What Youth FX does

Youth FX Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 2008 and headquartered at 25 Warren St in Albany, New York's South End neighborhood. It delivers free digital film and media arts education to young people ages 10-25, with a primary focus on youth from communities historically underserved in the Capital Region of New York State. The organization's portfolio includes a 6-week Summer Program, the NeXt Doc year-long documentary fellowship, Rogue FX (an alumni-staffed full-service video production company), the Arts2Work paid job-training fellowship for ages 21-25, Framing Our Futures digital photography, Script Lab screenwriting program, and Remix/Rebellion experimental film program. Programs are delivered through hands-on workshops covering cinematography, editing, screenwriting, directing, acting, scoring, sound, and lighting, with student films screened at venues such as Spectrum 8 Theatres, Opalka Gallery, and Albany Center Gallery, and submitted to festivals including Tribeca, Sundance, Los Angeles Film Festival, and BlackStar.

The underlying technology is conventional digital filmmaking equipment and editing software used in standard production pipelines rather than proprietary platforms. Youth FX's business model is a donation-and-grant-funded nonprofit model: programs are free to participants, with revenue sourced from individual donations, foundation grants (NYSCA, Touhey Family Foundation), government arts and community development grants (Albany County Community Development), earned income from screening ticket sales ($10 adults / $5 students / $25 donor tickets), and a small commercial revenue stream from Rogue FX's external video production clients. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: the organization reaches participants through 48+ community organization partnerships, schools, libraries, and word-of-mouth, and converts audiences via public screenings, gallery shows, poetry slams, and an annual world premiere event that doubles as community engagement and donor cultivation.

Operations are run by a small core team of approximately seven staff including Co-Executive Directors Bhawin Suchak and Darian Henry, Technical Director Rashid Howell, Creative Director Michael Mejia, Administrative Coordinator Tyler K. West, and Lead Educators Camille Dobbs and Daysia Leneé, governed by an eight-member Board of Directors. The organization has scaled reach to roughly 2,800 annual visitors and 650+ youth participants, with 40+ festival screenings of student films nationally and internationally.

Name

Youth FX

Legal name

Youth FX Inc.

Website

https://youthfx.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Youth FX is a 501c3 nonprofit in Albany, NY that delivers free digital film and media arts education to youth ages 10-25 from historically underserved communities in New York's Capital Region, operating summer programs, fellowships, and an alumni-run production company funded by grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Media Arts Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s & Youth Educational Entertainment (Edutainment) (EDAGALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Arts & Design (Graphic Design, Illustration, Animation) (EDAMAAAB), Short-Form Documentaries (MPADADAC), Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

Keywords

• Youth film education
• Media arts training
• Digital filmmaking programs
• Nonprofit arts education
• Community media programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New Albany

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a 501c3 nonprofit organization, Youth FX relies primarily on donations from the community and grants from foundations and government arts agencies to fund free programming.
2. Ticket Sales and Donations: Screening events include optional ticket purchases ($10 adults, $5 students, $25 donor tickets) with proceeds supporting programs like the Summer Program. Some events are free with optional donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Youth FX runs free digital film and media arts education programs for young people ages 10-25, primarily serving diverse youth from historically underserved communities in the Capital Region of New York. The programs provide hands-on training in all aspects of digital video production including cinematography, editing, screenwriting, producing, directing, acting, scoring, sound, and lighting, with students producing documentary, narrative, and experimental films that screen at major festivals.

Product overview

Youth FX is a non-profit organization offering a comprehensive suite of film and media arts education programs for young people ages 10-25 in the Capital Region of New York. The core Youth FX program teaches digital filmmaking including documentary, narrative, and experimental film production. The portfolio includes NeXt Doc (documentary fellowship for emerging filmmakers ages 20-24), Rogue FX (alumni-run production company), Arts2Work Fellowship (year-long paid job training for ages 21-25), Summer Program (6-week intensive), Framing Our Futures (digital photography), Script Lab (screenwriting), Remix/Rebellion (experimental film), South End Cinema (screening series), and World Premiere Screening events. Programs develop technical skills in cinematography, editing, screenwriting, producing, directing, sound, and lighting while amplifying youth voices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NeXt Doc: Year-long fellowship program bringing together emerging documentary storytellers from diverse backgrounds with award-winning filmmakers to build skills and networks.
• Rogue FX
• Script Lab
• Framing Our Futures
• Arts2Work

Products and services

• Youth FX Core Programs Free core educational programs teaching digital film and media arts to young people ages 10-25, focusing on documentary and short fiction filmmaking, cinematography, editing, screenwriting, producing, directing, acting, scoring, sound, and lighting.
• Youth FX Summer Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Films have won awards and screened at major festivals including Tribeca, Sundance, LA, San Francisco, Harlem, Woodstock, Chicago International Film Festivals
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and regular.

