The International Human Rights Art Festival travels to Bethel, ME to present our first Youth Film Festival at the Gem Theater. We juried these six films from dozens of entries, all by filmmakers 21 and under:
Racism has no Home Here by Rylee Landau (17 yrs. old): This documentary short is Jen Schatzman's story behind the grassroots effort called Racism Has No Home Here—an organization that is all about connecting, educating, and empowering communities to put a stake in the ground so racism loses its home.
Babe Brigade by Nicole Hayward (21 yrs. old) Girls support each other as they learn to skateboard.
Growing Peace in the Middle East by Steven Hoffen (13 yrs. old): A 7th grader from New York is inspired by a visit to Sindyanna of Galilee in Israel - a unique non-profit organization led by a team of Arab and Jewish women working together to create social change from the ground up. He spends the year during the pandemic inspired to document the new hydroponics project at Sindyanna, which strives to enhance Arab-Jewish cooperation, while creating economic opportunities for Arab women.
I Stand for Us by Almir Datoo (20 yrs. old): A social realist drama. When hotel cleaners are faced with unfair working conditions, Naomi works to unite the team in solidarity against destructive zero hour contracts.
The Garden by Hailey Hart-Thompson (21 yrs. old): The Garden tells the story of Ramana's Garden Children's Home in the foothills of the Himalayas in Rishikesh, India. Originally created in the 1990s to house people displaced from the Maoist revolution in Nepal, the children's home has grown into a school for surrounding villages, a refuge for internally displaced people, and a locale for music and art. Currently, the home does not plan for the adoption of children, but rather invests in their quality of life with their new chosen family. The documentary explores the growth of the Garden through the eyes of the founder, the now adult Nepali refugees, the current residents, and newly arrived residents at the home. The Garden reaffirms how music, art, and family can be a first step in healing the trauma of displacement.
These Days by Ashley Causey (21 yrs. old): "These Days" focuses on the strength and determination of the 'Gen Z' generation despite all of the stereotypes they've been stuck with, and the trials and unprecedented events that they have been through and that has shaped their lives.