On November 1, 2025, Boston Global Youth Philanthropy (GYP) proudly announced the winners of the inaugural GYP Youth Humanitarian Film Festival, marking the beginning of a new tradition that will now be held twice each year.
The festival aims to create a global platform for young people to express, discuss, and learn about humanitarian issues through film. By connecting youth voices worldwide, the event fosters empathy, creativity, and civic awareness.
The 2025 Festival received nearly 50 short films via FilmFreeway and direct submissions from across the globe — including the United States, China, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Iran, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Chile. The entries spanned documentaries, narratives, and animation, exploring themes such as youth mental health, war and peace, endangered cultures, poverty, and environmental challenges.
Over 100 GYP student judges worldwide — including 13 college students from Drexel University — evaluated submissions based on Storytelling, Humanitarian Relevance, Technical Quality, and Impact.
At the opening event, Professor Nicholas Natalicchio from Drexel University and Mr. Long Chiu from The University of Hong Kong (HKU) announced 14 awards, including the GYP Jury Grand Prize for “The Wrong Side” by Nikoletta Olenchyn of Ukraine. Other awardees represented countries such as the USA, China, Taiwan, Brazil, Malaysia, Iran, and Sri Lanka.
Award-Winning Film Directors and Films of 2025 GYP Youth Humanitarian Film Festival
During the virtual ceremony, audiences viewed film excerpts and heard remarks from the young filmmakers, celebrating both artistic excellence and youth humanitarian vision.
African Culture Day — Co-hosted with African Film Festival, Inc.
On the second day of the online event, Boston GYP and African Film Festival, Inc. co-hosted a special program titled “African Culture Day.” GYP students William Yu and Edwin Chen led the event, joined by distinguished guests Ms. Ekwa Msangi from African Film Festival, Inc., and Mr. George Nalo from Education in Crisis (EiC), which operates across Northeast Africa — including Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, and South Sudan.
Ms. Msangi and Mr. Nalo shared valuable insights on film, education, and African culture, offering youth participants a deeper understanding of humanitarian storytelling across cultures.
One-on-One Interview: Wesley Wang
On the third day of the event, GYP Student Board Member David Wang hosted a one-on-one interview with Wesley Wang, a Harvard student and 2023 All American High School Film Festival Best Overall Winner. Wesley shared his journey from high school filmmaker to professional-level storytelling, highlighting how he integrates social impact projects into film production to create meaningful change.
Private Screenings
From November 4–6, a series of small-group screenings of award-winning films were organized by GYP students worldwide. These sessions provided youth participants the opportunity to discuss creative process, humanitarian themes, and collaboration in a more intimate setting.