All the work screened in the festival is created by teens; entries are reviewed and selected by a volunteer committee of young people who critique and celebrate the work of their peers.

“We’re pleased to welcome so many talented filmmakers to the Paley Center again this year for the 11th annual Urban Visionaries Youth Film Festival,” said Pat Mitchell, president and CEO of The Paley Center for Media. “It’s inspiring to see so many young people turning to media as a means of expression, and we’re delighted to provide them with the opportunity to showcase their work.”

“Urban Visionaries began as a series of screenings at small neighborhood organizations. Eleven years later it’s a full-fledged youth media festival,” said Hillary Kolos, Festival Coordinator. “This year we expect to reach some 1,500 young people in New York City and beyond.”

Highlights of this year’s festival include screenings of fiction, documentary and experimental videos by young producers; a popular “video slam,” (an open mic for young filmmakers); youth performances of poetry, music, and dance; panel discussions; and a youth-led Media EXPO at Manhattan Neighborhood Network where young people from around the city attend workshops on media-making and analysis.

Urban Visionaries is a collaboration between youth media makers and educators from New York City's premier media literacy organizations, including Downtown Community TV (DCTV), The Educational Video Center, Ghetto Film School, Global Action Project, Listen Up!, Manhattan Neighborhood Network's Youth Channel, Reel Works, T.R.U.C.E., and The Paley Center for Media. -- mtr.inet7.com