Thursday, April 5, 2007
Six films produced by Community TV Network (CTVN) youth producers have been accepted into various film festivals across the country. “Manhood,” “Don’t Come at Me Like That,” and “Her Right to Say No” will screen at the Atlanta Film Festival, “Fading Away” and “Loved to Death” will be at the Cloud Place Teen Fusion Film Festival in Boston, and “Visions of Humboldt” will play at the Cine Las Americas International Film Festival in Austin.
The young people who produced these videos are Tyrese Harris, recent graduate of Best Practice High School and college student at East-West University; Emmanuel Robinson, Kendall Harris, Chaz Murry, and Louis Issac, students at ACT Charter High School; Ronnie Austin, junior at Banner Linc Academy; Luis Chavez and Daniela Suren from Schurz High School (Chicago Public School); Jonathan Escobar, Deon Bates, Latavia Robinson, and Amanda Soler from Clemente High School (CPS); Iris Velardo, junior at Kelvyn Park High School (CPS); Brittany Baughman, Maria Irizarry, and Marlena Childress from Von Steuben High School (CPS); Juanita Marquez and Jeremy Spain at Lane Tech High School (CPS); Adilene Gomes and Victoria Gomes at Pedro Albizu Campos High School; Destiny Ross and Joran Ross from Richard Yates Public School (CPS); Jahmelia Carr from Octavio Paz Charter School; and Brandi Woodson, sophomore at Hyde Park Academy (CPS). Most of the youth producers come from the Humboldt Park, Logan Square, West Town, and Austin neighborhoods.
Jonathan Escobar from Clemente produced two of the films, “Don’t Come at Me Like That” and “Her Right to Say No” during his first program semester at CTVN. Upon hearing news of his achievements, Jonathan stated, “Those were the first movies I have ever made and they won! This just made my day.” “Don’t Come at Me Like That” examines the ways men approach women disrespectfully while “Her Right to Say No” is a public service announcement modeled after MasterCard commercials referring to a women’s right to say ‘no’ as priceless. The young men from ACT Charter High School were especially excited to see their films make it to the big screen. Three of them made “Fading Away,” a public service announcement about the isolating effects of drug and alcohol abuse. This is the second film festival screening for the makers of “Manhood”—Tyrese Harris, Emmanuel Robinson, Ronnie Austin, and Luis Chavez—who are thrilled to know their movie will now screen in Atlanta. Their movie screened at the Do it Your D*** Self!! National Youth Video and Film Festival in Boston last November.