AGAINST THE CURRENT has been was selected by American Indian Film Festival screening virtually November 6-14. Congratulations to Daunnette Moniz-Reyome (BYkids filmmaker) and her mentor, Evan Mascagni. “See” you at the movies.

Daunnette Moniz-Reyome (age 17) lives on the UmoNHon Native American reservation in Nebraska and wants to inspire her peers to celebrate their culture, despite being surrounded by depression and addiction. INFO

We are pleased to welcome Elisabeth Inzinna as our new Fall Intern. She will graduate from Eckerd College in May 2021 with a degree in Marketing. “Working with BYkids gives me will the opportunity to combine my passions of film and social justice effectively.” linkedin.com/in/elisabeth-inzinna-8a3473184

AGAINST THE CURRENT is an official selection of the 37th FACETS Chicago International Children’s Film Festival, the oldest and one of only two Oscar-qualifying children’s film festivals in the world. This year, the Oscar-qualifying festival will be offered online from November 12-22. INFO

Congratulations to director Daunnette Moniz-Reyome and her mentor, Evan Mascagni. AGAINST THE CURRENT has been selected for the 2020 Woodstock Film Festival (Sept. 30 to Oct. 4) as part of their Student Short program.

“In her film, Native American teen activist Daunnette Moniz-Reyome shares her family’s journey to retain the sacred rituals and values of their culture in the wake of centuries of loss from disease, war and government policies,” says Shorts Programmer Amanda Naseem. TICKETS

We are thrilled that WALK ON MY OWN has been selected for the Hollywood’s First-Time Filmmaker Showcase (online October 25 – November 1, 2020).

13-year-old Ndèye Fatou Fall illuminates the cultural shift in Senegal that has allowed her to remain in school and to make decisions about her own future. Mentored by Emmy-winning filmmaker, Elizabeth Hummer, Ndèye Fatou takes us on the journey of a cultural shift which fundamentally changed the course of her life and those of her peers. We learn how the women of Keur Simbara and the surrounding villages were inspired by the teachings of Tostan, a human rights non-profit based in Senegal, and how they, with the help of their Imam, were able to change deeply entrenched social norms. WATCH TRAILER

Thanks to the Professional BusinessWomen of California (PBWC) for the opportunity to close the first day of your For Good conference with 6,000 powerhouse women including Cate Blanchett, Lisa Ling and Tererai Trent. WATCH HERE

Great news! FAITH’S WORLD (one of four new films for Season Three of FILMS BYKIDS to be broadcast on public television in early 2021) has been selected for the 23rd United Nations Association Film Festival.

In FAITH’S WORLD, 16-year-old Faith Guilbault shares life with physical disability and her wish that students and society embrace our similarities, not our differences.

“The Jury reviewed almost 600 submissions and found your film to be extremely pertinent and well suited for this year’s festival theme, THE POWER OF EMPATHY, and we feel strongly that the audience will be captivated by your work.” The festival usually happens at Stanford University, but this year will be held virtually. The film will be open to California residents starting at midnight on Thursday, October 22 and culminate with a panel discussion on Friday, October 23 at 6 pm PT. TICKET INFO

I COULD TELL YOU ‘BOUT MY LIFE is selected by the San Francisco Documentary Festival to screen September 3-20! Congratulations to the amazing team that brought this film to the world including Mike Martin, Chiemi Karasawa and Hollis Meminger.

19-year-old Michael Martin reflects on his life in Harlem, his interests in music and art, and how his incarceration on Rikers Island affected him. His film plays in Shorts Program 3 – The Real World: Four ways to tell unique African-American stories: through self-reflection, poetry, essay and oral history. TICKETS

We are honored to get the Gender Equity Prize for WALK ON MY OWN from the prestigious Prix Jeunesse 2020 children’s television festival. We also got second place from the International Youth Jury! Congratulations to the whole team and our wonderful partners at Tostan.

Thanks to our wonderful partner, the United Nations Association of New York for our first virtual screening premiere of “Against the Current” and a riveting conversation with filmmaker Duannette Moniz-Reyome, Evan Mascagni (BYkids mentor), Holly Carter (BYkids Founder) and moderated by Cynthia Benitez (Film Programming Manager at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian).