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. The disposability of black lives, coupled with taboos associated with depression and self-harm, prevent many from breaking the silence. 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 Mitch Davila-Armendano (Blind Sighted) and Andy Kwiatkowski (Lonely Highway), 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 Olive Van Eimeren (Skinned Knees) and Karizma Rivera (Kik-Me!) tackle child abuse head on, looking for reconciliation within their families while healing themselves.

Fully 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.

Since the Covid pandemic, few groups have been more impacted by mental health than teenagers. Leaders call it the public health crisis of this generation. In her film AFTERTASTE, filmmaker Ellie White recounts a life-threatening eating disorder and the courage it took to recover. And in INTRUSIVE, filmmaker Alexander Welty unveils the obsessional thoughts that have plagued him since childhood.

Over 4.5 million children in the U.S. are adopted. While stigmas persist, many adopted teens are speaking out about their families. Abandoned on the steps of an Ethiopian church, filmmaker Dulcinea Harrison traces her origin story from Addis Ababa to Denver in I CHOOSE YOU. And, at 18, filmmaker Hannah Duran locates her biological mother with hard questions and unexpected answers in HANNAH'S HOME.

A quarter of youth in the U.S. have become estranged with one or both parents. Fathers, in particular, are more likely to be cut off. In NOT ALL HEROES, filmmaker Connor Strange attempts to connect with an absentee father whom he's idolized since childhood. Then, in an encore broadcast of SKINNED KNEES, Olive Van Eimeren attempts to reconcile with an abusive dad after a decade of silence.

Over 34 million Americans - ten percent of the population - identify as multiracial. Despite being one of the fastest growing segments, mixed race youth often feel unseen. In THE SPECTACULAR QUIET, filmmaker Sierra Buah explores the challenges of being mixed race in a white school. In SMALL STEPS, Marcus Salazar navigates being black and latino while being raised by his white grandmother.

As young Americans grapple with complex social issues, many turn to poetry to grasp the world around them. Nyla Melvin's A GUNSHOT'S CRY weaves spoken word with found footage to evoke visceral perspectives on gun fatalities. Lilian Lugo (GRASPING AT STARS) explores the contours of memory through visual metaphor and Marley Kaiser (IN WATER) brings his camera underwater to process coming of age.