Recommended - Educational Media Reviews Online | PREMIERE - Human Rights Watch Film Festival
Social Work • Sociology • Education • Family Studies • School Counseling • Educational Equity • College Access • Developmental Psychology
Date of Completion: 2022 | Run Time: 84 & 56 minutes | Language: English with English subtitles | Captions: Yes | Includes: Transcript | Director: Shaun Kadlec | Producers: Shaun Kadlec & Sarah Feeley | Executive Producers: Jamie Wolf and Bill Resnick
POSSIBLE SELVES explores the tumultuous high school years of Alex Ballantyne and Mia Derisso, two Los Angeles teenagers living in foster care. They dream of something that only 3% of young people in foster care achieve: graduating from college. In an opportunity seldom permitted, the Los Angeles County Children's Court granted the filmmakers access to document their lives. Through intimate interviews and raw emotion, Alex and Mia open up about their dreams and goals, their triumphs and failures, shining a powerful light on one of our least understood, most vulnerable, and most resilient populations: young people in foster care.
Educational Media Reviews Online | Giovanna Colosi, Librarian for the School of Education, Subject Instruction Lead, Syracuse University
Recommended - "According to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), there are approximately 420,000 children in foster care in the United States as of 2021. Of these children only an estimated 3% graduate from college. Possible Selves follows teenagers who are placed in foster care through their high school years to see if they can reach that goal ... This film would work well for in-class viewings in courses such as social work, sociology, counseling and human services and teacher prep."
Ellen Wartella, Al Thani Professor of Communication, Professor of Psychology, Professor of Human Development and Social Policy, Northwestern University, Emeritus
"This is a wonderful film that is informative, touching and able to give voice to adolescents in need. It should be watched and used as an educational resource as well."
National Foster Youth Institute | Rebecca Louve Yao, Executive Director
“We believe in the power of lifting up the voices of foster youth to help young people and families everywhere thrive. Possible Selves is a powerful documentary that does exactly this—it puts the spotlight on foster youth and elevates their voices in an authentic and compelling way."
Los Angeles Times | Grace Toohey, Staff Writer
"Even though the documentary dives into some of the teens' worst moments and greatest insecurities, [onscreen participants] Derisso and Ballantyne are both overwhelmingly proud of the film. 'I got to see how much I've grown and my progress,' Derisso said. 'I hope that this motivates other foster kids to make their dreams come true.'"
Wendy Smith, Retired clinical professor and associate dean of curriculum development and assessment at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and psychotherapist in private practice
"Possible Selves is a powerful and penetrating look at the challenges facing young people in our foster care system and as they emerge from it. The film allows us to learn about the failings of the system and their impact on vulnerable youth, even as it demonstrates their inspiring capacity to overcome great difficulty and to grow and blossom."
Mia Derisso, Possible Selves Documentary Participant
"Thank you for telling our stories, and thank you for allowing me to see a piece of myself I had forgotten. I feel like this film healed the small me who was afraid of change and the new world. I promise to be a part of the 4% that finishes college." (from a message Mia wrote to the filmmakers after watching the film for the first time)
KCRW | Steve Chiotakis, Host
"The film highlights the triumphs and tragedies of adolescents transitioning into adulthood while dealing with the aftermath of the foster care system."
CBS KCAL News | Rubadeh Shahbazi, Anchor
"It's so important that we see stories like yours to give people hope."
AWARDS
Audience Choice Award: Best Feature Documentary | Rhode Island Children's Film Festival
Founders Award | Wild Rivers Film Festival
FILM FESTIVALS
Human Rights Watch Film Festival
Newport Beach Film Festival
SCREENINGS
PBS Broadcast
Los Angeles Public Library (Presented by PBS SoCal)
Pasadena City College
Director & Producer of POSSIBLE SELVES, Director of BORN THIS WAY
Shaun Kadlec began his documentary filmmaking practice during a Fulbright fellowship in Sri Lanka where he studied peace and reconciliation through the arts. He spent many years making short-form documentaries and commercials around the world. This led to directing his feature-length documentary debut, BORN THIS WAY, a verité portrait of the LGBTQ+ community in Cameroon. The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and received many honors, including the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary at Outfest. Shaun’s newest documentary, POSSIBLE SELVES (about teenagers living in the foster care system), launches nationally on PBS in 2024. Shaun has received artist residencies at Yaddo and the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts. A gay, first-generation college graduate, Shaun grew up between small towns in Alabama and Central California and now lives in Los Angeles.
YOUTH ADVOCATE & FOSTER YOUTH IN POSSIBLE SELVES
Alex Ballantyne was born into a bi-racial Latino family struggling with addiction and untreated mental health issues in Los Angeles. At five years old, he was placed in foster care with his grandmother, and a few years later he was removed from her home and placed with strangers. This began a destabilizing series of foster placements throughout his teenage years. The summer before entering high school, Alex was accepted into the First Star Bruin Guardian Scholars Academy, a highly competitive college prep program for foster youth, sponsored by UCLA. During high school, Alex became a dedicated member of his school band, expertly playing multiple low brass instruments. He received many music awards from his school as well as from the Marine Corps Band. He went on to tour nationally with the Sacramento Mandarins Drum Corps during his senior year.
Just after his high school graduation, Alex became homeless. Following a year of struggle, he entered a transitional housing program for former foster youth and was able to begin college–a huge achievement when only 3% of American young people in foster care receive bachelor’s degrees. He is currently majoring in business at Pasadena City College and works in the college’s IT department. He hopes to transfer to UC Berkeley after completing his AA degree.