Award-winning teen director tackles Black youth mental health in film

Teen actress and filmmaker Anah Ambuchi gets read to direct a scene. (Anah Ambuchi, Abbey Crain) At just 17 years old, Anah Ambuchi is shaping people’s perspectives on how to better care for Black youth one short film at a time. She was inspired by the Blackness that graced her favorite movies and shows such as “Coming to America” and the Disney sitcom “That’s So Raven.” During her elementary school years in Chicago, Ambuchi started bulking up her acting resume which currently includes both commercials and a recurring role in Showtime’s “The Chi.” By age 11, Ambuchi was pulling from her own experiences when she wrote, produced and directed “In His Image,” a short film detailing the dangers of bullying. The movie was shown at 14 film festivals nationwide and won four awards, including the Rising Star Award at Diversity in Cannes, an initiative pushing for racial inclusion at the world-renowned Cannes Film Festival in France. I feel like seeing these types of films can engage the mind and create positive messages. —  Anah Ambuchi While earning those accolades, Ambuchi didn’t waste any time. She was also writing, producing and acting in her latest project, “Don’t Tell Me Ur Sorry.”...