Press & Events
Youth Documentary Academy Broadens Young Horizons
Originally created by J. Adrian Stanley, December 26, 2018
When Noah Anderson found out he was one of 12 local teens selected for the annual Youth Documentary Academy program, he was thrilled to have a chance to make his own films with the help of experts.
Noah Anderson
It’s a rare opportunity. Most film schools for teens are elite institutions, but YDA is free, and specifically targets underserved kids. The nonprofit is the brainchild of filmmaker Tom Shepard, a gay man who grew up here and had few outlets for his passion for film or ways to speak about his personal journey as a youngster. He wanted to give a new generation of kids the experience he once longed for.
But Anderson didn’t end up making a film. Shepard decided to try something different with this year’s class: explore the other side of making documentaries by securing screenings, developing promotional campaigns, and hopefully, ensuring a film makes an impact on the world.
