YOUTH CHAPTER: First Encounter

This film will be available both in-person and online.

Set in the 1990s, YOUTH CHAPTER: FIRST ENCOUNTER  follows Mina, a day-dreaming high school girl who views love through the lens of K-dramas and romance manga. When she confesses to her first crush, Jay, and gets rejected, it sends her spiraling. The glossy fairytale she envisioned collapses, but from the wreckage, a new chapter quietly begins when Tim enters the picture and the cycle starts again. It’s a coming-of-age tale about growing through heartbreak, reclaiming identity, and the power of magical stories.

Gino Click is a second generation Filipino-American filmmaker and Emmy-nominated advertising creative director based in Brooklyn, NY. He is passionate about creating bright, colorful stories that center underrepresented people. When he’s not making films, music videos, or commercials, you can find him making Tiktoks for his cat, Gary.

Producer: Linus Ignatius

Writers: Kate Mina Lin, Gino Click

Cinematographer: Max Brandenburg

1st AD: Linus Ignatius

Gaffer: Alex Blocher, Jeremy Guico

Key Grip: Tsen Ee Lin

1st AC: Jacob Mariani

Production Designer: Genevieve Constance Jones

Art Assistant: David Lin

Wardrobe: Lillian Le

Makeup: Vy Pham

BTS: Nic Chae

Manga Illustrator: Gabby Kim

Colorist: Max Brandenburg

Editor & VFX: Jon Bewley

Plays in

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