Please view and download the amazing films created by our young and talented filmmakers and check out this tip sheet for ideas to use the films. You can also check out our hand-outs for a selection of past films, watch or host a larger screening from the links below, and view films by submission year, county, or diverse community. We love to hear how you are using the films!
Hand-Outs.
The Directing Change team has created a series of hand-outs with a selection of films in each category:
Selection of Suicide Prevention PSAs
Selection of Mental Health PSAs
Selection of Through the Lens of Culture PSAs
Selection of Animated Short PSAs
Selection of Walk in Our Shoes PSAs
Selection of LGBTQ Films and Art
2023 Los Angeles County Films and Art
Screenings.
The following screenings include a selection of top films from the past few years, by category:
Suicide Prevention Screening
Mental Health Matters Screening
Through the Lens of Culture Screening
SanaMente Screening
Walk in Our Shoes Screening
Los Angeles County 2020 Screening
These student testimonials from program participants can also be used to share their films and their stories:
Student Testimonial: Puedo Enfrentarlo
Student Testimonial: Hashiru
Student Testimonial: We Don’t Do That
Student Testimonial: Abbreviated Soliloquies
Student Testimonial: Choose to Stay
Student Testimonial: Our Battle
Films by County & for Diverse Communities.
In addition, you can view films by county and by specific, diverse communities:
Films by County
Films for Diverse Communities
2024 Winners
The following films are our regional and specialty category winners for 2024. Honorable Mentions for each category may be added, contingent upon receiving release forms.
View monthly Hope & Justice Category winners here
Jump to:
2024 Suicide Prevention Regional Winners (Region 1)
2024 Suicide Prevention Regional Winners (Region 2)
2024 Suicide Prevention Regional Winners (Region 3)
2024 Suicide Prevention Regional Winners (Region 4)
2024 Suicide Prevention Regional Winners (Region 5)
2024 Mental Health Regional Winners (Region 1)
2024 Mental Health Regional Winners (Region 2)
2024 Mental Health Regional Winners (Region 3)
2024 Mental Health Regional Winners (Region 4)
2024 Mental Health Regional Winners (Region 5)
2024 Through the Lens of Culture Statewide Winners
2024 Animated Short Statewide Winners
2024 Walk in Our Shoes – Suicide Prevention Statewide Winners
2024 Walk in Our Shoes – Mental Health Statewide Winners
2024 Walk in Our Shoes – Empathy Statewide Winners
2024 Hope and Justice Statewide Winners
2024 Special Recognitions
2024 Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Statewide Winners
Suicide Prevention
First Place: “Speaking Up”
Riverside County
Eleanor Roosevelt High School
Filmmakers: Kaden Ammara, Kristopher Saucedo, Jayden Johns, and Gewelle Grim
Advisor: Jacob Fuller
View & Download
Second Place: “The Race”
Butte County
Pleasant Valley High School
Filmmakers: Shannon Fong and Altreb Baysa
Advisor: Michael Peck
View & Download
Third Place: “See the Signs”
San Diego County
Mira Mesa High School
Filmmakers: Lucia Nguyen, Duke DelaRosa, Eljen Lacibal, Kimberly Tran, Sophia Patawaran, Jeniffer Luu and Austin Galon
Advisor: Tobias Schwartz
View & Download
Mental Health
First Place: “Beyond the Surface”
Orange County
Los Alamitos High School
Filmmakers: Kyan Whiten, Jessica Bae, Brooke Tomooka, Emily Fitzgerald, and Ella Shapiro
Advisor: Conner Brown
View & Download
Second Place: “Unfold Hope”
Contra Costa County
Dougherty Valley High School
Filmmakers: Megan Suh, Aditri Katarey, Lillian Jacob, Shivani Ravindra, and Lisha Nagesh
Advisor: Tehseen Khan
View & Download
Third Place: “Don’t Ignore the Signs”
Los Angeles County
Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts
Filmmakers: Synnove Alarcon-Toven, Jonah Forsythe, Tessa Michelis, Mariah Berger, Lucie Conlan, Baz Felber, Sergio Preciado, and Ivy Burke
Advisor: Jorge Caridad
View & Download
2024 Regional High School/Youth and Young Adult Winners – Suicide Prevention
Region 1
San Diego, Orange, and Imperial County
* First Place: “See the Signs” (Advancing to statewide round of judging)
San Diego County
Mira Mesa High School
Filmmakers: Lucia Nguyen, Duke DelaRosa, Eljen Lacibal, Kimberly Tran, Sophia Patawaran, Jeniffer Luu and Austin Galon
Advisor: Tobias Schwartz
View & Download
* Second Place and Team Pick: “Reach Out” (Team Pick – Advancing to statewide round of judging)
San Diego County
Mission Hills High School
Filmmakers: Savannah Stephens, Zahid Perez-Cruz, Tyler Reed, Maya Bodiwala, and Fabby Torres
Advisor: Heidi Kniseley
View & Download
Third Place (TIED): “Through A Different Lens”
Orange County
Canyon High School
Filmmakers: Michael Stanphill and Griffin Henninger
Advisor: Alex Graham
View & Download
Third Place (TIED): “Don’t Be Afraid To Ask…”
San Diego County
Canyon Hills High School
Filmmakers: Sophia Lee, Samantha Lee, and Pylin Hoefer
Advisor: John Snedden
View & Download
Honorable Mentions
“See The Signs”
San Diego County
Helix Charter High School
Filmmakers: Ilean Rosenal, Alisa Oluwo, and Evelyn Miller
Advisor: Matt Guarnotta
View & Download
“A Friend in Need”
Orange County
Costa Mesa High School
Filmmakers: India Howerton, Karis Howerton, and Nathan Broxton
Advisor: Kirby Piazza
View & Download
“I See Through Your Smile”
Orange County
La Quinta High School Creative Writing
Filmmakers: Vivian Nguyen, Steven Ninh, and Vy Tonnu
Advisor: Amanda LaPera
View & Download
“The Burden of Pressure”
Orange County
Servite High School
Filmmakers: Pierre Balta, Samir Ayoub, Jasper Woo, George Balta, Oscar Mendoza, Blaise Wilson, Sebastian Barkman, and Othon Estrada
Advisor: Caroline Tran-Ryan
View & Download
“Unsaid”
Orange County
Boys and Girls Club of Greater Anaheim-Cypress
Filmmakers: Caleb Cibrian and Angel Herrera
Advisors: Jeri Barber, Nia Tucker, and Gabraeel Jibral
View & Download
“We Care”
Orange County
Canyon High School
Filmmakers: AJ Sanchez and Cole Chastain
Advisor: Alex Graham
View & Download
“Designing Help”
Orange County
Santiago High School
Filmmakers: Andy Pham and Eric Huynh
Advisor: Tina Heiland
View & Download
“Missed Moments”
Orange County
La Quinta High School Creative Writing
Filmmakers: Hailey Zuniga and Sidney Tran
Advisor: Amanda LaPera
View & Download
“That’s What Friends are For”
Orange County
Buena Park High School
Filmmakers: Samuel Otuc, Jeremy Zavala, and Bradley Peinder Zamacona
Advisor: Shayan Vaziritabar
View & Download
“I Can’t Go Yet”
San Diego County
Mira Mesa High School
Filmmakers: Jeniffer Luu, Eljen Lacibal, and Lucia Nguyen
Advisor: Tobias Schwartz
View & Download
Region 2
Riverside and San Bernardino County
* First Place: “Speaking Up” (Advancing to statewide round of judging)
Riverside County
Eleanor Roosevelt High School
Filmmakers: Kaden Ammara, Kristopher Saucedo, Jayden Johns, and Gewelle Grim
Advisor: Jacob Fuller
View & Download
Second Place: “Voices”
Riverside County
Eleanor Roosevelt High School
Filmmakers: El Friedhof, Amber Frewing, Jenna Norris, and Nathaly Mora
Advisor: Jacob Fuller
View & Download
* Third Place and Team Pick: “Subtle Change” (Team Pick – Advancing to statewide round of judging)
San Bernardino County
Fontana High School
Filmmakers: Grace Warner, Brooklynn Green, Jennifer Arlene Garcia Ramirez, Anahi Daniela Morales, and Rubi Elva Elizarraraz
Advisor: Darlene Baranowski
View & Download
Honorable Mentions
“Tug-o-War”
Riverside County
Martin Luther King High School
Filmmakers: Joseph Cruz, Jason Chov, Peter Atwan, Reese Cash, Paul Mungia, and Abdel Mhde Awad
Advisor: Jamal Gerren
View & Download
“The Countdown”
Riverside County
JCS Pine Hills Academy 7 – 12
Filmmakers: Skylar Alksnis and Heather Cantrell
Advisor: Linda Mathews
View & Download
“Notice the Small Signs”
Riverside County
Temecula Valley High School
Filmmakers: Callie DuPre, Fiona Quan, and Jackson Dimmick
Advisor: Kimberly Randall
View & Download
“i wish…”
Riverside County
Eleanor Roosevelt High School
Filmmakers: Hanna Rosario, Connor Hershey, Aidan Xiong, Van Rodrigues, and Andy Jorgenson
Advisor: Jacob Fuller
View & Download
“Help Wanted”
Riverside County
Valley View High School
Filmmaker: Emily Kissling
Advisor: Jim Long
View & Download
“Breaking the Silence”
Riverside County
Eleanor Roosevelt High School
Filmmakers: Hyrum Smith, Brock Molina, Baetale Ayano, and Matthew Tapia
Advisor: Jacob Fuller
View & Download
“See The Signs”
Riverside County
Mountain Heights Academy
Filmmakers: Justin Fincher, Donald Downs, and Juressa Adams
Advisor: Ronald Joseph De Genova
View & Download
“Why Am I Here?”