• Capital District Tobacco Free CommunitiesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 March 2025Community partnership for poetry slam event to gather and express the impact community has on health through art.
• The AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner that inspired the Arts2Work fellowship program. The Alliance provides the model for Youth FX's workforce development program that provides paid job training for young adults in digital media careers.
• Rogue FXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull-service production company staffed by Youth FX alumni. Creates videos tailored to client needs with focus on stories with heart and soul. Supports Youth FX programs by providing production experience and mentorship for emerging filmmakers.
• NeXt DoccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYear-long fellowship program bringing together emerging documentary storytellers from diverse backgrounds with award-winning filmmakers. Amplifies voices of emerging filmmakers of color ages 20-24.
• Spectrum 8 TheatresregularGTM or Marketing PartnerAlbany theater venue for Youth FX world premiere and encore screenings of youth-produced films.
• University at Albany Art MuseumregularGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner venue for Remix/Rebellion program and experimental film screenings, collaborating on exhibitions like Noel W. Anderson's Black Excellence exhibition.
• Albany Center GalleryregularGTM or Marketing PartnerGallery partner for Framing Our Futures digital photography program exhibitions at Art.Work.Space location.
• Albany Public LibraryregularGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for screenwriting workshop hosting at Howe Library location.
• Basilica HudsonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner venue for Basilica Non-Fiction Screening Series featuring Youth FX and NeXt Doc films.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC): BAVC provides media-making education, equipment access, and youth programs in San Francisco. Like Youth FX, it is a nonprofit that combines hands-on filmmaking training with community-based programs and serves emerging, diverse filmmakers.
• Ghetto Film School: Ghetto Film School provides free professional film education to underserved high school students in NYC, the Bronx, and LA, with alumni placements at major studios and festivals. It is the closest direct peer to Youth FX, operating the same free-film-education-for-diverse-youth model at a larger scale.
• Reel Works Teen Filmmaking: Reel Works offers free filmmaking programs, mentorships, and film industry exposure to NYC teens from underserved communities. Directly comparable to Youth FX in target audience (disadvantaged youth), free programming model, and focus on industry pathway outcomes.
• Scribe Video Center: Scribe Video Center in Philadelphia trains youth and adult community members in documentary video production as a tool for social change. Directly comparable in mission, free community model, and focus on amplifying underrepresented voices through film.
• Appalshop: Appalshop is an Appalachian arts and media organization that produces films, recordings, and educational programs with a mission to document and amplify underrepresented communities. It is comparable to Youth FX as a mission-driven, youth-serving, community-based film and media nonprofit.
• DCTV (Downtown Community Television Center): DCTV is a NYC community media arts center offering film production workshops, youth programs, and documentary training. It aligns with Youth FX in providing free or low-cost film education to underserved communities and producing community-made documentary work.
• Educational Video Center (EVC): EVC is a NYC-based nonprofit that teaches youth media production and documentary filmmaking to public school students. It shares Youth FX's emphasis on youth-driven documentary work, free programming, and serving historically underserved communities in urban settings.

Broad incumbents

• SFFILM Education: SFFILM is a larger, established film organization in the San Francisco Bay Area that operates youth education programs alongside a major film festival. It is comparable to Youth FX as a peer in youth film education but operates at a broader, more institutional scale.
• Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP): IFP is a national nonprofit supporting independent filmmakers through labs, fiscal sponsorship, and education programs. Comparable to Youth FX in its nonprofit support for emerging filmmakers, though it focuses on adult professionals rather than youth.

Others

• Allied Media Projects: Allied Media Projects supports media-based organizing and youth-driven storytelling as a tool for community transformation. It is a thematically adjacent nonprofit that uses media education for diverse youth, with a similar grassroots mission to Youth FX.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/youthfx
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youth-fx

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Youth FX