Teach For America Showcase
In collaboration with One Day Studio at Teach For America, Cine Las Americas presents a selection of films by youth and educators, all of which contribute to — and invite — dialogues about educational equity. This series of short films compliments Cine Las Americas’ mission of promoting cross-cultural understanding by expanding the regions of the country that are represented in this year’s programs, and foregrounding youth and educator voices in support of inclusive and culturally responsive educational opportunities for all. Learn more about Teach For America and how you can join the movement for educational equity here: teachforamerica.org
Free & open to the public
June 11, 2022 at 4pm, ESB-MACC
Filmmaker Q&A to follow the screening
Films are listed in alphabetical order, not in order of appearance.
‘Ohana and ‘Āina: Connecting Family, Farming, and Freedom
A film by Jade Onaka, Joel Serin-Christ
United States, 2021
Documentary, Animation
6 min, Color
English, Hawaiian
17-year-old high school student Jade Onaka explores her family’s history to learn about the farming practices and Indigenous food systems that sustained Hawaiians for generations.
Jade Onaka is a high school junior in Kona, Hawai‘i interested in photography, cinematography, journalism, politics, and Hawaiian culture. Joel Serin-Christ is a filmmaker, writer, and producer in Berkeley, CA.
At this High School, Newcomer Students Find More than Academics
A film by Joel Serin-Christ, Faviola Leyva
United States, 2018
Documentary
6 min, Color
English, English subtitles
Ten miles outside the nation’s capital, a young high school’s diverse community of newcomer students is surprising everyone, on the soccer field and in classrooms.
Joel Serin-Christ (he/him) is a filmmaker, writer, and producer in Berkeley, CA. Faviola Leyva (she/her/ella) is a video producer at Teach For America and filmmaker based in San Diego, California.
Color the Streets
A film by Aidan Matthews, Andrew Garcia, Abel Espinoza, Bianca Torres, Destiny Arambula
United States, 2022
Documentary, Video Journalism
4 min, Color
English, No subtitles
San Antonio artists Israel Rico and Bill FitzGibbons discuss what motivates their art and the offerings of San Antonio’s vibrant public art scene.
The five student filmmakers behind this film are part of a production team called Eagle News Network (ENN), advised by TFA-trained teacher, Noah Fortson (San Antonio ’20) at, Brackenridge High School in San Antonio, Texas. Their class of 16 students creates award-winning content that explores the school community and beyond.
Day Camp on Navajo Nation
A film by Faviola Leyva
United States, Navajo Nation, 2018
Video Journalism
3 min, Color
English, English subtitles
Dlǫ́ǫ́ʼ Yázhí (Little Prairie Dog) Day Camp is a free summer camp serving kids on and around Navajo Nation, where the suicide rate is double the national average. Co-founded by Claire Opel and Leah Strelsin, the camp promotes social and emotional growth to strengthen the protective factors that combat youth suicide.
Faviola Leyva is a video producer at Teach For America and filmmaker based in San Diego, California. She earned her Master of Journalism from the University of California, Berkeley where she specialized in video storytelling. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Spanish from UC Santa Barbara. She has taught video production in Oakland, CA, and has experience reporting in Argentina, Belize, and nationwide throughout the United States.
The Eldest Daughter
A film by Kimberly Mendiola Leon
United States, 2021
Documentary
2 min, Color
English, English subtitles
A personal reflection on being the eldest daughter in an immigrant household.
Kimberly Mendiola Leon (she/her) is a young Mexican-Guatemalan filmmaker from Bell Gardens, California whose storytelling focuses on current events, and self-identity. Kimberly’s films have premiered at multiple film festivals around the country and her work has been highlighted on Good Morning America. She’s currently being mentored by Will Packer Productions where she hopes to continue growing as a filmmaker and leaving her mark in the industry. The Eldest Daughter was produced in collaboration with Youth Cinema Project.
Human Endeavor
A film by Selisa Gutierrez, Damian Uribe
United States, 2019
Personal Reflection
3 min, Color
English, English subtitles
A personal, emotional, and motivational student project from 2019 about the personal turmoils and internal dialogue about growing older, and finding the self-comfort from within to look at the greener and brighter things of growing up.
Into the Circle
A film by Scott Faris, Meg Griffiths
United States, 2021
Documentary
17 min, Color
Lakota, No subtitles
Into the Circle tells the story of a resilient Indigenous family, their journey through life-altering tragedy, and the community that helped them reconnect with their Lakota heritage.
Co-directors Meg Griffiths(she/her) and Scott Faris (he/him, TFA Alumnus, South Dakota ’08) are the documentary filmmakers behind Universe Creative, a storytelling agency committed to social impact video storytelling. Former journalists, teachers, and nonprofit leaders, Meg and Scott have collaborated on short films for the past 10 years with an emphasis on education, rural communities, and Indigenous issues. They frequently collaborate with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other national foundations and nonprofits, and are currently in production on their first feature-length film set in southern West Virginia.