Riverside County
John F. Kennedy Middle College High School
Filmmakers: Rania Boyer, Kassandra Ulloa, Zaid Ahmed, Kaesha Inocencio, and Camille Cruz
Advisor: Susana Callon
View & Download
“Phone A Friend”
Riverside County
NAMI Tapestries
Filmmakers: Elijah Drew, Diego Muñoz, and Kendra Williams
Advisor: Truc HaMai
View & Download
“Finding Support”
Riverside County
NAMI Tapestries
Filmmakers: Elijah Drew, Diego Muñoz, and Kendra Williams
Advisor: Truc HaMai
View & Download
Region 3
Los Angeles County and Tri-City
* First Place: “Every Breath Matters” (Advancing to statewide round of judging)
Los Angeles County
Valencia High School
Filmmakers: Patrick Navas and Marisa Elias
Advisor: Tamara Desso
View & Download
Second Place: “I Can”
Tri-City
Claremont High School
Filmmakers: Nora Campbell and Naomi Flowers
Advisor: Sara Hills
View & Download
Third Place: “When You See This In The Morning…”
Los Angeles County
John F. Kennedy Architecture/Digital Design/Filmmaking Magnet
Filmmakers: Adie Obieta, Sydney Martinez, Natalie Lemus, Shyenne Phillips, Sabyna Rosales, Nehemiah Kirkwood, Ryan Rivera, Matthew Soto, and Francis De Quiros
Advisor: Aaron Lemos
View & Download
Honorable Mentions
“It Can Be Scary…”
Tri-City
Claremont High School
Filmmakers: Santiago Cifuentes, Louis Nolte, Matthew V. Corona, Rhys Lopez, and Shaw Siegel
Advisor: Sara Hills
View & Download
“The Venture of Existence”
Los Angeles County
John F. Kennedy Architecture/Digital Design/Filmmaking Magnet
Filmmakers: Aleksas Reivydas, Samantha Collier, Angelina Jaramillo, and Adrian Ochoa
Advisor: Aaron Lemos
View & Download
“Take Action as a Friend”
Tri-City
Claremont High School
Filmmakers: Bix Lazar, Yakub Boyraz, Jacob Bickham, and Nayeem Clement y Caridad
Advisor: Sara Hills
View & Download
“Family Matters”
Tri-City
After School Arts Academy/Fremont Academy of Engineering and Design
Filmmakers: Samira Lopez, Zion Jones, Victor Mendez-Martinez, and Vanessa Noriega
Advisor: Beverly “BJ” Rouse
View & Download
“Always There For You”
Tri-City
Claremont High School
Filmmakers: Paris Fajardo, Amaya Lopez, Daniel Palmer, Jocelyn Ramirez, and Ishan Khedia
Advisor: Sara Hills
View & Download
“Where Have You Been?”
Los Angeles County
Highland Park High School
Filmmakers: Reginaldo Hernandez and Destiny “Venus” Sepulveda
Advisor: Victoria Munguia
View & Download
“Are You Ok?”
Los Angeles County
John F. Kennedy Architecture/Digital Design/Filmmaking Magnet
Filmmakers: Nick Shandor and Isaiah Lopez
Advisor: Aaron Lemos
View & Download
“Helping hand”
Los Angeles County
Stoney Point High School
Filmmakers: Cristopher Vasquez, Natasha Red, and Angel Perez Fuentes
Advisor: Katrina Powell
View & Download
“Reach out”
Los Angeles County
Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts
Filmmakers: Tessa Menjivar, Synnove Alarcon, Jonah Farsythe, and Jason Montoya
Advisor: Jorge Caridad
View & Download
“Suicide Prevention”
Los Angeles County
Eastside High School
Filmmakers: Serena Gonzalez, Jaylie Reveles, and Rosa Paiz
Advisor: Aimee Bilderback
View & Download
“You Never Know”
Los Angeles County
Valley Oaks Center for Enriched Studies
Filmmaker: Sergio Rojas
Advisor: Jamal Speakes
View & Download
“Seek Help for Others”
Tri-City
Village Academy High School
Filmmakers: Joel Almazan, Samuel Vincent Salazar, Fatima Miranda, and Brian Serrano
Advisor: T. Arthur Cottam
View & Download
Region 4
Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, San Francisco, Kern, Kings, Tulare, Inyo, Mono, Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, and Merced Counties
* First Place: “Stay Open” (Advancing to statewide round of judging)
Kern County
West High School
Filmmakers: Max Haas, Julio Coyt, Andrew Garcia, and Cameron Towns
Advisor: Dewey Compton
View & Download
Second Place: “Breaking the Silence”
City of Berkeley (Alameda County)
Berkeley High School Mental Health Peer Educators
Filmmakers: Violet Philhower, Sasha Spanier, and Sophie Tsulaia
Advisor: Rachel Krow-Boniske
View & Download
Third Place: “Be That Friend”
Santa Cruz County
Pacific Collegiate School
Filmmakers: Garen Davis, Dina Noyes, Stuart Jackson, Musa Sowe, James Joyce, Neelie Golden Fisher, Logan Newkirk, and Henry Mateja
Advisor: Kenneth Alley
View & Download
* “The Stop Sign” (Team Pick – Advancing to statewide round of judging)
Santa Cruz County
Diamond Technology Institute
Filmmakers: Angel Marron-Rocha, Joselyn Fuentes, Kiyoshi Arceo, Alexa Aguilar, Samuel Torres, Cynthia Ramirez, and Suni Tenorio Sanchez
Advisor: Maria Bonner
View & Download
Honorable Mentions
“Breaking the Silence”
Fresno County
Riverdale High School
Filmmakers: Yareli Acevedo, Giovanni Ceja, Fernando Gutierrez, Jr., Diego Galicia, Jose Solorio, and Axel Vazquez
Advisor: Edward Joe
View & Download
“What you should do”
Monterey County
Salinas High School
Filmmakers: Hailey Cariaga and Mia Burnett
Advisor: Nathan Voigtschild
View & Download
“Finding Hope: A School Community”
Fresno County
Riverdale High School
Filmmakers: Xander Davis, Jessie Lopez Granados, Angel Llamas Contreras, and Julian Vera
Advisor: Edward Joe
View & Download
“Nothing to Laugh About”
Santa Clara County
Los Gatos High School
Filmmakers: Kian Egami and Arohan Deshpande
Advisor: Emily Christie
View & Download
“Echoes of Hope: A Journey Through Darkness”
City of Berkeley (Alameda County)
Berkeley High School Mental Health Peer Educators
Filmmakers: Sifora Kahsay, Zeeshan Sheikh, and Lesly Pani-Valencia
Advisor: Rachel Krow-Boniske
View & Download
“The Importance of Friendship”
Alameda County
Tennyson High School
Filmmakers: Jada Payton, Roxana Ramirez, Efosa Igiehon, and Kaori Ortiz
Advisor: Julianne Clark
View & Download
“It’s ok to not be ok”
Contra Costa County
Antioch High School
Filmmakers: Dennis Llanes, Veronica Anaya-Jimenez, Kaelani Westbrook, Jada Canada & Janiya Canada
Advisor: Ashley Marin
View & Download
“988”
Santa Cruz County
Mount Madonna School
Filmmakers: Indiana Vargas and Sasha Wolf Stonebloom
Advisor: Angela Willetts
View & Download
“The Mirror”
Santa Cruz County
Pacific Collegiate School
Filmmakers: Andrew Kim, Ash Wilson, Noah Betz, Zadie Perera, Byrd Johnson, and Tom Rey-Cenevaz
Advisor: Kenneth Alley
View & Download
“Check Up On Your Homies”
San Francisco County
Phillip & Sala Burton Academic High School
Filmmaker: Kevin Dzul
Advisor: Eric Chow
View & Download
Region 5
Marin, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, Tuolumne, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Sacramento, Calaveras, Amador, Alpine, El Dorado, Placer, Nevada, Sierra, Yuba, Sutter, Yolo, Colusa, Butte, Glenn, Plumas, Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Tehama, Trinity, Siskiyou, Humboldt, Del Norte
* First Place: “The Race” (Advancing to statewide round of judging)
Butte County
Pleasant Valley High School
Filmmakers: Shannon Fong and Altreb Baysa
Advisor: Michael Peck
View & Download
Second Place: “Reignite the Spark”
Marin County
Terra Linda High School
Filmmakers: Evan Egan, Meggie Stenback, Vincent Stallone, Jackson Harrison, and Shane Quinan
Advisor: Alex Pryor
View & Download
Third Place: “It’s the Small Things”
Stanislaus County
Johansen High School
Filmmakers: Christian Gallo and Marco Santos
Advisor: Nicolas Garcia
View & Download
* “Thanks For Everything” (Team Pick – Advancing to statewide round of judging)
Marin County
Terra Linda High School
Filmmakers: Max Norris, Zach Harper, and Benjamin Williams
Advisor: Alex Pryor
View & Download
Honorable Mentions
“Note to Self”
Yolo County
Da Vinci High School
Filmmakers: Alison Young, Paloma Peter, Reyhan Kaya, Sayo Murata, and Arjun Singh
Advisor: Brittany Rosenberg
View & Download
“It’s Okay To Call”
Mendocino County
Willits Charter School
Filmmakers: Logan Devine, Zoe Robertson, Zydyn Rader, Penelope Robertson, Julian Griffin, and Kasper Silveria
Advisor: Billy Hetherington
View & Download
“I Hate Myself”
Placer County
Phoenix High School
Filmmakers: Enrique Rodriguez, Justino Pedro Guzman, and Alan Aliano Isidro
Advisor: Mikaela Zimmerman & Laura Sliepen
View & Download
“Saving lives”
Solano County
Vanden High School
Filmmakers: Jamie Argarin and Anaira Kukreja
Advisor: Brent Manuel
View & Download
“The Mountain”
Marin County
Terra Linda High School
Filmmakers: William SiEon Davis, Drake Ludin, Corina Yates, and Randy Chaya
Advisor: Alex Pryor
View & Download
“For the Better”
Yolo County
Woodland High School
Filmmakers: Raul Rodriguez, Moises Garcia, and Cesar Trejo
Advisor: Daniela Talavera
View & Download
“Stuck”
Solano County
Mare Island Technology Academy
Filmmaker: Zalaysia
Advisor: Khyber Hill
View & Download
“There’s always help.”
