Hi! My name is Dejah, and I am the Membership Director at Sunrise Movement, a youth-led movement fighting for a livable future for all. Though a climate organizer, I have a deep interest in using documentary film and photography as a means to tell the stories of young people, especially Black and Latinx youth organizers, fighting for climate justice. I have a deep hunger to use film and photography as a means to tell stories about organizing and movement building, and get people itching to get off the sidelines and into the work… for the fate of our planet (and democracy) quite literally hinges on that.

In 2026, the Heart of the Movement has big dreams and visions and are fundraising (yes, again!!) to bring those dreams to life.

Right now, we’re fundraising $10K for two big things: post-production (finish editing the film!) and getting the crew to Sundance Film Festival in about a month.

First, for the cost of production & post-production, we’ve got to pay the editor to take all the video, audio, and photos and weave them together.

Second. So much of filmmaking is about learning and networking! Our crew is hoping to attend Sundance in Utah in January/February. After our experience at DOC NYC, we know attending Sundance will help us connect with the right people in the doc film world to get our story out in the world.

Once we edit the short, we’re hoping to submit to festivals in the spring.

After that, our goal is to launch a YouTube series, releasing episodes over the next few years, highlighting young people in their journey to stop authoritarianism and fight climate change. Can they do it? What’s at stake if they don’t?

Support the film to help us tell this necessary story!