The Youth Creating Change Program is excited to announce the 12th annual Awards Ceremony of the Directing Change Film Contest! The event will be hosted at the United Theatre on Broadway (formerly ACE Theater) in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday, May 21st from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This celebration will include screenings of films, guest speakers, as well as an opportunity to hear from the young filmmakers themselves!
Reserve your free ticket here.
Learn about sponsorship opportunities here.
The annual ceremony also celebrates outstanding achievement by directors, producers and actors of film and television, advocates, and social influencers, who serve as role models to the aspiring youth filmmakers in the program by using their platform and storylines to draw attention to mental health and suicide prevention. View the Directing Change 2024 Messaging Awards here.
Screen, Vote, and Share!
We are also once again hosting a People’s Choice Award! This is your chance to vote for your favorite film.
- Vote for your favorite film to win the “2024 People’s Choice” award in each category. The film will be recognized on social media and filmmakers will receive an Amazon gift card.
- Share your favorite films & tag us; every share will result in a donation to the program by one of our sponsors!
- Tag us @directingchange (Instagram, Tik Tok), @DirectChangeCA (Twitter), and @DirectingChangeCA (Facebook)
- Use some or all of the following hashtags on your post: #directingchange #takeaction4MH #suicideprevention #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #youthfilm #film #filmcontest
Suicide Prevention
Mental Health
Our Event Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor
Live Beyond
The recently launched Live Beyond campaign was developed for and by youth and the Office of the California Surgeon General. Live Beyond focuses on raising awareness and understanding of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), toxic stress, and their impacts while promoting strategies for young people to begin their healing journey.
Thank you to the Office of the California Surgeon General and the Live Beyond campaign for sponsoring this event, and for your commitment to supporting the emotional, mental, and behavioral health needs of California’s children, youth, and families. For more information, and to start your healing journey, visit livebeyondCA.org.
Signature Sponsor
Blue Shield
Returning as our signature event sponsor is the Blue Shield of California BlueSky youth mental health initiative. Leading with equity, BlueSky provides resources for youth, families, educators, and caregivers to promote emotional well-being for youth mental health supports through access, awareness, and advocacy. The initiative works with the California Department of Education (CDE) and nonprofit organizations to improve the health and well-being for all California youth, with a focus on health inequities in communities of color.
“Congratulations to the youth filmmakers and winners of the 2024 Directing Change Film Contest. Our Blue Shield of California’s BlueSky youth mental health initiative is working to bridge the gap between mental health stigma and youth mental health support. Your unique, creative lens and voice are needed more than ever to further increase mental health awareness and accessibility to resources that are often left uncovered. We are so proud, grateful, and honored to support your one of a kind work for the fourth year. Continue to make a change in your communities.”
Los Angeles County Office of Education’s Center for Distance and Online Learning Unit
In partnership with Directing Change, The Los Angeles County Office of Education’s Center for Distance and Online Learning Unit aims to amplify student voice and leadership by providing hybrid training for teachers/students to participate in The Directing Change Film Contest. This creative partnership fosters mental wellbeing and resiliency through the Arts. Thank you for making it possible for LA County students to attend this event!
This event was supported [in part] by grant number 6H79SM088086-01M001 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The content of this event does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of SAMHSA or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Your Social Marketer
Your Social Marketer, Inc has been a Directing Change partner for many years and is passionate about having the films seen by as many people as possible to inspire much-needed conversations on these topics in our schools, families and communities. They will make a donation for every “Share and Tag” of this year’s finalists.
Kaiser Permanente
Thank you to Kaiser Permanente for their sponsorship. Their Thriving Schools initiative brings together their extensive health care expertise and partnerships with nationally recognized and trusted organizations working to support schools in becoming a beacon of health in their community.
“At Kaiser Permanente, we’re committed to creating communities where people can be healthy in all the places they live, learn, work, and play. This is especially important in schools, which is why we launched Thriving Schools, our all-in engagement to improve health for students, staff, and teachers. As part of Thriving Schools, we partner with young leaders throughout the development process to improve the health of schools. Their lived experiences and expertise on the unique pressures on today’s youth are invaluable to ensure we provide the right tools that feel safe and culturally responsive. We applaud the young filmmakers for bringing awareness to these important topics in a creative, engaging way!”
