The winners from this summer’s pitch contest include “Kyiv, Sofia, Hollywood: The Unexpected Journey of Ukrainian Refugees,” “Who’s My Dad?” and “The Mushroom King.”
“Kyiv, Sofia, Hollywood: The Unexpected Journey of Ukrainian Refugees” was produced by Tatiana Vorozhko Koprowicz of the Ukrainian service. The film follows the lives of two Ukrainian mothers who fled their home due to the Russian invasion. In order to support themselves, they find work in Sofia, Bulgaria, with Eastern Europe’s largest film company as they try to rebuild their lives in a new country and embrace a new career.
“Who’s My Dad?” was produced by Neetikarn Kamlangwan of the Thai service. The documentary explores the journey of three Thai Americans who were fathered by U.S. servicemen during the Vietnam War. Unfortunately, these children never knew their fathers. The children, now adults, discuss their struggles with identity, the desire for belonging and their journey of discovery to find out their fathers.
The duo of Aaron Fedor and Kathleen McLaughlin from VOA’s News Center produced the documentary “The Mushroom King.” This unique science-centered film introduces the audience to Padilla Brown, a self-taught citizen scientist and mycologist, whose love of mushrooms helps others to appreciate nature and embrace sustainable living.
“These three original documentaries are a testament to how much storytelling talent can be found across VOA,” explained Acting VOA Director Yolanda López. “Each one of these films offers our audience unique insights into vastly different worlds shared by individuals on three continents, all told in a compelling and very personal format.”
These three visually-compelling stories are available on all VOA platforms, including VOA+, 52 Documentary, and the VOA News YouTube channel.
