SAN ANTONIO – As the BexarFest screening approaches, students at Stevens High School are hard at work on their latest project, collaborating with the Alamo Area Teen Suicide Prevention Coalition.
Known for their award-winning audiovisual program, these students are tackling the serious topic of mental health awareness.
Peyton Hui, Jose Mederos, Vincent Garcia, and Jonathan Sanchez are among the students leading the project.
“I feel like a lot of people deal with mental health issues and don’t know how to deal with them,” said Hui, a senior. “It’s a big thing to just spread the awareness and the cause and that there is help out there.”
Vincent Garcia, also a senior, emphasized the importance of the project’s message.
“The main message I think the video portrays is that there is help and you can be that help too,” he said. “It’s really important to not just talk about it but also listen and be that hand that can help others.”
The students are gaining real-life media experience through their participation in BexarFest, the only multimedia program of its kind that pairs high school media production students with local nonprofit organizations to create outreach materials for the nonprofit’s marketing campaigns.
“So far, we’re just getting and setting up the interviews, filming the interviews, getting what they have to say about the foundation,” said Sanchez, a senior.
Mederos, a junior, added, “We’ve made good progress. You know, I filmed some B-roll for the project.”
Hui shared her passion for filmmaking, saying, “I’ve fallen in love with movies ever since I can remember. I feel like movies and directing can just change people’s lives and really impact people.”
Garcia expressed his aspirations, saying, “I definitely want to get into college and study film. Editing is really fun. It’s like a puzzle piece. You put the pieces together and you can make something really great.”
The students are inspiring each other toward potential careers in film or media.
When asked about their favorite films, Hui mentioned, “Definitely ‘Little Women’ by Greta Gerwig. That movie is beautiful. It’s absolutely wonderful. I love all the ‘Harry Potter’ series.”
Mederos shared his love for horror movies, saying “I like horror movies a lot like ‘Scream,’ ‘Nightmare on Elm Street.’”
Sanchez enjoys war movies, saying, “I like war movies like ‘Hacksaw Ridge.’”
Garcia highlighted his interest in diverse film genres, saying, “‘Answer in Progress.’ It’s an amazing YouTube channel, and their editing is really good. I really love all filming, like animation of documentaries, narratives, everything.”
The BexarFest screenings will be held on March 25 at the Santikos Palladium Theater.
Find more BexarFest stories on KSAT.com here
