March 2009
 Kristine Sorensen is a digital media producer and the founder and executive director of In Progress, a non-profit organization in Minnesota that supports the development of digital arts and youth leadership. She is nationally-recognized for this work, which focuses on the development of media-making by people who often are not represented in mainstream media – youth, tribal/migrant communities, inner-city neighborhoods, and rural townships.
“In my twenty-five years of youth media work, I have seen young artists relentlessly struggle to define themselves outside of stereotypes imposed upon them by others. In doing so they have found their own voices – their own strengths – their own unique stories. They know that they are just beginning their journeys as media producers. They know that there is much to learn from others. But they are ready, open and looking to be influenced by the message carriers that have come before them. A majority of the young artists I work with lack the economic resources needed to create video, yet when given the opportunity, they dive into the medium ready to learn and share. They engage their parents, elders, and their communities to tell the stories they themselves are often just learning. They are determined to be seen, and they are determined to preserve the stories they and others deeply value. This is what I see as an advocate for youth in media. It is with great honor that I watch these stories take form, develop and find an audience.”
Screened by NMAI
Image credit: Kristine Sorensen - courtesy of the filmmaker; Kristine Sorensen - courtesy of the filmmaker
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