Tom Shepard is the Founding Executive Director of Youth Documentary Academy, a program that I wish I’d had access to growing up. Entering its 13th season, YDA is close to premiering its latest flight of short films by underprivileged and at-risk youth with sincere stories to tell. You can still get tickets for the November 9th, 2025 premiere at https://www.youthdocumentary.org/2025worldpremiere/.
In this episode I get to talk with Tom about his time growing up, leaving and returning to Colorado Springs, the importance of the YDA program locally, Sundance in Colorado and how YDA can expand in these troubling times.
Mentioned in this episode:
First Congregational Church
Rocky Mountain Women’s Film
IFSOC - Ralph Giordano
Homeward PIkes Peak
Colorado Springs Homeless Union
Poor Richard’s
Youth Documentary Academy
Citizens Project
Inside Out Youth Services
Follow BNLO on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok!
0:00 Splash/Sponsor/Intro
0:31 Greetings and Monologue
4:37 Ad Break
5:32 Introducing Tom Shepard/Wallet Strategy
7:01 Night Owling
8:00 COS to SFO
10:35 Roots in Town
15:48 James Dobson is Dead
23:45 Youth Documentary Academy
29:14 Using Filmmaking to Process Trauma
32:40 How do you Replicate YDA?
33:58 Scouring for Funds
40:10 Giving up, Going Back
42:57 Sundance in Colorado
50:17 Film COS
53:26 Letting the Kids Shine
57:53 The Shifting Zeitgeist
59:43 Letting Film Change Your Mind
1:05:15 Shutting up for a Moment to be Compassionate
1:13:45 Paying for Culture
1:17:15 The A.I. Sitch in Filmmaking
1:21:31 Interview Closeout
1:22:42 Outro/Credits
