Over one million veterans in the United States are suffering from PTSD. We rarely hear stories about mental illness through the lens of young people whose parents are suffering. Filmmakers Bailey Francisco and Madison Goddard tackle PTSD and bipolar disorder head-on as they recount their experiences and the ways in which they were forced to bear the brunt of their parents' conditions.

Hair can shape our identities or it can challenge the very notion of how we define beauty. Filmmakers Shaienne Knox and Isabella Recca examine the role hair plays in their lives and communities. In Out of Our Heads, 16-year-old Knox explores the ways in which African American girls and women style their hair. In Bella, 17-year-old Isabella Recca tests her own beauty standards by shaving her head.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people between the ages of 10 and 24. Filmmakers Madison Legg and Te?a Santos, both 17, discuss the issue in their films Under the Wire and Surviving. Legg confronts her younger brother who recently attempted suicide. After attempting suicide herself, Santos confronts her parents who were forced to admit their daughter into a psychiatric hospital.

New immigrants face steep challenges coming to the U.S. Often, though, it's the children of immigrants who find themselves caught between the traditions of their parents and the new norms in which they live. Filmmakers Josh Sun and Yolande Morrison navigate two very different worlds: living up to their parents' expectations while carving a uniquely American voice of their own.

Little research has addressed intimate partner violence among teens. Girls and LGBT youth, report higher levels of dating violence and bullying in their relationships. Filmmaker Rebecca St. John reveals the gritty stages of a domestic violence relationship in middle and high school. Filmmaker Dee Contreras details a life of homophobic bullying, even at the hands of her first girlfriend.

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.