Youth Documentary Filmmakers

Daria Strachan is a 12th grade student at the Edmund Burke School where she holds a 3.9 GPA. She is very engaged with her school community including her participation on the girls varsity basketball team and the Eco Club. Outside of school, she has a long history of advocating and supporting DC youth experiencing homelessness. Daria has always loved art, including ceramics, painting, and sketching, and plans to major in film for college. Her main inspiration for becoming a filmmaker is to present others with the positive representation she wished she was able to see when she was younger, in order to help change the world for the better.

Lila Purcell is a current sophomore at DC International School with a current GPA of 4.0. Lila has grown her interest in filmmaking after engaging in her school's Film Analysis and Video Production courses in which she picked up skills on how to conceptualize and make her own films, as well as begin to learn the film industry's core soft skills. Lila is also engaged in her school's Track and field team and their Crew team. With a few short films under her belt already, Lila greatly aspires to produce a film to then submit to a film festival, hence her participation in the AYMF Documentary Program.

Yaa Bonsu is a 15-year-old sophomore student at Wilson Baker Academy for Excellence and Achievement. Yaa hopes to expand her editing skills and gain a deeper knowledge of the film world. Her interest in film making comes from a curiosity on what happens behind the lens. She is really intrigued in the process of taking your vision and making it a reality through film. Throughout her life she has taken part in various extracurricular activities such as Tennis, Ice Skating, and Competitive Swimming. In the future she aims to create a film of her own, highlighting people of color in the world of film and production.

Fiona McCarthy is 16 years away old and a junior at DC International School. She began filmmaking in 8th grade after participating in a program where she was tasked with writing a screenplay for a short film which was later chosen to be read by professional actors. She went to the Student Television Network competition in Long Beach during her sophomore year. Now, she is chief editor of her school’s multimedia club and in an advanced film analysis class. She hopes to one day go to film school for directing and screenwriting!

Perry Chamberlain attends School Without Walls in Washington, D.C. She is interested in the intersection of art and activism, using creative techniques to amplify underrepresented voices and address social issues. New to filmmaking, she has spent the last two summers learning creative messaging and storytelling through illustration and public art. She is also interested in education and creative learning approaches. She is an after-school classroom helper for elementary students in multiple schools across DC, and volunteers with FoodPrints, a school-based program that combines health and nutrition education with garden-based science and cooking lessons.

Tafari Bonsu is an 8th grader at Wilson-Baker Academy, a private school in Maryland. He enjoys shooting and editing videos, is very interested in tech, and also enjoys playing all sports. He joined the program to expand his understanding of editing and taking videos to hopefully start editing and shooting his videos one day.

Maya Hendricks attends Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, Md and is a resident of Washington, DC. She enjoys cooking, taking pictures, and playing golf. Maya likes to reflect on life experiences through photography and film. Maya’s photo, “I’m OMW to Make OUR-Story,” came in 3rd place in the 2023 President’s Park Youth Photography Competition. She volunteers as a wardrobe assistant for her school’s theater productions. Maya likes working behind the scenes and collaborating with others to tell a story.

Sylvia Panetta is a high school senior who has been in the IB DP Film program for 2 years. She was also a student in video production in both 9th and 10th grade. She was entered and nominated for an award at the All-American High School Film Festival for sports broadcast journalism. In 10th grade, she also went to California with her school to participate in the Student Television Network festival. She loves the environment and the outdoors. In the future, she is interested in incorporating both the environment and filmmaking.

Kodi Jordan is in Middle School at DC International. “My name is Kodi Jordan. I am 12 years old. I am an author and an actor as well as a musician. I have been on a film called "Social Media Be Like" and I am learning to film and make stories. I joined the Curator's Circle because I am thinking of making a new series and I want to learn new film techniques.

Elliot Zwirn-Williams is a student at DCI High School. He first began filmmaking in 9th grade, where he took a film analysis class, because he enjoyed photography, and thought he might enjoy film as well. He has been recognized at media festivals for photography and film. He also enjoys ultimate frisbee, drawing, reading, and board games.

Dylan Parker is a sophomore honors student at Jackson Reed High School, located in NW Washington, DC. His passion for the arts and commitment to advocacy make him stand out among his peers. As a member of the Academy of Creative Media at Jackson Reed, Dylan has demonstrated exceptional talent and creativity in various forms of media. Beyond his academic pursuits, Dylan is a vocal advocate for neurodiversity and inclusion. He actively participates in workshops aimed at promoting awareness and understanding of neurodiverse individuals. Dylan participates in College Bound, enjoys hockey, making videos, photography, building LEGO, and collecting action figures.