Solano County
Benicia High School
Filmmakers: Isaiah Jones, Nathan Reid, Joseph Campanile, and Andria Reid
Advisor: Rocky Kim
View & Download
“The Value of Noticing”
Solano County
Mare Island Technology Academy
Filmmakers: Jag Manalang, Jose Hinojosa, Joshua Apodaca, and Kenneth Ross
Advisor: Khyber Hill
View & Download
“988”
Butte County
Pleasant Valley High School
Filmmakers: Emilio Santino Muniz and Ryan Victor
Advisor: Michael Peck
View & Download
“Not Alone”
Solano County
MIT Academy
Filmmakers: Mason Dotson, Julia Enos, Katharine Grilley, Daniel Olivas, and Aldo Michel
Advisor: Khyber Hill
View & Download
*****
2024 Regional High School/Youth and Young Adult Winners – Mental Health
Region 1
San Diego, Orange, and Imperial County
* First Place: “Beyond the Surface” (Advancing to statewide round of judging)
Orange County
Los Alamitos High School
Filmmakers: Kyan Whiten, Jessica Bae, Brooke Tomooka, Emily Fitzgerald, and Ella Shapiro
Advisor: Conner Brown
View & Download
Second Place: “Seasons of Hope”
Orange County
El Dorado High School
Filmmakers: Claire Ng, Ciana Gonzales, Tahlia Pompel, River Santiago, and Zoey Rodriguez
Advisor: Mark Switzer
View & Download
Third Place: “Harpo”
San Diego County
Mission Hills High School
Filmmakers: Ethan Shaw, Carlos Villalon, and Dante Ahumada
Advisor: Heidi Kniseley
View & Download
Honorable Mentions
“Don’t Be Afraid to Say Hey”
San Diego County
Helix Charter High School
Filmmakers: Erlin Jo Bausa, Aaliyah Meneses, Carter Kleis, and Katherine Sullivan
Advisor: Matt Guarnotta
View & Download
“The Silent Battle”
Orange County
Canyon High School
Filmmakers: Sydney Mitchell, Katherine Newman, Andrea Lopez, Dana Khalili, Emily Huang, and Mona Sayedsalim
Advisor: Alex Graham
View & Download
“Am I Ok”
Orange County
Canyon High School
Filmmaker: Berlly Gonzales
Advisor: Alex Graham
View & Download
“Real Talk”
San Diego County
San Diego Met High School
Filmmakers: Evan Foskett, Myla Pitzer, and Sydnie Pitzer
Advisor: Gini Mann-Deibert
View & Download
“It’s OK to Not Be OK”
Imperial County
Southwest High School
Filmmakers: Valeria Garcia Lazos, Elizabeth Alvarez, and Melody Moreno
Advisor: Jackie Valadez
View & Download
“The Green Ribbon”
Orange County
Canyon High School
Filmmakers: Allison Crain and Emilie Crain
Advisor: Alex Graham
View & Download
“Look at you now”
Orange County
El Dorado High School
Filmmaker: Zoey Rodriguez
Advisor: Mark Switzer
View & Download
“Anxiety in School”
San Diego County
Helix Charter High School
Filmmakers: Cayenne Bondad, Rayanna Woodworth, and Mia Arballo
Advisor: Matt Guarnotta
View & Download
“Mind Over Matter”
San Diego County
Helix Charter High School
Filmmakers: Iana Richter, Niemat Noah, and Valerie Marquez
Advisor: Matt Guarnotta
View & Download
“My Safe Space”
San Diego County
Sage Creek High School’s Gender-Sexuality Alliance
Filmmakers: Grace Cowart, Katie Gushansky, Luke NeSmith, Keira Casey, and Asher Frankel
Advisor: Sarah Hunter
View & Download
“Finding Light in Coyote Corner”
Orange County
Buena Park High School
Filmmakers: Salvador Rojas and Graham Mendibles
Advisor: Shayan Vaziritabar
View & Download
“A Call Away”
Orange County
Santiago High School
Filmmakers: Jimmy Aguilera and Joseph Zambrano
Advisor: Tina Heiland
View & Download
Region 2
Riverside and San Bernardino County
* First Place (TIED): “The Truth Behind The Smile” (Advancing to statewide round of judging)
San Bernardino County
Upland High School
Filmmakers: Ashley Dinkins, Roman De La Torre, Lynn Harb, and Cadence Doyle
Advisor: James Miura
View & Download
* First Place (TIED): “YOU MATTER” (Advancing to statewide round of judging)
Riverside County
Martin Luther King High School
Filmmakers: Zach Halama, Anthony Guerrero, and Alfonso Garcia
Advisor: Jamal Gerren
View & Download
Second Place: “Paint Your Own Picture”
Riverside County
Great Oak High School
Filmmakers: Elizabeth Bujas, Alaura France, Nicole Lacey, and Mila Peralta
Advisor: Andrew Huff
View & Download
Third Place: “Grey Matter”
Riverside County
Heritage High School
Filmmakers: Shayla Zerbante, Madeline Mendez, Reina Cervantes, Ilene Mireles, Dominic Balderrama, Kody Smith, and Gavin Dunlap
Advisor: Nicholis Kalantar
View & Download
* “Emergence” (Team Pick – Advancing to statewide round of judging)
Riverside County
Ramona High School
Filmmakers: Juliet Tilden and Cassandra Macedonio
Advisor: Dacy Nottingham
View & Download
Honorable Mentions
“A Better Way”
Riverside County
Hillcrest High School
Filmmaker: Karson Li
Advisor: Amy Leulu
View & Download
“I Am Not Alone”
Riverside County
Mount San Jacinto College
Filmmakers: Orion Mena, Soleil Mena, and Amaris Mena
Advisor: Annie Wold
View & Download
“Televised Panic”
Riverside County
Valley View High School
Filmmakers: Ruszel Paine Cuajotor, Daniel Christensen, Aaron Valencia, and Jonah Cowart
Advisor: Chris Lorenz
View & Download
“Better Together”
Riverside County
Ramona High School
Filmmakers: Joey McCarty, Jacob Fuentes, Landon Halvas, Berlin Perlmutter, and Yarrow Bird
Advisor: Dacy Nottingham
View & Download
“Help a Friend”
San Bernardino County
Fontana High School
Filmmakers: Arianna Margarita Montoya, Kelsey Michelle Fragoso, Emerson Andres Ayala Erazo, and Genesis Michelle Chicas
Advisor: Darlene Baranowski
View & Download
“Silenciado”
Riverside County
Coachella Valley Free Clinic
Filmmakers: Melissa Castillo, Pedro Lezama-Garcia, Alexia Garcia, Valeria Rivera, Cassandra Gaeta, and Daniel Avalos
Advisor: Dr. Ann Cheney
View & Download
“Time Out”
San Bernardino County
Upland High School
Filmmakers: Ariana Duran, Isabella Alcocer, and Alondra Arcos
Advisor: James Miura
View & Download
“Hey”
San Bernardino County
Rim of the World High School
Filmmakers: Molly Galbreath, Lyla Farley, Dylan Andrew, Matthew Smith, Luke Altmeyer, Katarina Hardyman, Samira Ligon, and Ethan R. Smith
Advisor: Jared Powell
View & Download
“Speak Up”
San Bernardino County
Jurupa Hills High School
Filmmakers: Angel Morales, Zoe Carbajal, Giovanni Medina, Diego Ariana Tinoco, Natalie Vergara, Luis Rodriguez, Jacob A Magana, Jennifer Lopez-Castro, and Salvador Anguiano
Advisor: Jhoann Acosta-Idda
View & Download
“Like asking a question”
Riverside County
Great Oak High School
Filmmakers: Landon Macaspac, Aidan Ebreo, Tyler Bush, and Ethan Landrie Hall
Advisor: Andrew Huff
View & Download
Region 3
Los Angeles County and Tri-City
* First Place: “Piecing It Together” (Advancing to statewide round of judging)
Tri-City
Claremont High School
Filmmakers: Hudson Colvin, Sebastien Brusselle, and Angelique Wiesner
Advisor: Sara Hills
View & Download
* Second Place (TIED) and Team Pick: “Don’t Ignore the Signs” (Team Pick – Advancing to statewide round of judging)
