What We Do

At Justice for My Sister, we center storytelling as a powerful tool for empowerment, healing, and transformation. Our programs are designed to uplift voices from historically underrepresented communities, equipping participants with creative skills, industry access, and opportunities for advocacy and leadership.

We organize our work into three main areas: Youth Leadership, Workforce Development, and Systems Change. Explore these below, and find opportunities to join, collaborate, or learn more.

Are you a student interested in joining a program?

Visit our applications page to learn more about our programs, find the best program for you you, check program availability, and apply today.

Youth Leadership

We believe young people should have the tools, knowledge, and support to tell their stories and advocate for the world they want to see. Our youth programs focus on creative expression, critical education, and community-building.

  • Afterschool Arts Programs: Healing-centered art and storytelling classes serving youth ages 10–18 in various LA County locations. Over 200 youth participate each year.

  • Nuevas Novelas: Intensive storytelling and environmental justice training for teens of color, culminating in the creation and community screening of student-made short documentaries.

  • Teen Dating & Healthy Relationships: Workshops equipping middle and high school students with the skills to recognize and prevent violence, promoting healthy communication and understanding the impact of media representation. Each year we reach around 600 students countywide.

  • Creative Wellbeing & Youth in Corrections: Programs designed specifically to support youth in navigating personal challenges and developing resilience through creative expression.

Explore Youth Programs →

Workforce Development

Our workforce development programs create pathways for historically excluded creatives to build sustainable careers in the film and television industry. Through practical training, mentorship, and industry connections, we support participants at every step.

  • Production Assistant Certification Program: A 100-hour professional certification providing essential training and paid, hands-on job placements in the TV & film industry. Graduates have secured roles on high-profile sets, including HBO and DreamWorks productions.

  • BIPOC Sci-Fi Screenwriting Lab: A mentorship and training fellowship where selected writers craft original TV pilot scripts, culminating in a professional table read with actors.

  • Video Diaries: Workshops guiding first-time filmmakers through creating powerful autobiographical documentaries, showcased at community film festivals with interactive Q&A sessions.

  • Short Film Incubator & Alumni Network: Programs providing continued support, professional networking, and industry access to program graduates, ensuring sustained career growth.

Explore our Programs →

Systems Change

We leverage storytelling to challenge systemic inequities and inspire industry-wide transformation. Our Systems Change work reaches beyond filmmaking to shift narratives, policies, and practices toward greater justice, inclusivity, and trauma-informed care.

  • Trauma-informed Storytelling Trainings: Comprehensive trainings for educators, mental health professionals, media producers, and service providers, teaching methods to help participants transform pain into narratives of resilience. We've trained professionals statewide through collaborations with the California Arts Council, Pasadena Unified School District, and the Department of Mental Health in San Fernando Valley.

  • Policy Advocacy & Research: Collaborative efforts with industry partners and public agencies to advocate for equitable and inclusive representation in media.

Learn more →

Community Events & Screenings

We regularly host community events, public screenings, and workshops to share our students’ work, educate the public, and build meaningful connections. These events offer safe spaces to learn, celebrate, and participate in the work we're creating together.

Learn more about past events, and follow us on our social media accounts to stay updated on upcoming events!

Partner With Us. Hire JFMS

Hiring us is the most direct way to fuel our programs. When you hire Justice for My Sister, you support filmmakers, creatives, and artists of color in our network of students, graduates, and staff.

Ready to collaborate on a short film, campaign video, or training series? Hire JFMS and invest directly in the next generation of storytellers.