Bronx Film Initiative is a non-profit organization that provides disadvantaged youth with a much-needed safe space for creative expression. BFI’s tailored programming allows young people to have creative control as they collaborate with industry professionals and explore the various realms of production – screenwriting, cinematography, editing, and more.
Vita Pictura‘s collaboration with the Bronx Film Initiative started in 2022 when we started working with its founder and program director, Christina Richardson.
We previously met Christina while working on the award-winning TV pilot Fight City, which premiered at the Chelsea Film Festival in 2022. It hasn’t taken long since Christina returned to us at Vita Pictura with several new projects: the Bronx Film Initiative and Vita Pictura collaborated on the Young Adult Borough Centers documentary, the YABC Commercial, and the short fiction AJ’s Story.
YABC Commercial
Young Adult Borough Center is an afternoon and evening program designed to meet the educational needs of high school students who need to catch up in credit or have adult responsibilities that make it hard to attend school during the day.
The commercial discusses the non-profit organization’s work with youth and shows how it helps them find their purpose in life. The organization is part of the NYC Public Schools network.
Vita Pictura did all of the post-production and successfully released the video together with the Bronx Film Initiative. Christina directed and produced the video; Jarmal Harris and Ella Tabak were in charge of the production. Also, Isam Muhammad joined the Estonian post-production team to finish the editing.
AJ’s Story
Last Spring, NY-based organization the Bronx Film Initiative took a group of high school students from all over New York City through the process of making a film from script to screen with our “Let’s Make A Movie!” Program. In a year-long process, the novice student filmmakers co-wrote this film. They collaborated with highly skilled industry professionals to bring their vision to life, working with them throughout the process, experiencing firsthand what it looks like to produce an impactful work of art called “AJ’s Story.” It is a story of survival and hope as young minorities navigate the foster care system.
The Bronx Film Initiative produced the short film, while Vita Pictura created the marketing materials, including the featurette and the teaser.
The story follows AJ when tragedy strikes, and his foster siblings are determined to keep their makeshift family together after social services threaten to split them up.
Youth Summit Documentary
The Youth Summit documentary reveals how the Young Adult Borough Center works, showing the students’ transformation over the years. It aims to show how this program helps young adults find their creative passions and start acting on them.
Christina produced and directed the documentary, Ella co-produced it, and our partner Isam Muhammad edited it. Vita Pictura was once again in charge of post-production.
Every year, a select group of students is chosen to lead the Annual Youth Summit, a youth-led leadership event produced by students for students. This documentary highlights the second attempt at the 10th annual youth summit after a long pause due to the pandemic. Good Shepherd Services and the NYC Department of Education organized the summit; Macy’s was the lead sponsor.