Los Angeles County
Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts
Filmmakers: Synnove Alarcon-Toven, Jonah Forsythe, Tessa Michelis, Mariah Berger, Lucie Conlan, Baz Felber, Sergio Preciado, and Ivy Burke
Advisor: Jorge Caridad
View & Download
Second Place (TIED): “First Step”
Tri-City
Claremont High School
Filmmakers: Eli Myers and Lindsey Olivo-Mascareno
Advisor: Sara Hills
View & Download
Third Place: “You’re Not Alone”
Los Angeles County
Reseda Charter High School
Filmmakers: Caitlin Frayre, Jasmin Zermeno, David Galvan, Liam Gementiza, Matthew Vazquez, Aditi Pathak, Hillary Rizky, Tom Park, Maliah Marshall, and Jesenia Aldana
Advisor: Edgar Monterroso
View & Download
* “Problem? Solution” (Team Pick – Advancing to statewide round of judging)
Los Angeles County
Highland Park High School
Filmmakers: Reginaldo Hernandez, Angel Santiago, Kimberly Marquez, and Christian Hernandez
Advisors: Victoria Munguia and J.R. Yenque
View & Download
Honorable Mentions
“Reaching Out”
Los Angeles County
Ganesha High School
Filmmakers: Miguel Flores, Bryan Reynaga, and Miguel Pantoja
Advisor: Danielle Rasshan
View & Download
“Overcoming Anxiety: A Personal Journey”
Los Angeles County
Maywood Center for Enriched Studies
Filmmakers: Andrea Quinones, Estrella Gaitan, Eric Celis, and Alexander Muñoz
Advisor: Adrianna Ruvalcaba
View & Download
“Understanding Depression”
Tri-City
Village Academy High School
Filmmaker: Valeria Fuentes
Advisor: T. Arthur Cottam
View & Download
“Drops in the Bucket”
Los Angeles County
Harvard-Westlake School
Filmmaker: Eric Lee
Advisor: Michelle Bracken
View & Download
“The Cycle”
Tri-City
Village Academy High School
Filmmaker: Angel Cruz
Advisor: T. Arthur Cottam
View & Download
“Real Life:Hope”
Los Angeles County
LA County High School for the Arts
Filmmaker: Anthony Ramirez
Advisor: Francesca Campos
View & Download
“Just As Many Solutions”
Los Angeles County
Saugus High School
Filmmakers: Nina Ripoll, Priscilla Peñate, and Cardan Watson
Advisor: Wade Williams
View & Download
“Talk to Me”
Los Angeles County
Leuzinger High School
Filmmakers: Ethan Talavera and Nathan Torres
Advisor: Sean Hiller
View & Download
“A Smoother Drive”
Los Angeles County
Castaic High School
Filmmakers: Madison Lamb and Connor Whitlach
Advisor: Charles Deuschle
View & Download
“Old Me vs. New Me”
Los Angeles County
Highland Park High School
Filmmakers: Michael Rodriguez, Hailey Torres, and Brianna Diaz
Advisor: Victoria Munguia
View & Download
Region 4
Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, San Francisco, Kern, Kings, Tulare, Inyo, Mono, Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, Merced
* First Place: “Unfold Hope” (Advancing to statewide round of judging)
Contra Costa County
Dougherty Valley High School
Filmmakers: Megan Suh, Aditri Katarey, Lillian Jacob, Shivani Ravindra, and Lisha Nagesh
Advisor: Tehseen Khan
View & Download
Second Place: “Different, But Not Alone”
San Francisco County
George Washington High School
Filmmakers: Lauren Pham, Wendy Zhao, Yifan (Katy) Yang, Jayden Li, Yusheng (Ella) Cui, and Sophie Wong
Advisor: Steve Youn
View & Download
Third Place: “From Bed To Head”
Santa Clara County
Bellarmine College Preparatory
Filmmakers: Emilio Perez, Alex Galbraith, Isaiah Covarrubias, Kavan Bhatia, JoseAngel Rodriguez, Sam Lanier, Aidan Cinarkaya, and Damian Guzman
Advisor: Jeromy Cesena
View & Download
Honorable Mentions
“To Reach Out”
Fresno County
Sanger West High School
Filmmakers: Leonardo Lemus, Michael Marez, and Jacob Thor
Advisor: Sarah Soghomonian
View & Download
“Find your mind”
Kern County
West High School
Filmmakers: Xavier Muñoz, Tomas M. Mandujano, Robert Lee, and Diego Sanchez
Advisor: Dewey Compton
View & Download
“United in Support”
Fresno County
Riverdale High School
Filmmakers: Axel Basilio, Bryan Martinez Martinez, Christopher Navas, and Darian Vazquez
Advisor: Edward Joe
View & Download
“PTSD and Mental Health”
Ventura County
BRITE
Filmmaker: Sabrina Boggs
Advisor: Miles Reitz
View & Download
“Remission”
Contra Costa County
Acalanes High School
Filmmaker: Elijah Williams
Advisor: Eric Morford
View & Download
“Steps to Support”
Contra Costa County
Acalanes High School
Filmmakers: Lynn Fidler, Zoe Garcia Lares, and Lotta Griemens
Advisor: Eric Morford
View & Download
“Silencing Self Doubt”
Santa Cruz County
Pacific Collegiate School
Filmmakers: Nevada Espinoza, Farrin Ohara, Grace Nicely, Lilly Froeming, Adrianna Marcial Lopez, and Anareli Hernandez
Advisor: Kenneth Alley
View & Download
“Contaminated”
Contra Costa County
Acalanes High School
Filmmakers: Camilla Brown, Maria Tislenko, Tess Veronda, and Aria Falahati
Advisor: Eric Morford
View & Download
“Pieces of Our Mind”
Contra Costa County
Antioch High School AVID
Filmmakers: Tamara Ignacio, Ivy Tang, Paulina Maravilla, Brianna Cisneros, and Jazmine Prado
Advisor: Jenine Wolfe
View & Download
“Behind The Mirror”
Santa Cruz County
Diamond Technology Institute
Filmmakers: Aiden Casanova, Eileen Xiao, Jason Rocha, Joselyn Fuentes, Orion Duran, Evelyn Gonzalez, and Ziumara Hipolito
Advisor: Maria Bonner
View & Download
“Turmoil for Two”
Santa Clara County
Henry M. Gunn High School
Filmmakers: Pablo Schettino Gonzalez, Hugo Carlsson, Rahil Menon, and Mariam Kubursi
Advisor: Edward Corpuz
View & Download
Region 5
Marin, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, Tuolumne, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Sacramento, Calaveras, Amador, Alpine, El Dorado, Placer, Nevada, Sierra, Yuba, Sutter, Yolo, Colusa, Butte, Glenn, Plumas, Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Tehama, Trinity, Siskiyou, Humboldt, Del Norte
* First Place: “Fortress” (Advancing to statewide round of judging)
Stanislaus County
Johansen High School
Filmmakers: Dominic Gonzalez, Shivikaar Singh, Cesar Corona, and Devin Appleby
Advisor: Nicolas Garcia
View & Download
* Second Place and Team Pick: “You Are Seen” (Team Pick – Advancing to statewide round of judging)
Shasta County
Redding School of the Arts
Filmmakers: Eva Franceschini and Destimona Harrington
Advisor: Teshya Russo
View & Download
Third Place (TIED): “Finding Your Start”
Butte County
Pleasant Valley High School
Filmmakers: Trevor Card and Oliver Johnson
Advisor: Michael Peck
View & Download
Third Place (TIED): “You’re worth it”
Stanislaus County
Johansen High School
Filmmakers: Amelia Medearis, Armando Raygoza, Precious Ige, Gabriel Lajes, Austin Tomlinson, Selena Manis, and Jorge Garcia
Advisor: Nicolas Garcia
View & Download
* “Shift in Perspective” (Team Pick – Advancing to statewide round of judging)
Butte County
