Q: You began filmmaking with simple tools during a challenging time. How did that experience shape your voice as a storyteller?
A: An old iPhone, the free iMovie software, and a good story are the three things that I used to produce my first four student films, including Guiding Light and Second Chance that received many film festival awards and screenings. I started making films during an uncertain and lonely time when school sites were closed for over a year. I focused the lens on the stories of others, especially those who are overlooked or marginalized. That experience will always shape how I approach filmmaking.
Q: What did winning the Student Category at Jackson Doc Fest mean to you at such a young age?
A: This festival’s award was a pinch-me moment for me. The festival recognized Guiding Light, a film that I made when I was 12 to 13 years old. This award opened doors to more challenging interviews and projects. I will never forget how much this festival has done for me!
Q: What did winning the Student Category at Jackson Doc Fest mean to you at such a young age?
A: My films have focused on subjects such as making the world a safer place for children (Guiding Light) and the possibility of second chances for juvenile offenders (Second Chance). These themes are important to me because I am also a part of the age group directly impacted by these issues. I try to bring a special perspective because of that connection.
Q: Your films often focus on resilience and second chances. Why are these themes important to you?
A: My films have focused on subjects such as making the world a safer place for children (Guiding Light) and the possibility of second chances for juvenile offenders (Second Chance). These themes are important to me because I am also a part of the age group directly impacted by these issues. I try to bring a special perspective because of that connection.
Q: As a high school filmmaker tackling complex social issues, how do you approach research and responsibility in storytelling?
A: Each five to eight minute documentary has taken me about a year to produce. Each involves a complex social issue that takes months of research and interviews. I also try to include many sides of the story. For example, Second Chance follows the journey as told by a juvenile offender and his parents into juvenile hall and court, and also includes insights from the juvenile court judge, attorneys for the juveniles and probation officer. As another example, Guiding Light focuses on the kidnapping of teenager Polly Klaas on the thirty-year anniversary of the case, and includes interviews from the prosecutor, defense attorney, police chief, and the head of the nonprofit dedicated to child safety. I take research and responsibility in storytelling very seriously because that is the right thing to do. Also, the audience deserves and expects that.
Q: What motivates you to tell stories that address real societal challenges?
A: I make short student documentaries on very challenging issues because I genuinely care, and I see the need to tell these stories. I would not spend a year on each project unless my heart was all in on the project.
Q: How has screening at festivals around the world influenced your perspective as a filmmaker?
A: I make my films simply because the stories are compelling and should be told. There is so much uncertainty about whether the work of a high school student filmmaker will ever screen at festivals. I just did not expect that my last two films would screen in so many US and foreign locations! That opened my eyes to how much reach and impact a film can have in the world now. When my work is selected for screenings or awards in places far away, I feel so honored that my work could have that type of appeal.
Q: What responsibility do you believe young filmmakers have in documenting today’s cultural and social issues?
A: Young filmmakers are trying to document the cultural and social issues. I know this because I have seen their great films at festivals for five years! If young filmmakers are making documentaries, I believe they are held to the same standards as adult filmmakers, which include accuracy, transparency, fairness and privacy.
Q: What advice would you give to other student filmmakers who are just starting out?
A: Since I am a high student filmmaker, I am always asking others for their advice and I am not usually giving advice! If a student filmmaker asks me for advice, I would say that making the student film is only a part of the journey for a successful film. Promotion and networking are important parts of filmmaking, even for student filmmakers.
Q: Looking ahead, what kinds of stories do you hope to tell in the future?
A: I just released my new short documentary “No Small Matter”, which explores a groundbreaking new court system aimed at addressing society’s mental health crisis. I am also working on two short documentaries on stories that absolutely have to be told. Both involve huge societal issues that youth face, and remarkably there do not appear to be student films on these subjects
Q: Where do you see yourself as a filmmaker in the next ten years?
A: I am in my second year of high school, and I have grown up in a small, agricultural town which was once known as the “Egg Basket of the World.” The opportunities for me to study filmmaking here are limited. In the next ten years, I hope to have finished my formal education in filmmaking and legal studies. I see myself continuing to make films on complex societal issues, but with better knowledge and understanding. I believe that no matter what, I will still be the same person inside that picked up an iPhone in the fifth grade to tell those stories that just must be told.
Q: Who is your biggest mentor growing up?
A: No one person has been my biggest mentor in my journey as a young filmmaker. There have been so many people that have blown wind behind my sail. I would like to say a huge thank you to every person that has said “Yes” along the way, as this has allowed me to be where I am now.
