It's an up-close and personal look into the minds of immigrant youth – how they feel, what they think and how we appear to them.
The second annual YMCA Voices Film Festival on March 18 will showcase eight films from 13 young filmmakers who have recently immigrated to Canada from seven different countries.
The participants range in age from 14 to 23 years. They will be presenting a series of short films based on their perception of the immigrant experience in this country.
With Statistics Canada releasing figures last week that Caucasians will become the visible minority in Toronto by 2031, the films are a unique look into the lives of people who now call this city home.
The films were made over the summer as part of the YMCA Newcomer Youth Film Project, which is federally funded and collaborated with non-profit organization Charles Street Video.
Carlos Hernandez co-ordinates the program which teaches youth about movie-making, and says the workshops have helped the young people "come out of their shell."
"They get to interact with other newcomer youth their own age. They each have something different they get out of it," he says.
"Some are nurturing their arts interests, and some of them were just looking for a chance to have their voice heard."
Colombia native Juan Sebastian Maldonado, who has been living in Canada for more than three years, says his short film is based on a teenager's experience and has a psychological theme.
"It's basically what goes on in your mind in terms of – how he fits in a society that he really doesn't understand. Not because of the language or culture, but because of everything," Juan says.
"He doesn't fit in the society, because he didn't choose to be here."
Most of the students in the newcomer program moved to Canada with their families.
Juan, 23, says he knows of people who did not want to leave their countries.
"This is one of those immigrants – a guy who left his country and he doesn't really know why," Juan explains of his main character.
"He doesn't hate this new place, but he doesn't love it. He's just trying to figure it out. It's that process, the beginning of a new life."
Fourteen-year-old Indonesian Calista Putri Rahmadian, one of the youngest participants in the program, has also been working on her new life since moving to Canada almost two years ago.
"I'm proud of my movie, because it's been a long process and you have to work so hard and now people are finally going to watch it," she says.
"I think it's going to be awesome. I'm excited."
Calista's film is based on teenage immigrants having a hard time making new friends. She says her movie reflects on how teens end up being friends with the wrong people.
The Markham resident will be the youth speaker of the night, representing all of the participants along with two of CTV's "Degrassi: The Next Generation" stars, Judy Jiao and Raymond Ablack.
Hernandez says when trying to secure hosts for the event, the first thing that came to his mind was Degrassi because the show is a reflection of Canadian youth.
"It's known for casting real youth, teenagers of all colours, shapes and sizes," he says.
"They're multicultural just like the participants and they're also balancing school and work at the same time."
Many of the students will use their projects to apply to post-secondary media arts programs, and the films will also be distributed to development agencies, employment centres, community centres and libraries.
For more information about the film festival or how to get involved in this free program for immigrants, visit the YMCA Greater Toronto website.