Pleasant Valley High School
Filmmakers: Belal Abouesh and Elena Tirado
Advisor: Michael Peck
View & Download
* “Distraction” (Team Pick – Advancing to statewide round of judging)
Butte County
Pleasant Valley High School
Filmmakers: Samantha Nichols and Rae Coombs
Advisor: Michael Peck
View & Download
Honorable Mentions
“Anxiety’s Grip”
San Joaquin County
Weston Ranch High School
Filmmakers: Abril Gonzalez, Liliana Cienfuegos, Joselyn Gonzalez, and Anjila Sunar
Advisor: Patrick Windschitl
View & Download
“Behind The Scenes”
Shasta County
Redding School of the Arts
Filmmakers: Krystina Saubel and Eva Franceschini
Advisor: Teshya Russo
View & Download
“Turning Page”
Sacramento County
Elk Grove High School
Filmmakers: Adielle Nelson, Vanessa Jayn Bongcaron, and Ramiyah Jayne Lugtu
Advisor: Jennifer Moore
View & Download
“Calling Out”
Butte County
Pleasant Valley High School
Filmmakers: Wyatt Acker and Charles Tuman
Advisor: Michael Peck
View & Download
“Reaching Out”
Sacramento County
Elk Grove High School
Filmmakers: Armaan Dhillon, Cadence Rinelli, Isabella Hernandez, Sofia Hernandez, and Mannat Dhillon
Advisor: Jennifer Moore
View & Download
“Mental Health Awareness PSA”
Placer County
Phoenix High School
Filmmakers: Gavin Whelan, Preston McManus, and Thomas Clinton
Advisor: Mikaela Zimmerman & Laura Sliepen
View & Download
“Incarcerated Youth and Mental Health”
Butte County
Table Mountain School
Filmmaker: Table Mountain Student
Advisor: Leonora King
View & Download
“Mutuals”
Solano County
Vanden High School
Filmmakers: Michael Alasco, Tristan Renbarger, and Diego Vera
Advisor: Brent Manuel
View & Download
“Masked Emotion”
Marin County
Terra Linda High School
Filmmakers: Logan Yi, Jaden Ng, and Jai Ryaru
Advisor: Alex Pryor
View & Download
“The Key”
Butte County
Pleasant Valley High School
Filmmakers: Kayden Genna and Alonso Jauregui
Advisor: Michael Peck
View & Download
****
2024 Through the Lens of Culture Winners
Due to the large number of submissions in this category, the Directing Change split them into two groups for the purposes of judging.
Through the Lens of Culture – Group A
First Place: “Hot Pot”
Orange County
Los Alamitos High School
Filmmakers: Charlize Fan, Isabella Kira, Kolyana Si, Branden Reyes, and Shilah Shurki
Advisor: Conner Brown
View & Download
Second Place: “HALF-RINSED”
Orange County
La Quinta High School Creative Writing
Filmmakers: Kevin Nguyen, Orbal Farhad, Audrey Pham, and Kevin Le
Advisor: Amanda LaPera
View & Download
Third Place: “Who Am I to Complain”
Orange County
La Quinta High School Creative Writing
Filmmakers: Sophia Kabir, Vivian Nguyen, Kayleen O’Connor, Kiara O’Connor, and Megan Le
Advisor: Amanda LaPera
View & Download
Fourth Place (TIED): “No Estas Solo”
Orange County
Woodbridge High School
Filmmaker: Marleen Juarez
Advisor: Franklyn Belsey
View & Download
Fourth Place (TIED): “Generations Talking”
San Diego County
TrueCare
Filmmakers: Jasmin Altamirano Diego, Valeria Corona, and Emily Reyes
Advisor: Haania Origel
View & Download
Fifth Place: “Cambiemos el Pasado”
Orange County
Wellness and Prevention Foundation
Filmmakers: Arantza Villarroel, Melanie Lopez, and Natalia Reyes
Advisor: Monika Robles
View & Download
Honorable Mentions
“Mi Querido Bello”
Riverside County
Valley View High School
Filmmakers: Angelica Muñoz and Aaliyah Duran
Advisor: Chris Lorenz
View & Download
“We Are Here”
Shasta County
Redding School of the Arts
Filmmakers: Destimona Harrington and Eva Franceschini
Advisor: Teshya Russo
View & Download
“Dusa”
Los Angeles County
City Honors International Preparatory High School
Filmmakers: Sean Esplana and Danny Gonzalez
Advisor: Tadeo Huazo
View & Download
“Two Cultures”
Sacramento County
Harriet G. Eddy Middle School
Filmmakers: Somaya Temuri, Sama Usman, and Hosna Karimi
Advisor: Maureen Schroeder
View & Download
“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional – John Maxwell”
Solano County
Vanden High School
Filmmaker: Matteos Figueroa
Advisor: Brent Manuel
View & Download
“Black eventually cracks”
Solano County
Vanden High School
Filmmaker: Donavon Richardson
Advisor: Brent Manuel
View & Download
“La Lucha Invisible”
Orange County
El Dorado High School
Filmmakers: Mel Medina and Sophia Acosta
Advisor: Mark Switzer
View & Download
“Walls”
Orange County
Canyon High School
Filmmakers: Madison Gallacher and Ara Andrews
Advisor: Alex Graham
View & Download
“Cultural Mindsets”
Los Angeles County
Central City Value High School
Filmmakers: Mayra Gomez, Kaylie Moscoso, and Andres Perez
Advisor: Jessica Ramirez
View & Download
“Solo Pero Seguro”
Orange County
Santiago High School
Filmmakers: Alex Hernandez, Benjamin Hernandez, Alejandro Hernandez, and Catalina Hernandez
Advisor: Tina Heiland
View & Download
Through the Lens of Culture – Group B
First Place: “Bloom”
San Diego County
San Diego Met High School
Filmmakers: Isabella Guerrero, Deleyna Quintero, Sydnie Pitzer, and Sasha Ruderman
Advisor: Gini Mann-Deibert
View & Download
Second Place: “Three Of Me”
Riverside County
David A. Brown Middle School
Filmmakers: Esmeralda Mendoza, Karson Herold, Abigail Roulette, and David Starr
Advisor: Amy Pitotti
View & Download
Third Place: “The Boy Who Cried Help”
Alameda County
Madison Park Academy
Filmmaker: Pamela Hernandez
Advisor: Sydney Barnett
View & Download
Fourth Place: “Cleanse Your Mind”
Riverside County
Hillcrest High School
Filmmaker: Viviana Monroy
Advisor: Amy Leulu
View & Download
Fifth Place: “That Didn’t Come Out Right”
Tri-City (Los Angeles County)
After School Arts Academy/Fremont Academy of Engineering and Design
Filmmakers: Joceline Pelagio-Godinez and Victor Mendez-Martinez
Advisor: Beverly “BJ” Rouse
View & Download
Honorable Mentions
“Directing Change Documentary: A Look Into the Mental Health of the LGBTQ+ Community”
Sacramento County
Pleasant Grove High School
Filmmakers: Lillian Harlan and Nathan Standring
Advisor: Delaire Doyle
View & Download
“Breaking The Silence”
San Joaquin County
Weston Ranch High School
Filmmakers: Akira-Faith Thornsavanh-Surigao, Ishpreet Kaur, Samihah Khan, and Ben Arjie Saptang
Advisor: Patrick Windschitl
View & Download
“Aceptación de la Salud Mental”
Kern County
West High School
Filmmakers: Eleny Morales and Saniya Fulmer
Advisor: Dewey Compton
View & Download
“Dear Culture”
Alameda County
Basis Independent Fremont
Filmmaker: Shreya Sadhwani
Advisor: Lizbeth Diaz
View & Download
“Real People”
Kern County
CTEC
Filmmakers: MaryGrace Leyson and Irish Pinkston
Advisor: Lisa Krch
View & Download
“Wait, What?”
Sacramento County
Rio Americano High School
Filmmaker: Naya Winn
Advisor: Leigh Sumers
View & Download
“God, Where Are You?”
