jobs plus taking part in the ABCD Winter Works Multi-Media program.
• 6092, Cliff Mosley: Cliff Mosley is currently working towards his GED. He has grown up in many parts of Boston and it’s reflected in his video. Cliff’s film was shot in parts of South Boston and Grove Hall. His video, much like Dariyus Harding’s, reflects the language and urban lifestyle that aren’t usually reflected in the commercial films shot in Boston.
• Happily Forever Friends, Natali Peña: Natali is a senior at Brighton High School who will be attending Salem State next year. Natali shot her video in the Mission Hill neighborhood where she’s lived for the last few years.
• Unconditional Love, She’Davia Williams: She’Davia is graduating this year from EDCO, an alternative high school in the Fenway area. She is an avid writer and plans on attending a college that focus on the arts. She’Davia’s film doesn’t have much footage of Boston, but is emotionally charge and reflects her personal life struggles.

Untravel Media in Maverick Landing

Since East Boston is isolated from the rest of Boston, these young producers wanted to tell the rest of Boston about what this area has to offer. The Maverick Landing Community Center, where these producers work year-round, is the centerpiece of a recent affordable housing development. Many of these youth grew up in the neighborhood and have seen its transition. Their stories connect like puzzle pieces along a one-mile walking loop from the Maverick T Station, to Lo Presti Park, to the Community Center, recounting memories–both personal and historical–of a place few Bostonians explore and which they know so well.

• Lost Times, Lionell “Mista” Jones and Nick Restrepo: “Mista” just graduated from East Boston High School and grew up in East Boston where he liked to find special little corners of the neighborhood where he could sit and think. Nick is from East Boston and when not filming, plays serious Lacrosse.
• Manhunt, Melanie Santos: Melanie is a 15-year-old who grew up in East Boston and has fond memories of hide-and-seek or “manhunt” as she calls it.
• Never Flat, Dyshan Allen and Ronty Tinsley: Dyshan a basketball player and producer from East Boston. His story is based on his experience of the game and small details he discovered on the Lo Presti Pier. Ronty works at the Maverick Landing Community Center and is a big fan of the iPhone experience.
• Unknown Antiquity, Jocelyn Ramirez and Denise Carmenatty: Jocelyn is a 15-year-old aspiring producer/doctor/leader. She will be attending Harvard Summer School this year and grew up in East Boston.
  Denise will be a senior at East Boston High School and has eclectic cultural tastes, especially enjoying alternative music and delving into obscure bits of history. She has lived in Maverick Landing her entire life

Soup2Nuts in Uphams Corner

Students at The City School were tasked with making a video about an interesting location in Upham’s Corner. They wanted to create a walking tour so that people who might be visiting the neighborhood could get a look inside a location that they might not otherwise have access to.

• Cemetary Visit
  Joshua Lynch (lead youth filmmaker): just finished his freshman year at Madison Park High School in Roxbury. His dedication to The City School this year led him to be selected for their Summer Leadership Program. The Summer Leadership Program engages students in community building, social justice learning and community action for change. This is Josh’s first filmmaking endeavor.
  Desean Duncan: graduating from Hyde Park High School this year and heading to college in New Hampshire in the Fall.
  Tarahn Maxwell: just finished his sophomore year at West Roxbury High School.

Common Boston Mentors

Danielle Gillis – Producer at Soup2Nuts Animation Studio
Michael Epstein – Founder of Untravel Media
Ted Resnikoff – Founder of Free Radical Creative

Jury Members

Carolina Aragon – Installation Artist
Lance Greene – Actor (On Broadway) and Producer (God Willing)
Ceasar McDowell – Director of Dropping Knowledge International
Matthew Mena-Landry – New Media and Technology Instructor for the Cambridge Public Schools
John Werner – Chief Mobilization Officer of Citizen Schools

SPONSORS