A Night of Inspiration; 2014 "It's My Life' Youth Film Festival!

The 2014 “It’s My Life” film festival was a huge success and a truly inspiring night with young film makers around Atlanta. One unique aspect of the “It’s My Life” film festival is that it’s open to all youth under 23, whether you’re in college, high school, middle, or elementary school. Our youngest film maker was just seven years old this year!

This year we had twelve entries that were selected to be a part of the festival.  Every film maker was given a certificate for being selected and we’re super grateful that WonderRoot Community Art Center awarded every film maker with a free year membership! Young film makers now have access to all sorts of really amazing resources and classes! Big props to WonderRoot for providing this really important resource year after year!

Four films were given special recognition and two received a grand prize:

What If?

By Tameka Campbell and KeSaunna Irby 

Received the Student Career Alternatives Program award presented by Victoria Temple

Home Defenders

By Dillon Meusa and Jahla Jeffry

Received the Occupy Our Homes Atlanta award presented by Mildred Obi

It's My Life Undocumented

By Meredith McKay

Received the WonderRoot award presented by Josie Figueroa

After showing the film took a collection from the crowd to help fund Freedom University

Psychological Warfare

By Taj Omari

Received the Georgia WAND award presented by Becky Rafter

My Life My World

By Rich Will

Received the over 18 grand prize awarded by Dawn Gibson of the Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition

Show Me My Options

By Thalia Butts and Sydney Seabron

Received the under 18 grand prize awarded by Kamau Franklin with the American Friends Service Committee

Check out all the other “It’s My Life’ film festival selections here

We want to give a special thanks to:

All of our AMAZING volunteers, you all made this happen!!

Our Sponsors:

WonderRoot Community Art Center

Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition

Georgia WAND

Occupy Our Homes Atlanta

…and a big thanks to the Plaza Theater!

Be sure to join the new "It's My Life" facebook page to keep in touch!

"It's My Life" Film Festival Hit's Atlanta 4/29!

Join us at our 4th annual screening of the "It's MyLife" Youth Film Festival!

FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

6:30-- filmmakers walk the red carpet, take photographs, "Make the Connection" intros with youth justice & arts organizations

7:00--screening immediately followed by awards ceremony

afterward--networking in the lobby

"It's My Life" challenges youth filmmakers age 23 and under from around metro Atlanta to think about tough social justice questions and express their solutions creatively through 3 minute films. Every submission is shown on the big screen at the Plaza Theatre, and winners will be announced in person at the event.

This free event is a great networking opportunity for young filmmakers, family, friends, teachers, youth workers, and the community. Let's celebrate local youth using their talents to think about how to make change for peace and justice!

The dealine to enter is 4/24 at midnight, still time! Youcan also see info for the 2014 contest, including the guidelines and themequestions here.

Like our page and learn more about the festival here.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @itsmylife_atl for news and updates!

Prizes are provided by our wonderful sponsors:

American Friends Service Committee

Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition

Georgia WAND (Women's Action for New Directions)

Occupy Our Homes Atlanta

WonderRoot Community Arts Center

"It's My Life" Youth Film Fest a Big Success!!

To Mark the third, "It's My Life" youth art event Student Career Alternatives Program, a project of AFSC, wanted to try something different.

This year we decided to organize a youth film festival instead of a general art contest. Our thinking was that short thematic films could have a greater impact beyond the art contest event itself and that it would be really cool for youth to see their films on the big screen.

We were really excited to have eight short films qualify for the contest(click here to see them all)

The festival was held at the Plaza theater this past Tuesday and was really well attended. It was great to have teachers, youth, and parents come together to watch and honor the work that went into these films.

Awards went to the following film makers:


The SCAP Career Alternatives Award presented by Dalia Alvarez
Kayla Crumbley for, "A Silver Screen Dream"

The WAND Award presented by Courtney Hanson
Katherine Sudakova and Paul Duhe for, "Love....Just Love"

The Wonderroot Youth Film Maker Award presented by Jennifer Lobsenz
Tesh Yana for, "Horizons School"














OOHA Housing Justice Award presented by Carmen Pittman
Christianna Marino for, "How to Fight Poverty Locally"

The Cash Grand Prize was presented by Tim Franzen
Daniel MiQuel for, "Gotta Make a Change"









Every official "It's My Life" youth film festival selection was awarded with a certificate and a one year pass to Wonderroot Community Art Center. At Wonderroot youth will have free access to a digital media lab, a dark room, performance space, ceramic studio, and a recording studio!

We were also grateful to have former "It's My Life" youth art contest winner Aisha Ra'nee present to give all the youth film makers words of encouragement. Aisha's video entry several years ago is one of the reasons we decided to try doing a film festival this year. After winner 2011's art contest Aisha went on to enter a film program at Georgia State University where she has thrived as a student. 

We want to give a big thanks to all of this year's sponsors, Georgia WAND, Wonderroot, Occupy Our Homes Atlanta, and The Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition.

Also a big thanks to the Plaza Theater for giving us a discount prize on the theater rental.

This event would not have been possible with out the countless hours of volunteer time that Victoria Temple and Erica Schoon put into this project! Thank you both for your amazing service!

For more pictures of the event visit SCAP's Facebook group and join here.

Can't wait till next year!!

Standing For Peace, 8 Years Later

During the build up to the Iraq invasion of 2003 members Georgia Wand put all call out to the Atlanta community to hold a weekly demonstration outside of Zell Millers office. Members of the Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition, Every Church a Peace Church, Concerned Black Clergy, Veterans For Peace, American Friends Service Committee, the International Action Center, and many others answered the call.

Demonstrations outside of Miller's office at Colony Square against the Iraq war began in August of 2002 and have continued since. Through the years the number of folks that come out has gone up and down but Georgia Wand has remained committed to keeping that corner of Peachtree and 14th occupied by folks with a message of peace and resistance of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.


They continue to meet at Colony Square(Peachtree & 14th) weekly from 12-1pm.

Photo's By Al Viola



Tim Franzen
American Friends Service Committee