The 12th Annual “Do It Your Damn Self!!” National Youth Video and Film Festival on November 14-15, 2008 at the Boston Public Library and M.I.T.’s Wong Auditorium
Posted by editor@vimooz.com on October 28, 2008 under "Do It Your Damn Self!!" National Youth Video and Film | 
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The12th Annual “Do It Your Damn Self!!” National Youth Video and Film Festival will be held November 14-15, 2008 at the Boston Public Library and M.I.T.’s Wong Auditorium. The DIYDS!! Festival was created in 1996 by four inner-city teenage girls who felt misrepresented in the media and wanted their videos seen by a wider audience. It now serves as a tool of empowerment for youth to gain important leadership and public speaking skills as well as express their vision of the role they play in society.
The festival has also become a nexus in the growing youth media field. A School Screening at the Boston Public Library attracts hundreds of students and teachers from media production classes all over Massachusetts. This year, Cambridge teens screened over 100 entries and selected the final 13 films based on 5 criteria including technical quality and strength of message. Film selections for DIYDS!! 08 include:
The Y Project (Teen Media Project, Cambridge, MA)
A creative narrative about questioning assumptions inspired by Ralph Brancaccio’s Y-Project sculptures erected at various locations installed in various Cambridge parks.
Racism in Espanola (Espanola High School, Espanola, NM)
A documentary about the racism experienced by people around our country in which teens ask why Mexican-Americans are discriminated against.
Hard Knot Life (Truce Harlem Children’s Project, Harlem, NY)
This documentary takes a realistic look at ghettos and substance abuse in Harlem.
Applying for Change (Community Television Network, Chicago, IL)
A narrative of two brothers, one hustles his way through the streets, one wants to go to college.
Filmmakers from around the country will arrive in Cambridge Friday Nov. 14th to participate in a panel discussion at the School Screening at Boston Public Library from 10am - 2:00 pm. Over 300 students and teachers from the Boston area will attend the screening and workshop. On Saturday families and children are invited to join the first ever CommUNITY Media Day at Central Square Theater from 1-3 pm, featuring workshops for families, a screening of the new DIYDS Jr!! features films by 6-12 year old filmmakers and The Chickens of Ventura Fabien, directed by Nina Hasin. Saturday evening brings the ticketed public Premiere Screening to M.I.T.’s Wong Auditorium. A moderated discussion and Q&A session with filmmakers allows the audience to interface with the films in a unique way. Celebration follows at the Premiere Party at MIT’s Morss Hall from 9-12 pm. Tickets for the Premiere Screening or Premiere Party can be purchased online at www.diyds.org.