FILMS BYKIDS

Culture Series / 3 Seasons

Films BYkids pairs teenagers from diverse cultures with accomplished filmmakers to create short personal documentaries that encourage understanding about universal issues and help foster empathy and global citizenry. Ashley Judd serves as series narrator, introducing each 30-minute film. The series is a collaboration between The WNET Group and the non-profit, BYkids.

Watch Latest: S4 E404

26m 46s / TV-PG

Another World Is Possible - Preview

30s

20-year-old Helena Marschall is one of Germany’s most prominent youth climate activists and co-creator of the global, youth-led climate awareness movement, Fridays for Future Germany. Mentored by filmmaker Anja Baron, Helena documents how she and fellow activists protest a mining company’s plan to bulldoze a German village and shares her passion for climate justice and the power of youth activism.

Beekeeper - Preview

30s

15-year-old Keith Griffith III is a mental health and environmental advocate in Louisville, Kentucky. His uncle taught him how to care for a bee colony at age 11 to help Keith cope with stress when both of his parents were incarcerated. Guided by filmmaker Evan Mascagni, Keith shines a light on the ways in which bees have taught him about cooperation, community, and emotional well-being.

Seeds of Life - Preview

30s

Diya Payal, a 14-year-old from India, is passionate about the importance of plant biodiversity. Mentored by filmmaker Camilla Becket, Diya explores how climate change and industrial agriculture are threatening plant species, shines light on sustainable farming, and examines the ways in which food, family, and farming connect to her spiritual and cultural relationship with the natural world.

Return Date: Unknown - Preview

30s

Tymur Tsapliienko is a 17-year-old refugee who escaped Ukraine when the Russian army invaded his country. With guidance from film mentor Rom Barnea, Tymur interviews fellow refugees, examining the devastation of war and displacement, the connection between war and fossil fuel dependence, and the ways in which people find solidarity and hope during times of crisis.

Films By Kids Season 4 Promo

30s

Young people from diverse cultures document their experience dealing with war and displacement, mental wellbeing, climate change, and sustainable agriculture in the new season of Films BYkids. Accomplished filmmakers are paired with youth from around the world to create short, personal documentaries that encourage understanding about universal issues and help foster empathy and global citizenry.

BUDDHISM, BHUTAN AND ME- Preview

30s

18-year-old Rinzin Jurmey from Bhutan became a monk when he was 11 years old. He travels between his monastery, village and the city, meeting with hip-hop dancers, video gamers, and sports fans to understand the intersection of tradition and pop culture. Guided by filmmaker Cat Papadimitriou, Jurmey explores how he--and his country--are preserving ancient practices while embracing globalization.

FAITH'S WORLD- Preview

30s

16-year-old Faith Guilbault from Baltimore, Maryland, who is visually impaired and has cerebral palsy, is resilient, adventurous and determined to realize her dreams. Mentored by filmmaker Joyce Chopra, Faith shines light on her world, inviting viewers to focus on the similarities rather than differences between people living with and without a disability.

L'CHAIM- Preview

30s

19-year-old Semon Shabaev is part of a vibrant Jewish community in Germany. Despite his country’s dark history of genocide and a rise in antisemitism, he embraces his German-Jewish identity. Mentored by filmmaker Anja Baron, Shabaev shines light on how Germany is addressing its past, and how his generation looks to the future.

Against The Current - Preview

30s

17-year-old Daunnette Moniz-Reyome, who lives on the Umoⁿhoⁿ Reservation in Nebraska, interviews Native American youth and elders against the backdrop of a ceremonial powwow. Mentored by filmmaker Evan Mascagni, Moniz-Reyome shares her family’s journey to retain sacred rituals and culture traditions and the ways in which her community is healing historical trauma with strength and dignity.

Season 3 Films BYkids Preview

30s

Films BYkids pairs teenagers from diverse cultures with filmmaker-mentors to create short personal documentaries that encourage understanding about universal issues and help foster empathy and global citizenry. Ashley Judd serves as series narrator, introducing each 30-minute film. The series is a collaboration between THIRTEEN and the non-profit, BYkids.

Walk on My Own Preview

30s

Had Senegalese teen Ndèye Fatou Fall been born several years earlier, she and her friends would have been subjected to child marriage and other rituals harmful to girls. Mentored by filmmaker Elizabeth Hummer, Ndèye Fatou shares how her village abandoned these practices, and the ways in which these cultural shifts have empowered and transformed her community. Check local listings.

Out of Aleppo Preview

30s

Teen refugee Mohammad Shasho and his family fled war-torn Syria for Berlin, Germany. Now, they are struggling to make a new life, learning to navigate a different culture and communicate in a foreign language. Mentored by filmmaker Anja Baron, Mohammad shares how he and his fellow refugees are surviving displacement, and their hopes for a brighter future. Check local listings.

My Beautiful Nicaragua Preview

30s

Coffee is a way of life for Edelsin Mendez, age 12, and her family in Nicaragua. But climate change and shifting weather patterns are contributing to a crop disease and threatening coffee production in her community. Mentored by filmmaker Joyce Chopra, Edelsin conveys how her community is striving to maintain its traditions and livelihood, while forging a sustainable future. Check local listings.

Season 2 Films BYkids Preview

30s

Films BYkids pairs youth with accomplished filmmakers to create short personal documentaries that encourage understanding about global issues. Season two films explore the effects of climate change on coffee growers in Nicaragua, cultural shifts around child marriage in Senegal, Syrian refugees living in Germany, and the juvenile justice system in the U.S. Check local listings.

I Could Tell You ‘Bout My Life Preview

30s

Mike Martin, age 19, faced challenges growing up. At 17, he tagged along with friends who committed a felony. Unable to post bail, he was sent to Rikers Island, one of the country’s most violent prisons. Mentored by filmmakers Chiemi Karasawa and Hollis Meminger, Mike shines a light on the juvenile justice system, while providing a message of hope and encouragement to others. Check local listings.

Films ByKids Preview

33s

Films BYkids pairs teems with filmmaker-mentors to create short documentaries that encourage understanding about universal issues. Season three films explore historical trauma on a Native American reservation in Nebraska, resurgent Jewish life in Berlin, Germany, living and thriving with a disability in Maryland, and preserving cultural traditions while embracing globalization in Bhutan.

Home is Where You Find It Preview

33s

16-year-old Alcides Soares, like hundreds of thousands of kids in Mozambique, lost his parents to AIDS. Alcides is living apart from his sister and searching for a little brother he hasn't seen in 10 years. While he found shelter with a neighbor, many of Alcides' friends are living on their own, hoping for a better situation. Check local listings.

My Country is Tibet Preview

33s

India is home to tens of thousands of Tibetan refugees. But only one—17-year-old Namgyal Wangchuk Trichen Lhagyari—was crowned King of Tibet by the Dalai Lama. But this young exiled king doesn't live in a palace; he lives in a settlement and does chores. Mentored by filmmaker Dirk Simon, Namgyal shows how he and other young exiles preserve their traditions and culture. Check local listings.

Fire in our Hearts Preview

33s

Like most girls from rural India, 16-year-old Jayshree Janu Kharpade never expected to get an education. Instead, she had to work to help support her family. But union organizers were determined that girls from poor tribal villages have a better future and built a school. Check local listings.

Poet Against Prejudice Preview

33s

Moving to a new country was challenging for Faiza Almontaser, who immigrated with her family to the US from Yemen when she was in middle school. She faced vicious bullying because of her Islamic identity and lost close friends to hate crimes. Through it all, her family still embraced their new home, and Faiza found a creative outlet for self-expression. Check local listings.

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