SATURDAY APRIL 5, 2025 9AM
15THANNUAL
Program
Saturday | April 5, 2025
9:00am ....................................................................................................... Continental Breakfast
9:30am .......................................................................................................... Theater Doors Open
9:45am ........................................................................................ Welcome: Sandra Evers-Manly BHERC President
9:50am ..................................................................................Opening Remarks: Robert McCune BHERC Youth Director
10:00am ............................................................................................................. Block 1 Films Run
11:15am .............................................................................. Call for Block 1 Q&A w/Filmmakers
11:45pm ................................................................................................................. Break for Lunch
1:00pm ........................................................... Careers and Pathways in Hollywood - Panelists: Chase Olivera, Filmmaker & Animator Lyndon Barrois, Animator & Visual FX Pro Ray Dorcely Jr. Filmmaker, Producer, & Creative Leader for META
2:00pm ............................................................................................................... Block 2 Films Run
3:45pm ............................................................................... Call for Block 2 Q&A w/Filmmakers
4:00pm ............................................................................................................... Medal Ceremony
4:15pm ................................................................................................................. Closing Remarks
President's Message:
Sandra Evers-Manly
Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center (BHERC)
Dear Honored Guest:
On behalf of the Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center, I’m honored to welcome you to our 15th Annual Youth Diversity Film Festival. What started as a one-day program, has now turned into a month long program which includes online discussions, panels and much morel. This year I’m proud to share we had more than 2200 submissions throughout the US and across the globe. We will screen over films in person on Saturday, April 5th at the Regal Theater LA Live; and over 100 films online starting Monday, April 7th. We are so proud of this amazing growth and most of all, creating cultural bonds through film.
We are excited about this year’s class of tenaciously driven and spirited filmmakers, made up of, middle and high school students. We are abundantly proud that they all have put diversity and the powerful impact of storytelling, on display in each of their films. All while, highlighting many critical issues facing our society today from mental health, social justice and more.
Through teamwork and cultural bonds, students were able to come together to not only create thought-provoking films, but most of all, uniting to change lives, build bridges, bring about joy and laughter. And at a time when these same topics are under attack in our country, it is these stories produced by the future generations, that will pioneer a new world both, diverse and inclusive. Using the art of filmmaking to impact their schools, communities, and the world; one thing that remains clear from these youth, the best is yet to come.
Our special thanks to all of the parents, guardians, teachers, sponsors, schools and youth programs that have supported our students. Whether providing funding, establishing critical programs to allow students to explore their artistic talents, or introducing them to a creative industry that many might believe is out of reach. Your influence is a part of each film that will grace the silver screen.
To our student filmmakers: we applaud you, your talents, curiosity, and your art. Continue to learn, develop, hone your craft, and most of all use life to bring about change. Please take special care of yourselves and your beautiful gifts for storytelling. Continue to help others, and make sure to celebrate life while staying front-footed on the path to greatness. The road of an artist is certainly not an easy one, but if you stay the course, but like so many other rewards in life, sometimes it’s about who can last the longest.
Specials thanks to our Youth Festival director Robert McCune and also, to our BHERC team, volunteers, and sponsors; we thank you deeply. We are truly humbled for your dedication and belief in our mission.
Enjoy the opening ceremony followed by the month of aptly inspiring and riveting stories, told directly from the mouths of our future generations.
Sandra Evers-Manly
Introduction of Featured Filmmakers
Saturday | April 5, 2025
Santa’s Naughty List
By Sean Dong
Synopsis: He’s checking it twice.
Director Bio: Hi! My name is Sean Dong, I'm a 16 years old who lives in Irvine and loved filming. Every time when I pressed on the record button, that's when I'm fully engaged. I know that making movies is a dream that I will never give up in my life, and I hope to go further and further on this path.
Beneath The Eulogy
By Victoria Ramos
Synopsis: You never know what goes on behind closed doors... Veronica is seen at her husband's funeral. Grief is on her face but her past unravels and shows a complex story.
Director Bio: Victoria is a high school student at Fillmore High School in Bakersfield, CA.
Dino Escape
By Verdugo Hills
Synopsis: A dinosaur, run!
Money Up
By Ian Casas
Synopsis: Spyder, Ryder, and Cyder, angry over their unpaid debt from Tomato, take it into their own hands to handle it. Will their greed and the ruthless pursuit of money disrupt their goal and friendships?
Director Bio: Ian Casas is a 12th-grader with a passion for editing and directing. He has been a member at A Place Called Home for 6 years. He is looking forward to going to college and hopes always to find a way to keep creativity a part of his life. Money Up is his directorial debut.
Happy Fish
By Madeline Yutong Wong
Synopsis: A happy fish family, broken apart by pollution.