Kern County
CTEC
Filmmakers: Lillie Renteria and Adelin Pineda
Advisor: Lisa Krch
View & Download
“Los Hombres No Lloran”
Tri-City
Claremont High School
Filmmakers: Maxima McCormack, Lola Garcia, Alyssa Guerrero, and Scarlette Sanders
Advisor: Sara Hills
View & Download
“Pressure”
Butte County
Pleasant Valley High School
Filmmakers: Jackson Hein and Austin Oneal
Advisor: Michael Peck
View & Download
*****
2024 Animated Short Winners
First Place: “Shine Again”
San Bernardino County
Apple Valley High School
Filmmakers: Josue Gutierrez and Gabriella Calderon
Advisor: Joshua Barkdull
View & Download
Second Place: “Float”
San Diego County
San Diego Met High School
Filmmakers: Myla Pitzer, Sydnie Pitzer, Reese Bieschke, and Skyler Kaminscky
Advisor: Gini Mann-Deibert
View & Download
Third Place: “Beware of Danger”
Orange County
Buena Park High School
Filmmaker: Aztlalt Aguirre
Advisor: Shayan Vaziritabar
View & Download
Fourth Place: “Shards”
San Mateo County
SafeSpace
Filmmaker: Christine Ryu
Advisor: Aris Payan
View & Download
Fifth Place: “Recognize The Signs”
Sacramento County
Franklin High School
Filmmaker: Emilyann Vang
Advisor: Brad Clark
View & Download
Animated Short Honorable Mentions
“Support, Prevent”
Los Angeles County
Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts
Filmmaker: Howard Contreras
Advisor: Jorge Caridad
View & Download
“Reminding Solace”
Imperial County
Southwest High School
Filmmaker: Derek Leon
Advisor: Deidre DuBose
View & Download
“Sunspot”
Tri-City
Claremont High School
Filmmakers: Katie Ray and Kayla Ranney
Advisor: Tamara Kirkpatrick
View & Download
“Hearts of Life”
Imperial County
Southwest High School
Filmmaker: Allyson Solis
Advisor: Deidre DuBose
View & Download
“Speak for your Friend”
Sacramento County
Franklin High School
Filmmaker: Ayanna Graham
Advisor: Brad Clark
View & Download
“Morning Routine”
Los Angeles County
City Honors International Preparatory High School
Filmmaker: Jesse Ramirez
Advisor: Tadeo Huazo
View & Download
“One Chance At Life”
Sacramento County
Franklin High School
Filmmaker: Joseph Atienza
Advisor: Brad Clark
View & Download
“Unspoken Words”
Ventura County
Channel Islands High School
Filmmakers: Yoselyn Cruz and Lyra Cabanban
Advisor: Alexandra Luna
View & Download
“Hues of Hope”
Orange County
La Quinta High School Creative Writing
Filmmakers: Alexa Lai, Ethan Tran, Ethan Vu, Dylan Tran, and Natalie Gonzalez
Advisor: Amanda LaPera
View & Download
“Listen”
San Diego County
San Diego Met High School
Filmmakers: Skyler Kaminscky and Moses Strasser-Biess
Advisor: Gini Mann-Deibert
View & Download
“Gift For You”
San Bernardino County
Upland High School
Filmmaker: Julia Ann ‘Ell’ Escano
Advisor: James Miura
View & Download
****
2024 Walk in Our Shoes – Suicide Prevention – Winners
First Place: “The Light in the Darkness”
Los Angeles County
Palms Middle School
Filmmakers: Lexi Lee, Matthew Lopez-Vega, Christopher Vasquez, and McGreggor Roberts
Advisor: Irene M. Clark
View & Download
Second Place: “Reach Out”
Los Angeles County
Crozier Middle School
Filmmaker: Samantha Monroy
Advisor: Tadeo Huazo
View & Download
Third Place: “Don’t Be Afraid to Reach Out”
San Diego County
San Pasqual Union Elementary
Filmmakers: Joseph Soria Zuniga, Austin Arias, and Jovanny Arroyo Quintero
Advisor: Vincent Timpe
View & Download
2024 Walk in Our Shoes – Suicide Prevention – Honorable Mentions
“Helping a Friend”
San Diego County
San Pasqual Union Elementary
Filmmakers: Rio Johnson, Brooklyn Myers, Cara Barao Smith, and Abigail Salgueiro
Advisor: Vincent Timpe
View & Download
“Signs of Suicide”
Los Angeles County
Palms Middle School
Filmmakers: Metzli Mendieta, Stephen Romanov, Kingston Branche, and Reagan Saumers
Advisor: Irene M. Clark
View & Download
“Missing Sammy”
Orange County
Carr Intermediate School
Filmmakers: Arashel Pacheco, Emma Hernandez, Jesus Ortega, and Christopher Camargo
Advisor: Jedediah Jack
View & Download
“Giving It All Away”
Orange County
Carr Intermediate School
Filmmakers: Emma Hernandez, Arashel Pacheco, Christopher Camargo, and Jesus Ortega
Advisor: Jedediah Jack
View & Download
“It Takes All of Us”
Los Angeles County
Linda Verde School
Filmmakers: Giannelle Armenta, Stephanie Cruz, Angelica Gonzalez, Cytlali Hernandez Ceja, Maleekai Nazario, Alexanne Esqueda, Xavier Ibarra, Emanuel Macedo, Matias Marquez, and Aaden Strong
Advisor: Stephanie Chavez
View & Download
“The fourth stage of grief.”
Ventura County
Rio del Sol
Filmmakers: Isabelle Magana, Lavayiah Huerta, Aubree Aguliar, Aubrey Pollard, and Alexa Hernandez
Advisor: Omar Espinoza
View & Download
“Silenced in the Cycle”
Sacramento County
Harriet G. Eddy Middle School
Filmmakers: Natalie Rodriguez, Ava Urbano, and Kylah Bell
Advisor: Maureen Schroeder
View & Download
“HELP”
El Dorado County
South Tahoe MIddle School
Filmmakers: Hanna Martone, Kalila Lea, and Asta Hartwell
Advisor: Jennifer Culler
View & Download
“We Can Be There”
Sacramento County
Harriet G. Eddy Middle School
Filmmakers: Sofia Bozdech, Alice Clift, and Brooklyn Stein
Advisor: Maureen Schroeder
View & Download
“Life is Precious: You Can’t Get Your Life Back”
Alameda County
Bancroft Middle School
Filmmakers: Kalani Ordonez, Periz Moore, Leslie Frias Hernandez, and Cloudie Mason
Advisor: Nikki Washington
View & Download
2024 Walk in Our Shoes – Mental Health – Winners
First Place: “Dealing with Anxiety”
Orange County
Las Flores Middle School
Filmmakers: Anne Rowe and Luke Orologas
Advisor: Roxanne Smathers
View & Download
Second Place: “Rabbit Hole”
Orange County
Las Flores Middle School
Filmmakers: Sophia Li and Anya Nguyen
Advisor: Roxanne Smathers
View & Download
Third Place: “You Are Not Alone”
Orange County
Carr Intermediate School
Filmmakers: Jesus Ruiz, Camila Hernandez, Christopher Camargo, Jesus Ortega, Jason Valencia, Natalie Avila, Arashel Pacheco, Emma Hernandez, and Miley Diaz
Advisor: Jedediah Jack
View & Download
2024 Walk in Our Shoes – Mental Health – Honorable Mentions
“State of Mind”
Los Angeles County
Palms Middle School
Filmmakers: Abiel Mendoza, Max Jones, Talula Knighton, and Swan Ferrand
Advisor: Irene M. Clark
View & Download
“Does It Really Get Better?”
