Kid President
Director: Yadid Hirschtritt Licht
Cast:Kimberly Underwood, Ivy Sloane Harris, Annie Mercado, Fiona Rae Warburton, Antonio Banks, Jovan Gonzalez
Crew:Writer: Yadid Hirschtritt Licht. Producer: Yadid Hirschtritt Licht.
Email:yadid.licht@gmail.com
Synopsis
No more lettuce, no more artichokes… no more broccoli! This is the future that Kid President envisions as he rolls out his most daring policy yet: a ban on all vegetables. In this 2D animated mockumentary, viewers get an inside look as Kid President attempts to strongarm his policy past his rag-tag administration and an alarmed White House press corps. Can Kid President make his vegetable-free dream a reality?
Trailer
About the director
Yadid Hirschtritt Licht is an animator and filmmaker based out of Brooklyn, NY. His creative practice centers on comedic and heartwarming storytelling by way of whimsical hand-drawn animations. He graduated with a Masters of Fine Arts in Animation from DePaul University in June 2024. Yadid's previous film, “Duet”, has been screened at over 25 festivals, winning 4 awards along the way. “Duet” also screened at 1,500+ schools across 20 countries as part of the School Cinema International Film Festival 2022. In his free time, Yadid enjoys spending time with his friends and family, cheering on the New York Yankees, and making music with his band, The Scary Part.
Filmmaker's note
When I began planning out my MFA thesis film in Spring 2021, I had just completed production on “Duet,” a vulnerable and personal film that dealt with the themes of grief and loss. After this experience, I understood that whatever story I chose, I would be living and feeling its emotions day in and day out for the next couple of years. I knew that I wanted to feel lighter. So, I chose to go in a different direction altogether. I set out to tell a story that at its core is silly.
As I brainstormed Kid President and his world, I took great inspiration from a series of movies from the 90s and early 00s: “Little Big League”, “Rookie of the Year”, and “Like Mike”. These are all films about extraordinary kids being placed into the adult world of professional sports. There was something just odd and silly about that premise and the fact that it was revisited repeatedly during this specific period. I decided to do my own take on the niche kid-in-the-adult-world genre, with a couple twists of my own.
My wish is for Kid President to bring smiles and laughter to children and adults alike. I hope that children watching the film will feel inspired to consider their own unique ideas on how they can make the world a better place, and what type of impact they can have on their community. Kid President perhaps serves as a template on how not to do it! Likewise, I hope that Kid President invites adults to rediscover their inner child and see the world the way they might have when they were little. Namely, to approach life with the naïve optimism, delusional confidence, and pure silliness of a kid.