Director Bio: My name is Madeline Wong, I am a sophomore at Arcadia High School. I love the Arts and have always participated in my school's Drama, Music, Speech and Debate, and Dance programs. I've also been ice skating competitively for seven years. My parents are filmmakers and filmmaking has become something I often use to express myself and tell stories.
Ripple
By Paula Enriquez
Synopsis: Ripple is a PSA for Ribbon Week and shows the mental impact on other when friends and family do drugs. Our video focuses on a high school football player dealing with the stress of the game by taking drugs to ease the stress.
Director Bio: Paula Enriquez is a student at Summit View High School in Fontana, CA.
Words Hurt
By Victoria Reign
Synopsis: Words hurt in the real world, and in this video, the online world. These words affect mental health, and damages peoples' ability to heal. Don't be a part of it.
U’ilani
By Verdugo Hillsz
Synopsis: Stop Motion film from Verdugo Hills.
Sunrise Falling
By Alexander Salomon
Synopsis:: Two robots contemplate why they should keep their cogs turning on the edge of turning into scrap metal.
Director Bio: Born in Los Angeles in 2006, Alexander Salomon, son of Oscar-nominated cinematographer Mikael Salomon, is a young Danish-American filmmaker.
Homebody
By Ulysses Garcia, Ryan Golson
Synopsis: Dallas Mayfield, a small town cop is assigned to look for a psych ward escapee. His life is then cut short, unbeknownst to his family.
Director Bio: Ulysses Sebastian and Ryan Golson are students at Fillmore High School in Bakersfield, CA.
Room
By Ian Kim
Synopsis: A teenager struggles with depression and social anxiety, expressing it through locking himself in his imaginary room where his life plays out. The film is shown from the boy’s perspective in his “room” showing how real life events affect him in it.
Director Bio: Ian Dani Kim is a 17-year-old filmmaker, writer, and visual artist. Ian Dani Kim is an award-winning film director. He has been making films about adolescent psychology and is working on his sixth film. He is studying Digital and Media Arts at Bergen County Technical High SchoolTeterboro in New Jersey, United States.
Just A Day
View Park Middle School
Primo
By Austin Ring, Seima Takagi
Synopsis: A student's first day of school and the complexities of language.
Director Bio: Austin and Seima, are students at Stacey Middle School, both are interested in exploring filmmaking in the future.
The Showstopper
By Alexander Salomon
Synopsis: A theater performance goes awry when two lovers, Alice and Wyatt, veer off script and argue about their troubled relationship on stage.
Director Bio: Born in Los Angeles in 2006, Alexander Salomon, son of Oscar-nominated cinematographer Mikael Salomon, is a young Danish-American filmmaker.
Bearly Alive
By Amanda Muther, Erica Park, Amelia Kimy
Synopsis: In this mystery comedy short film, a frustrated detective unravels a tale of heartbreak and jealousy as he interrogates a group of common tropes--an average guy, a cliche valley girl, a cliche jock, and a korean grandma-- only to discover the shocking truth behind the murder of Theo— culminating in a revelation that changes everything.
Director Bio: My name is Erica park, I am a sophomore at the Orange County School off The Arts, studying film and television. Film and cinema is something I’ve always found passion in with all different interpretations and creativity.
My name is Amanda, Muther and I am currently a sophomore attending in the Orange County school of
the arts in the film and television conservatory. Ever since I was a kid creating iMovies, I have always had a passion for storytelling and filmmaking, and I hope to continue to grow my creativity in the future.
Grounds For Dispute
By Elsie Kim
Synopsis: A dispute between two office coworkers over a broken coffee machine.
Director Bio: I am a high school student at the Orange County School of the Arts studying Film and Television. I have always loved film and have about 2 years of film education under my belt.
Possession
By Maya Eszter Rice
Synopsis: Over home video footage of two recently deceased twins, a community discusses what they have lost.
Director Bio: Maya Rice is a Los Angeles native and longtime filmmaker and video artist.about 2 years of film education under my belt
Last Task: Shadow Of Freedom
By Sean Dong
Synopsis: A dark world, a killer, a greedy conspiracy.
Director Bio: Hi! My name is Sean Dong, I'm a 16 years old who lives in Irvine and loved filming. Every time when I pressed on the record button, that's when I'm fully engaged. I know that making movies is a dream that I will never give up in my life, and I hope to go further and further on this path.
TV Pro
By Wyman Diep, Riley Manalo
Synopsis: Parody of the hit show "The Office."
Director Bio: Wyman Diep and Riley Manalo are two students at Summit View High School in Fontana, CA.
