PTSD and mental illness through the eyes of those often overlooked: the kids and family members nearby.

Two young filmmakers take aim at cultural beauty standards as they examine hair in their own lives.

Two teen filmmakers tackle mental health and suicide as they search for healing in Under the Wire and Surviving.

Two first generation immigrants are caught between family traditions and the need to find their own voices.

Two young filmmakers break silence as they recount domestic violence in their high school relationships.

What happens when teenagers reject self-policing and find creative modes of expression outside of the box?

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for teens in the U.S. While leaders acknowledge a teen mental health crisis, much discourse focuses on suicide as a white issue. Filmmakers Kalia Hunter (Dom) and Kallista Palapas (I'll Be There) recount two young black lives cut short by suicide, and in doing so, compel communities to act.

New immigrants and refugees face steep challenges coming to the U.S. Rarely, though, do we hear candid conversations between immigrant kids and their families. In Las Hijas, filmmaker A. Pena de Niz crafts a deeply intimate portrait of first-generation daughters from Mexico while Rose Nseya (Leaving Africa) recounts the harrowing odyssey of fleeing one’s homeland in search of safer lives.

Representations of Americans with disabilities are in desperate need of a refresh. Even as assistive technologies help people adapt, the stigma associated with blindness and autism, in particular, continue to sting. Filmmakers overcome numerous obstacles with humor and humanity as they seek a deeper sense of belonging.

At least 1 in 7 kids have experienced child abuse in the past year. Especially when perpetrated by a parent, abuse is often difficult to report. Equally frightening is the ease with which online predators lure teens into abusive relationships. Filmmakers tackle child abuse head on, looking for reconciliation within their families while healing themselves.

One third of transgender youth in America have reported a suicide attempt last year. Behind this chilling statistic is a specter of trans representation in the media that veers from the pathological to the horrific. Filmmakers Amber Young (Transforming Media) and Delaney Mauve (Reframing) tackle trans representation in very personal stories, allowing families to talk openly about gender.

Racial stereotyping has a long and insidious history in the U.S. While gains in civil rights have increased significantly, younger generations continue to perpetuate harmful labels, often subtle ones, that undermine people of color. Filmmakers take on the current monikers of colorism and challenge white norms that pervade our society.