“We realized that if you want something done, ‘you gotta do it or damn self.’ So the mission of our festival was, is,
and always will be to give youth producers like us a place to be heard.”
- The TMP Youth Producers

MISSION
This festival is not just about the videos; it’s about who makes the videos and why. Many of the youth who submit to DIYDS are from the inner-city or rural areas, neighborhoods without a lot of resources. Many of the youth represent minority views. Many have never thought they would travel the country to meet other youth producers or show their work on the big screen. We encourage these youth to send in their work. This festival was created for them.

Curating Process

DIYDS receives about 150 submissions, and over the summer, culls these down to about 15 for the final reel. Initial screenings are done by the teens in the Teen Media Program (TMP). Final decisions are made by the City-wide Youth Faculty Advisory Committee, consisting of Cambridge teens from other Cambridge youth media programs as well as the TMP teens. Each film is given an overall numerical rating, based on the committee’s response in five areas: clarity of message, integrity of message, meets the mission of the festival, and technical quality. Responses are returned to the youth producers and scores are used to decide the final reel.

Rating System

After viewing and discussion, each committee member rates the piece in four areas: Clarity of Message: Use of film/video medium delivers message well Integrity of message: Presents themes and ideas from which our audience would benefit Meets the Mission of the Festival: Gives youth producers like us a chance to be heard Technical Quality: Sound and video quality support (and do not distract from) the message