SoCal Clips Indie Film Fest has accepted IN THE PATH OF MY FATHER for its 2016 season! This year's festival takes place at The Historic Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, CA from August 12-14 and was voted one of the "Best Emerging Film Festivals in Los Angeles" by Film Fest Spot in 2015. 

 https://vimeo.com/ondemand/inthepathofmyfather

IN THE PATH OF MY FATHER is directed by Raseph “Ra” Wright, co-edited by his sister Sia Wright and produced by an all-youth crew participating in Meridian Hill Pictures/Sitar Arts Center's Youth Documentary Film Program. The film tells the personal story of two brothers growing up in DC without their father, and how relationships with their family, peers, community leaders and the arts have helped them cope.

Since the film's completion in Fall 2015, it has screened at five festivals including Reel Independent Film Extravaganza (RIFE), Bethesda Film Fest, Annapolis Film Festival (AFF), Spirit Quest Film Fest, and National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY). Our team is thrilled to have the film screened on both coasts and we're extremely proud of the students who created this compelling story.

Tickets to Socal CIFF go on sale July 12th HERE

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About The Youth Documentary Program

The Youth Documentary Program offers youth in DC the opportunity to find their creative voice and build leadership and other vital 21st century learning skills by learning the art of documentary filmmaking. Formed through a partnership between Sitar Arts Center and Meridian Hill Pictures, the yearlong program provides youth ages 10-18 the transformative experience of making a nonfiction film that speaks to relevant issues in their lives and communities. In its five-year history, the Youth Documentary Program has been recognized locally and nationally for its quality and impact:

• Previous student-produced films LIFE AS A COLLAGE and DOING IT FOR ME have won numerous accolades and screened at festivals across the US.

• The Department of Education invited students from the program to participate in a panel discussion and screening for policymakers.

• In 2013, program participants were invited to the White House for a national symposium on filmmaking careers.

• Students and program facilitators have been featured on the Kojo Nnamdi Show and in other local press outlets.

Throughout the program, students work closely with professional teaching artists at Meridian Hill Pictures who guide them through all stages of the production process. Students pitch and storyboard non-fiction stories that address personal and community issues, interview and film subjects in the field, edit their footage using professional editing software, and develop outreach and distribution strategies for their film. Taking on the roles of a professional production crew builds participants’ essential collaboration skills as well as their technical expertise. Students also have the opportunity to showcase their film at community screenings, travel to local film festivals, and speak about their work in front of a variety of audiences. Through the Youth Documentary Program’s innovative, standards-based curriculum, participants are able to experience what it is like to be a professional filmmaker while building creative confidence and vital 21st century leadership skills.