Private Project

Youth

Raised in strict discipline and expectation, a confined teenage girl sneaks out to her first party in hopes of experiencing her denied youth against the constant shadow of her upbringing.

  • Jeff Fan
    Director
    To Change, #BaronPride
  • Jeff Fan
    Writer
    To Change, #BaronPride
  • Sam Dodd
    Producer
    Queen of Glass, Brother Drugs, The Phoenix King
  • Orlando Pinder
    Producer
    Invisible Man, Just Another Superhero Story, I Too Am BCC
  • Nina Cavalcanti
    Key Cast
  • Ashley Behnke
    Key Cast
  • Elliott Powell
    Director of Photography
    Invisible Man
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, Romance
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 30 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 16, 2016
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.40
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
Director Biography - Jeff Fan

Jeff Fan, Columbia University ‘2020, is an aspiring filmmaker whose film has been recognized by President Obama at the White House. He is the Production Designer of KID Museum, an emerging children’s museum serving the DC region that combines hands-on STEAM-based learning with global cultural exploration; President of Tryka Film Coalition, a student artists community sponsored by Imagination Stage that provides resources, education and networking opportunities to student filmmakers in the DC-Maryland-Virginia area; Director of Marketing for #BaronsUnited, a student activism campaign aiming to spark discussion about sexual violence; and Lighting Designer for “Good Kids” at Round House Theatre. Jeff hopes to pursue a career in filmmaking as a director, producer and cinematographer.

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Director Statement

Youth takes a highly personal approach in examining an universal concept always eulogised but often condemned. Youth is a time of exploration, but we are taught to follow a predefined path instead that leads to supposed success and happiness. It’s that choice between the unknown and the charted that drives this film. Youth is not a film about drinking, parties or hookups; rather, it is about what they stand for - the discovering of self.

It’s hard to portray self-discovery. After all, how we negotiate our influences and ultimately explore our identity is an internal process. To portray the protagonist engaging in that process, the film takes a surreal approach to visual storytelling. What we see isn’t so much realistic occurrences, but how our protagonist perceives them and how they influence her view of self. Though the choice between following a set path and exploring the unknown is a question posed, the film does intend to make a statement in answer: Youth is a time of exploration that should never be sacrificed, because in discovering ourselves, we are empowered.