Los Angeles County
Palms Middle School
Filmmakers: Sabrina Guerrero, Giancarlo Hernandez, Asha Beard, and Lilith Espiritu
Advisor: Irene M. Clark
View & Download
“Don’t Be Afraid To Speak”
Los Angeles County
Palms Middle School
Filmmakers: Muqeet Abbas, London Williams, Alyssa Ramirez, Ethan Platon, and Lynniah Menzies-Gray
Advisor: Irene M. Clark
View & Download
“A Friend Never Gives Up”
Los Angeles County
Van Nuys Middle School
Filmmakers: Giomar Arismendy and Zephan Arismendy
Advisor: Blossom Shores
View & Download
“Time to take down stress”
Imperial County
Kennedy Middle School
Filmmakers: Rogelio Ortega, Christopher Estrada, Emilio Contreras, and Yonatan Garcia
Advisor: Helen McClain
View & Download
“Help for Stress”
Sonoma County
Hillcrest Middle School
Filmmakers: Matteo Rodriguez, Noah Goodwin, Dominic Diaz, and Brayden MacQuarrie
Advisor: Brandon Leong
View & Download
“Reflections”
San Diego County
Julian Junior High
Filmmakers: Toby Hodo, Lino Gonzales, and Gabriel Betts
Advisor: Virginia McNall
View & Download
“Social Harmony”
San Francisco County
Saint Thomas More School
Filmmakers: Jose Samayoa and Tyler Chan
Advisor: David Greenbaum
View & Download
“How to Decompress After School”
Sonoma County
Hillcrest Middle School
Filmmakers: Sofia/Kit Gandolfo and Kianna Morse
Advisor: Brandon Leong
View & Download
“Everyone Is Watching”
Los Angeles County
Ivy Academia Charter School
Filmmakers: Leabella Mascari and Caranage Cotton
Advisor: Chris Vanderhorst
View & Download
“Speak Out & Reach Out”
Contra Costa County
Stone Valley Middle School
Filmmaker: Mishel Rahman
Advisor: Farida Islam
View & Download
“Yoga and Mental Health”
Sacramento County
Washington Elementary
Filmmakers: Luisa Brathwaite, Madison Bradley, Yareli Mondragon, Bethany Snow, Henrick Sertich, Lou von Sossan, Sebastian Stender, and Luna Jewell
Advisor: Nicole Quinn
View & Download
2024 Walk in Our Shoes – Empathy – Winners
First Place: “Small Acts”
Los Angeles County
Woodland Hills Academy
Filmmakers: Elle Evans, Faith Fanara-Wells, Makainoheapilimae [Makai] Wesley, Lily Danielson, Heydi Jimenez Dionicio, Phoenix Martinez, Kai Kennedy, Selene Escobedo, Ava Lemus, and Jesus Nunez Carranza
Advisor: Amanda Corrigan
View & Download
Second Place: “Isolated”
Ventura County
Rio del Sol
Filmmakers: Silas Hisayasu, Enrique, Ashton Towner, and Kellen Davis
Advisor: Omar Espinoza
View & Download
Third Place (TIED): “I’m Fine”
Kings County
Pioneer Middle School
Filmmaker: Emmalyn Streeter
Advisor: Mary Stake
View & Download
Third Place (TIED): “Depression & Empathy”
Orange County
Las Flores Middle School
Filmmaker: Ryan Bernald
Advisor: Roxanne Smathers
View & Download
2024 Walk in Our Shoes – Empathy – Honorable Mentions
“A Shoulder to Lean On”
Orange County
Boys and Girls Club of Greater Anaheim-Cypress
Filmmakers: Ismael Cuevas, Nathan Maldonado, and Khang Tran
Advisors: Jeri Barber, Nia Tucker, and Gabraeel Jibral
View & Download
“Don’t Stress Out, Fence Away”
Los Angeles County
Maywood Center for Enriched Studies
Filmmaker: Claudia Robles
Advisor: James Ng
View & Download
“Harmony at Home”
Orange County
Warner Middle School
Filmmakers: Adriana Matagi, Evelyn Matagi, Quin Valenzuela, and Tam Tu
Advisor: Kurt Reisig
View & Download
“SPEAK WITH CONFIDENCE”
Orange County
Warner Middle School
Filmmakers: Yessenia Acteopan Reyes and Brianna Murillo
Advisor: Kurt Reisig
View & Download
“Student Athlete’s Mental Health”
Los Angeles County
Haskell STEM Academy
Filmmakers: Journey Tumarao, Valerie Rodriguez, Itany Barnett, and Yeraldin Cruz
Advisor: Socorro Rojas
View & Download
“Trust”
Los Angeles County
Keppel Academy
Filmmakers: Mason Keith, Angel Hernandez, and Mireya Carrillo
Advisor: Katrena Crawford
View & Download
“New Shoes”
Tehama County
Lassen Antelope Volcanic Academy
Filmmaker: Maryly Duggins
Advisor: Mason Greeley
View & Download
“Walk in Olivia’s Shoes”
Sonoma County
Hillcrest Middle School
Filmmakers: Ava Stuckert, Lara (Lulu) Nolan, Josephine Grimm, Abby Pugno, and Olivia Stuckert
Advisor: Brandon Leong
View & Download
“QB Beats Anxiety”
Fresno County
Alta Sierra Intermediate
Filmmakers: Jake, Saul Paz, Aiden Rosewarne, Dylan Bisher, and Avijot Sandhu
Advisor: Alyssa Albee
View & Download
“Walk in Our Shoes: My Mom’s Expectations”
Orange County
Warner Middle School
Filmmakers: Tien Do, Robin Kirk, Khoa Pham, Khang Lai, Lisa Nguyen, Duy Tran, and Karlee Vo
Advisor: Kurt Reisig
View & Download
“Listening”
Orange County
Boys and Girls Club of Greater Anaheim-Cypress
Filmmakers: Joseph Soria and Joecelyn Soria
Advisors: Jeri Barber, Nia Tucker, and Gabraeel Jibral
View & Download
“Odd One Out”
Sacramento County
Harriet G. Eddy Middle School
Filmmaker: Genevein-Caitlin Domine
Advisor: Maureen Schroeder
View & Download
“The Butterfly Effect”
Orange County
Las Flores Middle School
Filmmakers: Jackson Spencer and Pedro Gava
Advisor: Roxanne Smathers
View & Download
*****
2024 Hope & Justice Statewide Winners
First Place: “Never A Bother”
San Diego County
San Diego Met High School
Filmmakers: Reese Bieschke, Sydnie Pitzer, and Myla Pitzer
Advisor: Gini Mann-Deibert
View & Download
Second Place: “Dear Mom and Dad…”
Orange County
El Dorado High School
Filmmakers: Tahlia Pompel and Claire Ng
Advisor: Mark Switzer
View & Download
Third Place: “Rox”
Riverside County
Temecula Valley High School
Filmmakers: Hunter Shelton, Cole Elas, and Chase Scorsone
Advisor: Kimberly Randall
View & Download
2024 Hope & Justice Statewide – Honorable Mentions
“Life in One Minute”
Santa Cruz County
Mount Madonna School
Filmmakers: Leith Delmi McWilliams, Kikoleiani Gunawan Horne, Sascha Wolf Stonebloom, Indiana Vargas, Noa Zands, Victory Gulizia, and Cora Kayne
Advisor: Angela Willetts
View & Download
“The First Thing I Do When I Get Home”
Riverside County
Landmark Middle School
Filmmaker: River Reyes
Advisor: Vanessa Hoang
View & Download
“Escape”
Butte County
Gridley High School
Filmmaker: Yaritza Perez Yahuaca
Advisor: Steve Allard
View & Download
“What I Wish My Parents Knew”
Orange County
OCAPICA
Filmmakers: Mia Quintana-Vega, Stephanie Villa-Acuna, Maria Martinez, Stephanie Palacios, Jada Delgado, Melanie Arce, and Kaitlyn Chavez
Advisor: Jenny Correa
View & Download
“Coyote Corner”
Orange County
Buena Park High School
Filmmakers: Aracely Aispuro-Morales and Leilani Chavez
Advisor: Vaziri Tabar
View & Download
“Be the friend”
Orange County
St. Paul’s Lutheran School
Filmmakers: Penny Linh and Abbey Xuan Lea Graham
Advisors: Timothy McCann and Alex Graham
View & Download
“One Note Can Go a Long Way”
San Diego County
Mission Bay High School
Filmmakers: Natalie Chen, Sebastian Briceno-Mahr, Lucian Lasher, and Harrison Routh
Advisor: Anton Corbin
View & Download
“Pain Has No Age”
Riverside County
Murrieta Valley High School
Filmmakers: Sarah Everett and Lexis Henry
Advisor: Amanda Dabbous
View & Download
“Burnout”
Los Angeles County
Saugus High School
Filmmakers: Mykhail Tezai, Priscilla Penate, Cardan Watson, and Nina Ripoll
Advisor: Wade WIlliams
View & Download
“ME”
Riverside County
Heritage High School
Filmmaker: Daniel Gonzalez
Advisor: Nicholis Kalantar
View & Download
“Shine”
Riverside County
David A. Brown Middle School
Filmmakers: Michael Ordoñez, Addisyn Dwelley, Abby Roulette, and David Starr
Advisor: Amy Pitotti
View & Download
*****
2024 Special Recognitions
The Directing Change Team wants to recognize these films for their creative filmmaking techniques and unique stories.
Special Recognition – Acting
“ADHD”
Madera County
Madera South High
Filmmakers: Bryan Yepez and Ehron Fox
Advisor: Todd McElrath
View & Download
“Clouds”
San Mateo County
Burlingame High School
Filmmakers: Declan Ryan, Wade Kingsbury, and Daniel Sheehan
Advisor: Steven Erle
View & Download
“Family Matters”
Tri-City
After School Arts Academy/Fremont Academy of Engineering and Design
Filmmakers: Samira Lopez, Zion Jones, Victor Mendez-Martinez, and Vanessa Noriega
Advisor: Beverly “BJ” Rouse
View & Download
“Lies in the Mirror”
Los Angeles County
Woodland Hills Academy
Filmmakers: Selene Escobedo, Kai Kennedy, Lily Danielson, Ava Lemus, and Heydi Jimenez Dionicio
Advisor: Amanda Corrigan
View & Download
“Simply A Hug”
Los Angeles County
LA County High School for the Arts
Filmmakers: Bowie Warfield and Brian Krause
Advisor: Ms.Campos
View & Download
“Theres always help.”
