Starting small and dreaming big, our most-educated generation struggles for meaning in TVO's My Millennial Life

Starting small and dreaming big, our most-educated generation struggles for meaning in TVO's My Millennial Life



TORONTO, May 11, 2016 /CNW/ - 'Overeducated and underemployed' is a phrase often associated with millennials, but does it define a generation? My Millennial Life, a TVO-commissioned documentary, explores the challenges facing today's younger demographic, as it follows five individuals who are bridging the gap between expectations and reality.

Making its world premiere in May, the film follows 20-somethings who want to achieve their dreams but are met with the reality of finding a job, paying their bills, and becoming financially independent from their parents. Whether it's returning to school, building a company, or working odd jobs to make ends meet, they can't seem to grasp the dream of their parents' generation: having a job, owning a house, and finding love.


Meron Gaudet, 20, is working as a maid in a trendy hotel while trying to make it as a music journalist; Tim Saulnier, 24, is hoping his rock band catches a break while paying his bills transcribing court testimony; 24-year-old Emily Smillie's father pays her rent, while her desire to find work is conflicted and sometimes half-hearted; freelance writer Hope Kumor, 25, is back at home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania after a series of non-paying internships in New York City can't help her land a job; and James Slifierz, 25, is a driven achiever who quit school to develop his own tech start-up, won NASA's Space Apps Challenge, and still remains cash-poor.

My Millennial Life makes its world premiere screening at the Hot Docs Bloor Cinema on Thursday, May 26 at 6:15 pm. After the film, Nam Kiwanuka, host of TVO's The Agenda in the Summer, will moderate a Q&A panel discussion with the subjects of the film and filmmaker Maureen Judge. Tickets to the screening are available at bloorcinema.com.

The film makes its world broadcast premiere on TVO on Saturday, May 28 at 9 pm and repeats on Sunday, May 29 at 11 pm and Thursday, June 2 at 9 pm. My Millennial Life will also be available on tvo.org following the broadcast.

"TVO is always seeking out new voices and fresh perspectives to inform and inspire," said John Ferri, VP, Current Affairs & Documentaries, TVO. "My Millennial Life sees the world through the lens of a generation that wonders if they'll achieve the same level of prosperity as their parents. It's riveting, smart, funny and more than a little heart-breaking."

"The featured subjects are often more educated than their parents, yet they're finding it harder than ever to get where they want to go," said Maureen Judge, Director/Producer, My Millennial Life. "Young people today tend to have been raised in very structured and for some, comfortable environments. And then, they are let loose into a big, wide, demanding world that often throws a wall in front of them. My aim is also to show how people adapt, re-gearing themselves to be self-starters in a 'gig economy'."

Maureen Judge is an award-winning filmmaker whose work includes: Living Dolls, recipient of a Gold Medal for Directing (New York Festivals) and Best POV Documentary (Yorkton Film Festival); Genie Award-winning Unveiled: The Mother Daughter Relationship; and Gemini nominated films, Mom's Home and FLicKeR (also winner of the Hot Docs Special Jury Prize).

My Millennial Life is produced by Maureen Judge and Charlotte Engel and directed by Maureen Judge. The film is produced by Makin' Movies Inc. and Rock Yenta Productions Inc. in association with TVO, with the participation of the Rogers Documentary Fund, Bell Fund, ichannel and the assistance of the Canadian Media Fund, The Government of Ontario - Film & Video Tax Credit, and the Canadian Film or Video Tax Credit.


About TVO
As the technological extension of Ontario's public education system, TVO's vision is to create a better world through the power of learning. TVO provides learning opportunities for Ontarians through innovative educational products, in-depth current affairs, groundbreaking documentaries, and award-winning TVOKids resources both inside and outside the classroom. TVO is funded primarily by the Province of Ontario and is a registered charity supported by sponsors and thousands of donors. For more information, visit tvo.org.

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SOURCE TVO

Video:http://www.youtube.com/v/XJrMm-RiIyA?hl=en_US&version=3&rel=0
TVO

CONTACT: Media contact: Nicole Morrison, Public Relations Specialist, 416.484.2600 x2281, nmorrison@tvo.org

Web Site: http://www.tvo.org


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