More Than a Number
A film by Abey, Nevaeh, Kiara
United States, 2019
Documentary, Advocacy
4 min, Color
English
Three teens currently living in a group home set out to investigate what everyday people know and understand about foster care in Texas. This film was produced as part of the Youth Media Lab’s summer workshop at the University of North Texas. For two weeks, teens collaborate with Media Arts college students to learn how to produce a creative media project of their choice.
Abey (she), Naveah (she), and Kiara (she) are three teen girls experiencing foster care in north Texas. Their full names and faces have been excluded in order to protect their privacy.
Rooted Reinvention: Hawai’i
A film by Lia-Lucine Cary
Kingdom of Hawaii, United States, 2021
Documentary
10 min, Color
English, Hawaiian; English & Hawaiian subtitles
Despite the trauma of the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, the cultural denigration, and generations of forced western colonization of Hawaiians, one public school, Kaneohe Elementary, is finding healing through reinventing learning at their school. They are finding the most powerful form of reinvention is looking back to the roots of indigenous Hawaiian values, language, and learning styles.
Lia-Lucine is a creative filmmaker whose central aim is to capture untold stories of regular people doing inspiring things that change the way we see the world. While Lia has nearly been run over by Hawaiian outrigger canoes while holding heavy camera gear, chased ultra-runners across remote terrain, and found herself surrounded by mutinous middle schoolers in a holiday music video, her favorite thing is always the people. Lia teamed up with the Reinvention Lab at Teach For America to tell real, human stories of learning environments radically departing from the status quo in the Kingdom of Hawai’i, which culminated in the three-part series “Rooted Reinvention.” This is Episode 1. To watch other episodes and learn more about the Reinvention Lab, find them on social @reinventionlab.
Students Soar in Flight School
A film by Faviola Leyva, Joel Serin-Christ
United States, 2019
Video Journalism
3 min, Color
English, English subtitles
Itati Giron is one of six seniors that are part of the school’s aerospace magnet program. See the view from her classroom — the cockpit of a single-engine propeller plane — and hear how flight school is her runway to inter-planetary dreams.
Joel Serin-Christ (he/him) is a filmmaker, writer, and producer in Berkeley, CA. Faviola Leyva (she/her/ella) is a video producer at Teach For America and filmmaker based in San Diego, California.
Talking Is The Only Line In The Sand
A film by Winona Little Owl, Faviola Leyva
United States, 2021
Documentary, Animation
5 min, Color
Lakota, English, English subtitles
19-year-old college student Winona Little Owl shares her family’s story of how they’re keeping the Native American language, Lakota, alive. Less than 100 out of more than 500 Native American languages are still spoken in the United States. Lakota falls in the top five percent of surviving languages, being one of only eight Native American languages with over 5,000 speakers.
Winona Little Owl is a college student in Tohono O’odham Nation (Arizona). Faviola Leyva is a video producer at Teach For American and filmmaker in Kumeyaay Nation (San Diego, CA).
The Story of La Promesa
A film by Luke J Rabalais
United States, 2021
Documentary
4 min, Color
English, Spanish; English subtitles
Hundreds of thousands of immigrants call Houston “home,” but few educational opportunities cater to this. Aldine ISD, the ninth largest school district in Texas, committed to delivering on “The Promise.” La Promesa is a school for newcomers to the country that provides a quality education to all students in their native languages and developing bilingual proficiency.
Luke J Rabalais (he/him) works as the full-time Filmmaker, Screenwriter, Photographer, and Sound Engineer in Aldine ISD. He is passionate about his faith, his wife, his city, and his work. His dream is to show what is possible in the film industry through servant leadership and taking care of his team first. He values honesty, intentionality, and leadership and seeks to provide development opportunities for all of his teams.
TransLatin@ Migrations: Life, Love & Triumphs
A film by Armando Ibañez
United States, 2022
Documentary, Nonfiction profile
5 min, Color
Spanish, English subtitles
Suanne is a trans woman from El Salvador who migrated to the United States in search of safety and a better life. This is just one of 25 trans migrants sharing their stories of strength and courage in the short documentary series, TransLatin@ Migrations: Life, Love & Triumphs released in 2022 by The TransLatin@ Coalition.
Armando Ibañez is a queer filmmaker from Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico. Armando is committed to portraying authentic Latinx characters and addressing real issues impacting immigrants and LGBTQ communities in the United States.
When Spirits Dance
A film by Faviola Leyva
United States, 2022
Documentary, Video Journalism
13 min, Color
English, Spanish, Spanish subtitles
Performing arts teacher Christopher Sandoval taps into his students’ cultural identities and family histories by exploring a holiday centered around the dead.
Faviola Leyva is a video producer at Teach For America and filmmaker based in San Diego, California. She earned her Master of Journalism from the University of California, Berkeley where she specialized in video storytelling. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Spanish from UC Santa Barbara. She has taught video production in Oakland, CA, and has experience reporting in Argentina, Belize, and nationwide throughout the United States.