Solano County
Benicia High School
Filmmakers: Isaiah Jones, Nathan Reid, Joseph Campanile, and Andria Reid
Advisor: Rocky Kim
View & Download
Special Recognition – Athlete Mental Health
“Apprehension”
San Bernardino County
Upland High School
Filmmakers: Ethan Decker and Jason Espinoza
Advisor: James Miura
View & Download
“Balancing Life”
Riverside County
Valley View High School
Filmmakers: Jose Pulido, William Davis, Darleen Huynh, and Kaitlyn Franco
Advisor: Jim Long
View & Download
“Lost of Hope”
Fresno County
Sanger West High School
Filmmakers: Katelyn Moua, Gavin Gonzales, and Kate Jones
Advisor: Sara Soghomonian
View & Download
“MIND OVER MUSCLE”
San Bernardino County
Upland High School
Filmmakers: Mirelle Suria and Skylier Campbell
Advisor: James Miura
View & Download
“More Than A Teammate”
Riverside County
Valley View High School
Filmmakers: Alajah Malone and Mya Mercado
Advisor: Mr. Long
View & Download
“More Than an Athlete”
Riverside County
Temecula Valley High School
Filmmakers: Riley Barnhart, Bailey McEntire, and Aceah-Angelica Cortez
Advisor: Kimberly Randall
View & Download
“The Impact Of Athletics On Mental Health”
Alameda County
Mental Health Peer Educators BHS
Filmmakers: Semaj Manuel, Gracie Koch, Temuujin Sarangerel, and Josiah Smith
Advisor: Rachel Krow-Boniske
View & Download
“Time Out”
San Bernardino County
Upland High School
Filmmakers: Ariana Duran, Isabella Alcocer, and Alondra Arcos
Advisor: James Miura
View & Download
Special Recognition – Best Duo
“A Shoulder to Lead On”
Los Angeles County
Boys and Girls Club of Greater Anaheim-Cypress
Filmmakers: Ismael Cuevas, Nathan Maldonado, and Khang Tran
Advisor: Jeri Barber
View & Download
“Masked Emotion”
Marin County
Terra Linda High School
Filmmakers: Logan Yi, Jaden Ng, and Jai Ryaru
Advisor: Alex Pryor
View & Download
Special Recognition – Cinematography
“Apati and Melancholy”
Los Angeles County
San Dimas High School
Filmmaker: Talita Tobbs
Advisor: Erik Waage
View & Download
“Blooming”
Butte County
Pleasant Valley High School
Filmmakers: Ryder Blair and Lukas
Advisor: Michael Peck
View & Download
“Mutuals”
Solano County
Vanden High School
Filmmakers: Michael Alasco, Tristan Renbarger, and Diego Vera
Advisor: Brent Manuel
View & Download
“Phone a friend”
Los Angeles County
Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Preforming Arts
Filmmakers: Cyric Thotz, Leo Phillips, and Owen Seldman
Advisor: Jorge Caridad
View & Download
“The Dying Swan”
Santa Clara County
DCP – ARHS
Filmmaker: Josephine Hernandez
Advisor: Daniel Osorio
View & Download
“Turmoil for Two”
Santa Clara County
Henry M. Gunn High School
Filmmakers: Pablo Schettino Gonzalez, Hugo Carlsson, Rahil Menon, and Mariam Kubursi
Advisor: Edward Corpuz
View & Download
Special Recognition – Comedy
“Problem? Solution”
Los Angeles County
Highland Park High School
Filmmakers: Reginaldo Hernandez, Angel Santiago, Kimberly Marquez, and Christian Hernandez
Advisors: Victoria Munguia and J.R. Yenque
View & Download
“The Steven Raymond Serna Show”
Los Angeles County
Sotomayor Arts and Science Magnet
Filmmakers: Steven Serna and Frank Alvirde
Advisor: Jason Hayes
View & Download
Special Recognition – Creative Storytelling
“Boiling Point”
Yolo County
Da Vinci Charter Academy
Filmmakers: Max Esquivel, Cyrus Paz-Eschbach, Katherine Phillips, and Ryder Pickens
Advisor: Brittany Rosenberg
View & Download
“Find Your Power”
Tri-City
After School Arts Academy/Fremont Academy of Engineering and Design
Filmmakers: Victor Mendez-Martinez, Cristian Puente, Monica Love, and Kaylena Rougn
Advisor: Beverly “BJ” Rouse
View & Download
“Get Help Give Help”
Solano County
Vanden High School
Filmmakers: Daniel Manietta and Gavin Cross
Advisor: Brent Manuel
View & Download
“I’m Lost.”
Riverside County
Mountain View High School
Filmmakers: Donald Downs, Justin Fincher, and Juressa Adams
Advisor: Ronald Joseph De Genova
View & Download
“In My Head”
Tri-City
Village Academy High School
Filmmaker: Kevin Casiano
Advisor: T. Arthur Cottam
View & Download
“Light In The Darkness”
San Joaquin County
Weston Ranch High School
Filmmaker: Isaac Gonzale
Advisor: Patrick Windschitl
View & Download
“Motivating a Person in Times of Depression”
Riverside County
Hillcrest High School
Filmmakers: Heela Ibrahim and Victoria Contreras
Advisor: Amy Leulu
View & Download
“The Laughing Stock”
Tri-City
Village Academy High School
Filmmaker: Paul Martinez
Advisor: T. Arthur Cottam
View & Download
Special Recognition – Documentary
“Directing Change Documentary: A Look Into the Mental Health of the LGBTQ+ Community”
Sacramento County
Pleasant Grove High School
Filmmakers: Lillian Harlan and Nathan Standring
Advisor: Delaire Doyle
View & Download
“Life Through Diverse Lenses”
Kern County
CTEC
Filmmakers: Elsa Rodriguez and Gabrielle Garza
Advisor: Lisa Krch
View & Download
“Mental Health Documentary”
Santa Clara County
Mt. Pleasant High School
Filmmakers: Guadalupe Santiago, Edith Barragan, Jericho Arreola, and Stephanie Leon
Advisor: William Cavada
View & Download
Special Recognition – Educational PSA
“Depression”
Butte County
Table Mountain School
Filmmaker: Table Mountain Student
Advisor: Leonora King
View & Download
“Derealization”
Monterey County
Filmmakers: Gisbelle Ramirez and Victor Torres
Advisor: Jeff Lehner
View & Download
“Listening”
Orange County
Boys and Girls Club of Greater Anaheim-Cypress
Filmmakers: Joseph Soria, Joecelyn Soria
Advisor: Jeri Barber
View & Download
“Mental health”
Butte County
Table Mountain School
Filmmaker: Table Mountain Student
Advisor: Leonora King
View & Download
“Social Anxiety, Not a Solo Struggle”
Riverside County
Temecula Valley High School
Filmmakers: Jai Turay, Scott Meyers, and Ava Showalter
Advisor: Kimberly Randall
View & Download
Special Recognition – Original Song
“Don’t Dilute yourself”
Orange County
The Noble Path Foundation
Filmmakers: Ramon Nacpil, Connor Bartlett, and Felix Crowder
Advisor: Luke Giannelli
View & Download
“It’ll Be Alright”
Orange County
Laguna Beach High School
Filmmakers: Mila Rafaty, Elijah Furar, Riley Beason, Luxy Bynum, Elizabeth Golden, and Dylan Newburry
Advisor: Megan Humphreys
View & Download
Special Recognition – Spoken Word
“Light in the Dark”
Orange County
El Dorado High School
Filmmakers: Andrew Leon, Logan Mayo, and James Snapp
Advisor: Mark Switzer
View & Download
“Oh, Ann!”
Los Angeles County
San Fernando High School
Filmmakers: Jessica Nicklas, Angel Luna, and Angel Luna
Advisor: Michael Mitchell
View & Download
“The Burden of Pressure”
Orange County
Servite High School
Filmmakers: Pierre Balta, Samir Ayoub, Jasper Woo, George Balta, Oscar Mendoza, Blaise Wilson, Sebastian Barkman, and Othon Estrada
Advisor: Caroline Tran-Ryan
View & Download
“Toxic Ties”
Los Angeles County
San Fernando High School
Filmmakers: Paul Villegas, Alfredo Guerra, Christopher Torres, and Esmerelda Castro
Advisor: Michael Mitchell
View & Download
Special Recognition – Stop Motion
“A Helpful Hand”
Riverside County
Hillcrest High School
Filmmakers: Anaya Taja and Gianna Rhodes
Advisor: Amy Leulu
View & Download
“Be the One to Reach Out”
Kern County
West High School
Filmmakers: Mariah Martinez, Dayleen, and Ronald Hernandez
Advisor: Mr. Compton
View & Download
“Defeating Boredom”
Los Angeles County
Saugus High School
Filmmakers: Joshua Montero, Mason Salazar, and Jack Weidner
Advisor: Wade Williams
View & Download
“Float”
San Diego County
San Diego Met High School
Filmmakers: Myla Pitzer, Sydnie Pitzer, Reese Bieschke, and Skyler Kaminscky
Advisor: Gini Mann-Dei
View & Download
“Hues of Hope”
Orange County
La Quinta High School Creative Writing
Filmmakers: Alexa Lai, Ethan Tran, Ethan Vu, Dylan Tran, and Natalie Gonzalez
Advisor: Amanda LaPera
View & Download