Alicia Sams is currently producer/director of Arab American Stories, a 13-episode series for public television launching in 2012. Her most recent film, as producer/director (with Amy Rice), is the Emmy-Award winning film By The People: The Election of Barack Obama, which premiered on HBO in 2009. Also in 2009, Sams was executive producer of Cherien Dabis’ award-winning debut feature Amreeka. Sams traveled with the film to Tunisia in December 2010 as part of the Sundance Institute’s Film Forward program, a cultural diplomacy initiative sponsored by the President’s Committee on the Arts, the NEA and the NEH.

Other productions include: Toots; Wanderlust; Buddy; Grateful Dawg; Hello He Lied: And Other Truths from the Hollywood Trenches; Press On, and others.

She is a graduate of Harvard University, magna cum laude in English and American Literature. She often guest lectures and has spoken at University of Pennsylvania, New York University, Smith College, Dickinson College, Northwestern University, DePaul University, among other schools.

“What better way for kids to become an active part of the global community than by finding their own voice or hearing stories of other kids from around the world.”

(1926-2015)

In addition to his role on the Board and his deep commitment to starting BYkids, the late Albert Maysles served as a Film Mentor to a New York City youth of Muslim background whose story sheds light on the issue of identity and faith in America today. Among the world’s pre-eminent documentary filmmakers and the dean of American documentary filmmaking, Albert is recognized as the pioneer of “direct cinema,” the distinctly American version of French “cinema verité.” His films include Salesman, Gimme Shelter, Grey Gardens and Oscar-nominated LaLee’s Kin: The Legacy of Cotton.

“BYkids is one of the most exciting projects to come my way in a long time. The idea of giving youth around the world the tools to tell their own stories with the expert help of filmmakers is brilliant and will go a long way in opening the eyes of Americans to the voices of kids and to the richness of the world. I am thrilled to be part of this team. With Holly’s guidance, contacts, energy and vision, this is sure to be a widespread success.

Storytelling is crucial to our existence as humans and it is what deeply connects us. It is my pleasure to support such a worthwhile project, and I am doing everything I can to be sure this is a big success. I look forward to my work as a Board member and as a Film Mentor for BYkids.”

Evan is a documentary filmmaker from Kentucky. He most recently directed and produced Building a Bridge, which premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and was executive produced by Martin Scorsese. Evan co-founded the NYC-based Player Piano Productions, where his most recent films have appeared on Sundance TV, AMC+, Al Jazeera, and PBS and have been featured in the New Yorker, Rolling Stone, and Hollywood Reporter, among others.

Evan joined BYkids as a mentor in 2019. He produced Against the Current as part of BYkids Season 3, where he mentored Daunnette Moniz-Reyome, a Native American teen activist. He is currently working on a film for season 4 of BYkids with Keith Griffith III, a young beekeeper in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

Celia Lowenstein has directed and produced over fifty films with subject matters extending across science, art, philosophy, human portraits, dance, and music. She has worked in a variety of cinematic genres, including fly-on-the-wall documentary-making, narrative fiction (including musicals), films in verse, and long- and short-form documentaries, often of great ethnographic appeal.

She has traveled all over the world with small and large crews, and her work has been commissioned by the BBC, PBS, Channel 4 (UK), Channel 5 (UK), ARTE/ZDF, Planete (France), Discovery, National Geographic, NOVA, Animal Planet, and CBS.

Her film and television work has received critical acclaim, and she has been the recipient of numerous awards, nominations, and academic residencies, including an Emmy nomination and selections at some of the most prestigious film festivals worldwide.

“BYkids offers a unique possibility of mentoring a creative journey with a child. Their films take us not only back to childhood, but to stories that change how we know the world.”

Cynthia Lowen is the co-creator, producer and writer of BULLY, a feature documentary film following five kids and families through “a year in the life” of America’s bullying crisis, premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival and released by The Weinstein Company. Lauded by reviewers, BULLY was awarded the Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia Award for excellence in journalism and is currently nominated for two Emmys. Drawing on BULLY’s success, the filmmakers created The BULLY Project Social Action Campaign, a collaborative effort in partnership with multiple organizations, brands and corporate sponsors, sharing a commitment to ending bullying. Featured at several summits on education and school climate, in April of 2012 BULLY was screened at the White House.

Cynthia is also a writer and winner of the National Poetry Series for her collection, “The Cloud That Contained the Lightning.” She’s the recipient of the Women Authoring Change fellowship from William Morris Entertainment and the Discovery prize, as well as residencies at The MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, among other honors.

“Kids crave opportunities for their voices to be heard; for the chance to show us the world through their eyes. BYkids empowers these young documentarians as they challenge stereotypes, stand up to injustice and offer wisdom we can all learn from.”