17-year-old Ukrainian filmmaker, Tymur Tsapliienko, is coming to New York! He will screen his new film RETURN DATE: UNKNOWN at the Youth Collective Film Festival at Lincoln Center on June 7.

On Thursday, June 15, Tymur will be the honored guest at the screening and panel discussion hosted by the United Nations Association of New York at the Dolby Screening Room from 6-8 pm in midtown Manhattan.

In addition to Tymur, the panel will include Rom Barnea (his mentor), Holly Carter (BYkids executive director), Susan Bissell (Harvard FXB Center for Human Rights and former Global Chief of Child Protection at UNICEF) and Pablo Espiniella (Chief of Staff at the U.N. Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children)

We are especially excited that Tymur’s father will join us from the Ukraine as a meaningful way to honor Father’s Day, World Refugee Day and Tymur’s 18th birthday. We hope you can join us. TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE

This film is part of the BYkids climate change series, airing on PBS this fall. It is a moving portrait of a boy coming of age —  his relationship to himself, to home and his father. Tymur eloquently shares what it means to be a Ukrainian refugee and personalizes the high cost of the war and the world’s dependence on fossil fuels. Tymur’s dad, Andrii, is considered to be Ukraine’s leading war correspondent having covered Iraq, Afghanistan and now the war at his home.

Congratulations to Ndèye Fatou Fall and her BYkids: WALK ON MY OWN for winning Best Youth Documentary Short at the Women’s Voices Now Festival. Thanks to everyone who brought this important film to the world.

The head of the jury says, “WALK ON MY OWN was made by 13-year-old Ndèye Fatou Fall from Senegal. She is just the embodiment of women’s freedoms and the importance of education for girls…This film really shows how important these generational, cultural shifting conversations are and it highlights how much further we have to go in achieving true women’s rights. So again, congratulations to Ndèye Fatou Fall for WALK ON MY OWN.”

BYkids is honored to win a silver Anthem Award for Best Education, Art & Culture in Film, Video, Television or Show. BYkids: Passport to the World was selected from nearly 2,000 submissions from 43 countries and celebrates our excellence for purpose and mission-driven work.

Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibition design manager and BYkids superfan, Dan Kershaw, generously hosted a private tour of exhibitions including the Native American show and a screening of AGAINST THE CURRENT for the BYkids Board and Associate Board. It was a very special afternoon.

All four new films are in production, each with a climate crisis angle made by a teen filmmaker:

• Tymur Tsapliienko, 17, a Ukrainian refugee, pushes to raise awareness of how the Russian invasion of Ukraine and dependence on fossil fuels are related.
• Helena Marschall, 20, leads Germany’s environmental youth movement.
• Diya Payal, 14, advocates for sustainable farming in India.
• Keith Griffith,15, a Kentucky beekeeper, builds community connections.

Tymur’s Director’s Statement:  “The process of making this movie was one of the most remarkable experiences of my life. The chance to tell my own story as well as the story of my nation, Ukraine, to others proved itself incredible. Working alongside my mentor Rom Barnea broadened my vision on filmmaking and storytelling, leaving amazing emotions and days to remember.”

Holly Carter proudly represented BYkids at the 2022 Aspen Ideas Festival for invigorating conversations about the issues that shape our lives spanning politics, business, science, the arts and education. From a moving tribute to the late Secretary Madeleine Albright by Hillary Rodham Clinton, to David Brooks (New York Times columnist) talking about empathy, to David Rubenstein (Carlyle Group) teaching us how to invest, it was four days packed with inspiration for future films and new friends.

Calling all North Carolina teachers to join BYkids at the UNC World View’s K-12 Global Education Symposium 2022 on Thursday, October 13 at 11:45 am for “Transforming Learning with a Senegalese Girl’s Story,
BYkids: Real-world films for kids, by kids“.

Global Education Symposium: Re-imagining Teaching and Learning for a Better World, is a full day event will explore pressing global issues impacting our world and address how educators can provide the tools and strategies to develop agency in students. 

BYkids is screening WALK ON MY OWN, a short documentary made by a Senegalese teen who was not forced into child marriage, and Holly Carter is discussing the transformative power of film’s made by kids around the world and how BYkids films and education material can help build crucial skills for students.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER

BYkids is thrilled to welcome the unique and fresh faces behind the Associate Board! From Kenya to New York, these young professionals are BYkids ambassadors and help promote our goals through events and fundraising. Kicking off with a strong start this fall, the board raised over $1K with a birthday fundraiser to support upcoming filming. 

Please welcome the three co-chairs Jake Hart (LA), Olivia Levenson (NYC) and Hannah Rosenwein (LA) and Noelle Durkin, Ben Goodfriend, Khaddija Jobe, Qetsiyah Lynch, Alex Mabred, Arianna Mastro, Isabel Sheinman and Hannah Wolloch.

So much exciting news!

BUDDHISM, BHUTAN AND ME won the One to Watch Award at the Asian American Film Festival.

AGAINST THE CURRENT has been selected for the Portland Film Festival (Oct. 12-23).

L’CHAIM AND I COULD TELL YOU ‘BOUT MY LIFE have been selected for the International Youth Film Festival in Atlanta at the Social Justice Symposium at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights on October 27. 

The trailers of WALK ON MY OWN and I COULD TELL YOU ‘BOUT MY LIFE have been chosen for the My Hero Film Festival in LA (Nov. 19).

FAITH’S WORLD has been selected for the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival (Nov. 4-20) and is showing at MoMA as part of the UN Association Film Festival on Sept. 21.

And, FAITH’S WORLD, FIRE IN OUR HEARTS and I COULD TELL YOU ‘BOUT MY LIFE are touring with the Science Film Festival to Bangladesh, India, Iran, Kenya, Malaysia, Mali, Pakistan, Singapore and Vietnam from Oct. 1 to Dec. 20.