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Filmmaker, Michael Leoni heads to the streets of LA to shine a light on the epidemic of homeless youth in America.
Once inside their world he realizes he can no longer be an observer; every day is a matter of life or death and he'll do anything to get them off the streets.
Follow Leoni and the kids as they strive to create a better life and free themselves from their tragic pasts.
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…and every day 13 of them will die.
In the final minutes of our promo video above you see a countdown of 13 kids…
The first three you saw have already died and one is missing.
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But there is HOPE.
During the shooting of this film multiple kids have gotten off the streets and three are now living successful lives. This can happen for more of them with your help.
There isn’t one simple answer to youth homelessness, but we can begin to create change. First, people must be made aware that almost 2 million kids sleep on our streets every night, and every day that passes, 13 more will die. That’s almost 5,000 a year.
There is a huge misconception that these kids want to be on the street; that it’s their choice. This film will shatter that misconception and illuminate the power of one-on-one, human connection and it’s ability to change lives.
There is a lot that can be done to help homeless youth. After seeing this film, audiences will have a better idea of what the issues are, and what they can do to help.
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Michael and our team set out to make a two minute Public Service Announcement to raise awareness for homeless youth. We went out with plans to shoot for one day, but once we started meeting kids, and hearing their stories…one day turned into five years.
It became clear to us that a two-minute piece was not enough to communicate the depth of this issue. Most people are not aware of the homeless youth crisis in America, and it is our mission to change this. So, we set out to make a feature-length documentary in order to reach the largest audience possible.
Michael interviewed hundreds of kids.
They told him about their lives, what brought them there, and why getting off the streets was so challenging.
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As Michael continued to show up, day after day, the kids became inspired by what he was doing. They wanted to help him tell their stories…and spread the message to the world. It was important to them that they played a role in helping other kids that were on the streets, and others that were at-risk of running away.
These invisible kids need a voice and they’ve trusted us with their stories.
Filming became only part of the equation. Eventually the kids started to reach out for help and Michael could no longer remain an observer. During that time, Michael and our team helped over a dozen kids get off the streets, into rehabs and transitional living programs, and connected two pregnant teenagers with an adoption agency.
Through this journey the most important lesson the team learned is the importance of human connection and the undeniable impact of knowing someone cares.
It's more than a film....It’s a movement.
Once the film is finished, we will launch a national media campaign to raise awareness for homeless youth and provide the educational tools to incite change.
The first step is to show the film to a wide audience. As part of our media campaign, after completing the film festival circuit, we will go on a community screening tour, aimed at getting people educated and involved.
The National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY) will work with us to create roundtable discussions with local organizations, policy makers, and the youth, using our film as a tool to spark discussion and policy change. NAEHCY has proven with their task force initiative, that bringing communities together, with homeless and unaccompanied youth, to assess their local needs, and then, strategizing ways to do better, is a successful way to create change.
We are excited to be joining forces with reputable national non-profits, like NAEHCY, The Space at Tompkins and others, committed to joining us in this mission, and we look forward to facilitating nationwide resources for homeless youth and volunteers.
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If you’re interested in partnering with us on this campaign, we welcome collaborations. Reach out here, or send an email to: info@americanstreetkidmovie.com.
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From the very beginning, this project has been grassroots and non-profit. All money raised has been through friends, family, private donors, and grants and with your help we can continue this important mission. Now you can help us get this message out to the world.
Your TAX-DEDUCTIBLE donation will go toward:
Creating the highest quality film possible.
That includes:
Completing filming – additional interviews with key subjects and kid updates
Hiring crew & renting camera and sound equipment
Purchasing new hard drives to facilitate a more efficient post-production process
Hiring the best possible Documentary Editor and an Assistant Editor
Renting an edit bay for a minimum of 5 months
Hiring a Music Supervisor and licensing music
Color correction, sound sweetening and final mix.
Hiring a graphic designer to complete the films’ artwork for DVDs and posters
Submitting to film festivals
Outputting the final film to tape for festival submission
DVD duplication and packaging
Hiring a publicist
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Join our team!
Donating is just one of the ways to help this film be successful. You can share this campaign with your friends, co-workers and family.
The more people that know about an issue, the faster we get to solutions, and the faster change can be created.
So, join us, and share this campaign on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Google+
…or on any other social media platforms you use.
FOLLOW us on Twitter @AmericanStKid and share the campaign.
We are GRATEFUL for your support, and we know that together we can make a difference!