Don’t Overthink It
By Mathew Lopez, Edgar Ceron, Ranilov Pangan
Synopsis: In this video, we follow a person caught in a cycle of overthinking as they navigate a seemingly simple decision, each thought brings more complications. As they wrestle with self-doubt and endless "what-ifs," the struggle begins to feel bigger than it truly is. Ultimately, the video highlights how overthinking can turn an ordinary challenge into an overwhelming obstacle, and the peace found in letting go.
You Mean The World To Me
By William Morgan
Synopsis: Two brothers (known in the script only as “Young” and “Old”) embark on one last adventure to watch a screening of their favourite childhood movie before “Old” leaves home to attend an elite academy.
Director Bio: William has always been passionate about storytelling, with film being his first love. William produced his first film at 18, a coming-of-age film titled "You Mean the World to Me." William set out to capture the feelings
of fear, sadness, and excitement that come with growing up and leaving home.
Don’t Overthink It
By Mathew Lopez, Edgar Ceron, Ranilov Pangan
Synopsis: In this video, we follow a person caught in a cycle of overthinking as they navigate a seemingly simple decision, each thought brings more complications. As they wrestle with selfdoubt and endless "what-ifs," the struggle begins to feel bigger than it truly is. Ultimately, the video highlights how overthinking can turn an ordinary challenge into an overwhelming obstacle, and the peace found in letting go.
Who’s In Our House
By David Sakaoghli
Synopsis: After his brother gets into a bizarre accident, Eli has to watch over his brother who hasn't been acting himself; leaving Eli to wonder if he's even watching over his brother.
Director Bio: Ever since I was 7 I've loved filming skits and vlogs; so when I was asked what I wanted to be when I grow up I've always said, "filmmaker" even though I knew nothing about filmmaking.
Acceptance
By Urban Scholar Academy
Synopsis: Jackie, a reserved yet aspirational high school senior, has a passion for photography. One day, while out doing what she loves, she unknowingly takes photos of a crime taking place. Authorities are seeking information on the crime. The reward could pay tuition for her dream college. Jackie must decide if the true cost of Acceptance is something she is willing to pay.
Director Bio: Our mission is to transform the lives of urban youth through academic enrichment and community service opportunities for students in Kindergarten-12th grade.
Panels: Careers and Pathways in Hollywood
Panel:
Careers and Pathways in Hollywood
Chase Olivera
Chase Olivera is a 19-year-old filmmaker and animator who loves finding new ways to create projects and entertain his audience. He started filmmaking when he was ten by creating his own after-school programs to film his original shorts. He has since delved into the realm of CG animated films to be able to tell stories that better fit his personality. He is working on making his movies better and is currently focused on inspiring comedic/family-friendly cartoons. "The Chihuahua Shake" is his most recent work.
Lyndon Barrois
An AMPAS VFX Executive Branch member, Lyndon boasts a long career in art and animation. His film credits include The Matrix Trilogy, Happy Feet, and The Thing, where he directed pivotal character animation sequences in those features. He currently wins accolades for his unique gum wrapper sculpture animations of historic figures and events, whose portraits and Sportraits are produced entirely on iPhones.
Within the art world, his work has been featured in major institutions from the Pérez Art Museum Miami, to the MOCA Los Angeles, and the Massachusetts MOCA. Subjects of his work range from gender inclusion in the FIFA World Cup, to America’s Covid-19 crisis, racial uprisings and elections of 2020.
A New Orleans native and HBCU graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana, Lyndon serves on the boards of The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, California Institute of the Arts (his MFA Alma mater), and on the new Academy Museum’s Inclusion Advisory Committee.
Ray Dorcely Jr.
As a marketing professional and self-titled Creative Architect, Ray Dorcely, is driven by a passion for creativity, innovation, and collaboration. With a deep understanding of the latest industry trends and technologies, he has a proven track record of developing and executing successful marketing strategies that drive business growth and increase brand awareness.
His experience spans across a variety of industries, including technology, healthcare, retail, and consumer goods, and he is always eager to learn and apply new skills to my work. Thriving in fastpaced environments, Dorcely leverages his strong communication and interpersonal skills to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders.
Whether it's developing a compelling brand story, creating engaging content, or driving targeted campaigns, Dorcely is committed to delivering results that exceed expectations.
The Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center, a nonprofit, public benefit organization, is designed to advocate, educate, research, develop, and preserve the history, and the future, of Black and other diverse images in the film and television industry. The BHERC strives to highlight the important roles that Black and other diverse groups have played, and continue to play, in film and television.
To that end, the BHERC annually celebrates and promotes black history and culture through a series of annual film festivals. The festivals showcase the richness and power of emerging filmmakers who will lead the way for positive and quality Black and other diverse films.
bherc@bherc.org | 323.957.4656
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