Variety Artisans Award

Teen Press member ETHAN & LUKA were early to check in to the press line and were given an outstanding placement on the red carpet. CARLOS LEIVA BARAHONA, Director of the film "The Righteous" ("Todos somos justos") was also early to the event, and was the first to speak with the reporters.

Some of the team that created the documentary "Row of Life", SORAYA SIMI the Director, DEBRA MADSEN one of the subjects, and NICHOLAS WEISSMAN, a Producer, talked with ETHAN & LUKA about the challenges and goals of the film, which depicts Debra's sister, Angela, and her quest to row unassisted from California to Hawaii.

To depict a sensitive story of a young girl trying to buck the rules in Iran, Director RAND BEIRUTY decided to create an animation as the medium for her documentary film "Shadows". In response, LUKA & ETHAN were animated interviewers.

Some of the filmmakers of the narrative short "Ragamuffin", SAILOR LAROCQUE & CHRISTINA JUNDT, the Producers, and KAITLYN MIKAYLA the Writer/Director, spoke with reporters LUKA & ETHAN about the film, which reflects Kaitlyn's experiences growing up as a female motocross racer.

RITA WALSH, a Producer of a hybrid narrative/documentary "The Wolves Always Come at Night", talked with ETHAN & LUKA about her film, which depicts the plight of some Mongolian herders after destruction wrought by climate change.

Team 53 reporters ETHAN & LUKA were on the Red Carpet for Variety Artisans, then they met two amazing documentarians. How do you record, then whittle down 14  years of footage to make a single film? This was one of the challenges faced by SUSANNE ROSTOCK, the Director, and MIMI POLK GITLIN, the Producer of "Following Harry", a documentary about the activities of Harry Belafonte in the last years of his career. 

At Santa Barbara Middle School, students and teachers spend several weeks a year traveling by bicycle, so when musician and now documentarian NICK KELLY, the Director of "The Song Cycle" pulled up on a bike, reporters LUKA & ETHAN were immediately in tune with his message.

Despite a camera malfunction, reporters LUKA & ETHAN from Team 53 had an engaging conversation with CORMAC HARGADEN, Producer of the film "Mrs. Robinson", a documentary about life story of change-maker Mary Robinson, Ireland’s first female president.