IYMS Ambassador Denzel Whitaker To Helm Panel Of Young Filmmakers At First American Film Convention

Actor, filmmaker and IYMS Ambassador Denzel Whitaker will moderate a discussion of films made by delegates to the annual film summits conducted by the International Youth Media Summit (IYMS), Wednesday, October 16 at the first American Film Convention at the Magic Box in Los Angeles.  

The discussion features three young filmmakers who will describe their experiences and review what they've learned in this breakout session titled “Surviving COVID, the Taliban and a Gunshot Wound.”  There will also be screenings of clips from several IYMS films.  

IYMS has conducted its two week-long annual film summits since 2006.  More than 1,650 young people have attended the 19 Summits, drawn from 81 countries around the globe.  The panel includes Whitaker, Evelyn Seubert, IYMS' Founder and Executive Director and three IYMS Alumni filmmakers: Americans Mike Duffy and Malik Draper and Welshwoman Rebs Fisher-Jackson.

IYMS' most recent summit was held in Zanzibar, Tanzania this past Summer.

“I was excited and honored to be named IYMS Ambassador for the Summit and now look forward to moderating this discussion among these talented and committed young filmmakers,” Whitaker noted. 

“It has always been a mission of mine to share my ‘gems of wisdom' with those who will lead our industry in the future.  Art is important and powerful and by working with IYMS I can help uplift emerging voices,” he added.

Denzel Whitaker is a dynamic, young filmmaker with a unique voice and a burning desire to tell stories about people of color that we haven't seen before.  He was born in Torrance, CA and is best known for his award-winning role in THE GREAT DEBATERS, performing opposite his two namesakes, Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker.  

Numerous films and television shows list Denzel's name, including fan favorites: BLACK PANTHER, CUT THROAT CITY, THE PURGE TV series, WARRIOR, U SHOOT VIDEOS?, ALL THAT, and TRAINING DAY.

In 2011, Denzel simultaneously began developing his skillset behind the camera as a filmmaker. Since then, he's garnered millions of views in the music video space, worked 5 years at Cartoon Network as an editor and illustrator on hit shows including BOONDOCKS and BLACK DYNAMITE, and is a published fashion photographer. 

His film ‘5150' is a two-time Audience Award winner from both SeriesFest and the FilmGood Festival and a selection for Tribeca's Creators Market. Co-written and directed by Denzel, starring Jovan Adepo, and executive produced by David Oyelowo, the film is currently being developed into a TV series. 

His latest film is Brand New:  "When a newly famous music producer visits his hometown, he battles the guilt of abandoning his past and the bitterness of an old friend." Denzel served as co-writer and co-director, and stars in the film which has been accepted into eight film festivals around the world. 

Evelyn Seubert of IYMS said, “We are deeply grateful that Denzel is our Ambassador.  He's a young filmmaker who shares his passion generously.  His commitment to change mirrors IYMS' history of films that inform and inspire.

“We are also grateful to the organizers of the first AFC to have included IYMS among the exhibitors so that we can share our story with industry leaders,” she added.

The International Youth Media Summit (IYMS) has been held annually since its founding in 2006.  The Summit brings together young filmmakers, journalists and activists from around the globe to create media products that address pressing global issues. They collaborate on film projects, working with industry professionals, issue mentors and United Nations leaders who offer them training, guidance and support. They create impactful films which are then shared online and in communities globally, through film festivals, neighborhood screenings, workshops and special presentations. In the past two decades, the work of IYMS has reached hundreds of thousands worldwide. 

IYMS Films, the feature arm of IYMS, has completed its first feature film JOHN. Produced and Directed by Babar Ali, an IYMS alumnus, JOHN is a gritty tale centered around gang life in Karachi, Pakistan. The film was shot on location in Karachi, and had a theatrical release in Pakistan. 

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