American Street Kid follows eight teens – Marquesha Babers “Kiki”, Ryan, Greenz, Bublez, Nick, Ish, Crystal, and Mischa – who have been living on the streets since ages 15-16. Filmmaker, Michael Leoni, leads you into a world that most people don’t know exists. A world where in order to survive, kids are forced to sell drugs, beg for money, or sell their bodies. They live under bridges, in abandoned houses, or anywhere else they can hide to remain safe from the dangers they face daily on the streets.
Logline: Filmmaker, Michael Leoni heads to the streets of LA to shine a light on the epidemic of homeless youth in America. Once inside their world, he realizes he can no longer be an observer; every day is a matter of life or death and he’ll do anything to get them off the streets.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Michael Leoni leads us into a world that most people don’t know exists. A world where in order to survive, kids are forced to sell drugs, beg for money, or sell their bodies. They live under bridges, in abandoned houses, or anywhere else they can hide to remain safe from the dangers they face daily on the streets. Follow his journey with homeless teens in Los Angeles as they expose the truth and illuminate the hardcore reality of this American crisis. These teens have traveled from across the country to converge in Los Angeles with the dream of finding something better. What they find is anything but that…their powerful stories are heartbreaking while their unrelenting hope and determination to create a better life shines through, in this true tale of love, friendship, and the triumph of the human spirit. Leoni reveals the answers to the most crucial questions: How did they get there? And why can’t they get off the streets?
The Official Trailer for American Street Kid directed by Filmmaker Michael Leoni
Release Date: August 21, 2020
Streaming on-demand: Apple iTunes, Amazon, GooglePlay, Spectrum, Fandango NOW, Cox, Charter cable, etc.
Distributed by: Kandoo Films
Directed by: Michael Leoni
Written by: Michael Leoni
Executive Producer: Howard Barish and Mark A. Burley
Produced by: Erica Katzin, Michelle Kaufer, Michael Leoni, and Jon Pavlovsky
Cast: Greenz, Nick, Ryan, Ish, Bublez, Crystal, Marquesha Babers “Kiki”, and Mischa
Run Time: 104 minutes
The kids are Cheyanne Doolittle a/k/a Bublez, Ryan Harper, Nick Pumroy, David Johnson a/k/a Greenz, Ishmael Donnell Herring, Crystal Mann – Smith, Nessa, Mischa, Kiki, Seana, Akira, Shredder, and Raven.
Additional kids are Youngster 1, Klutter, Saturn, Pyrus Wade, Haze, Kit Fox, Jesus Fonseca, Raymond Montes, Dolly, Pedro, Sunny, Jimmie, Caleb, S.G., Redd, Malinko, Horus, Andrea, Dre, Cassandra, Wolfe, Wicked, Corey J., Dizzy, Hanje, Buttons, Stoney, Jay M., Terry a/k/a Turbo, Youngster 2, Goldie, Adam, Kyra, X-Man, Corey, Drifter, Dustin, Warlock, Andrew, Jesus, Lorenzo, and Chris.
The crew include Writer & Director Michael Leoni, Producer Michelle Kaufer, Michael Leoni, Erica Katzin, Jon Pavlovsky; Executive Producers Howard Barish, Mark A. Burley, Sarah Findlay; Director of Photography Abigail Jane Elliott, Joseph Hendrickson; Editor Michael Leoni, Erica Katzin; Music Greg Tripi, Conner Youngblood, Jermaine Stegall.
About Michael Leoni: Originally from New York, Michael Leoni is a Los Angeles based Writer/Director with a passion for both theatre and film. He founded the socially conscious production company, An 11:11 Experience that pushes beyond the scope of traditional entertainment, challenges an audience’s beliefs, and motivates a movement for positive change in our society.
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