One of our favorite things to ask young filmmakers is, “What are you working on next?” As their talent and style evolve, the young filmmakers at CineYouth provide us with a window to their world and the opportunity to watch them as they grow.

The CineYouth Film Pitch is a one-day program that allows select participants to present their works-in-progress to a panel of industry professionals for a chance to get direct feedback from the experts who know the film business best. Oh, and one lucky pitch participant will win a cash prize to support their project!

2019 Pitch Participants:

Emily Gray, Age: 20, Project: The Scholar – WINNER!
Kristina Tokar, Age: 21, Project: Family Tree
Sriram Papolu, Age: 19, Project: Blood Water Brothers
Grace Golembiewski, Age: 18, Project: A Touch of Heart

Colleen Griffen

Colleen Griffen wrote, directed, and produced the mockumentary web series boyband, which was acquired by Fullscreen and Audience Network in May of 2016. She also wrote and produced her feature directorial debut, The Cold and the Quiet, in 2013, which won both Best Narrative and Best Direction at the Women’s Independent Film Festival in L.A. In addition, Colleen has produced three feature films: Already Dead (2007) for Sony Pictures, Thieves Quartet (1994) and the recently released political thriller An Acceptable Loss (Tika Sumpter, Jamie Lee Curtis). Griffen has multiple projects in development

Eugene Park

Eugene Park is a filmmaker and producer working in narrative and experimental forms. His films have screened at over 400 festivals, micro-cinemas, museums, galleries, and alternative screening venues around the world. He is also the founder and executive director of Full Spectrum Features, an organization dedicated to diversity in film and media.

Mehrnaz Saeed-Vafa

Mehrnaz Saeed-Vafa is a filmmaker and professor of film at Columbia College Chicago department of Cinema and Television Arts. She has made number of award-winning films including The Silent Majority, A Tajik Woman, Saless far from Home, and Jerry & Me. She has written extensively on Iranian cinema. Her book on Abbas Kiarostami co-written with Jonathan Rosenbaum was published in 2003 (the new expanded second edition has been out since March 2018).