FINDING ELIJAH – Yolonda Johnson-Young

Categories: Past Events / Projects
Published September 7, 2025

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Three individuals pose together under a banner for World Suicide Prevention Day, with the text 'Pics from FINDING ELIJAH Screening (9/10/25) Dir/SIFTer YOLANDA JOHNSON-YOUNG' displayed prominently.
Promotional poster for the film 'Finding Elijah' by Yolonda Johnson-Young, featuring award selections and screening details for World Suicide Prevention Day, along with an image of the filmmaker.

In collaboration with Scribe Video Center Yolonda’s Film FINDING ELIJAH will have another encore screening in continued recognition of WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION – Told from a mother’s perspective, Finding Elijah follows a young man from home, into mental illness, to homelessness, and ultimately to suicide. See how a search for answers compels a mother to action.

Date: Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Time: 6 – 8 pm
Location: Scribe 3908 Lancaster Avenue, Phila, PA, 19104

FREE EVENTBRITE REGISTRATION
Yolonda Johnson-Young, emotional while discussing her film 'Finding Elijah', focusing on the theme of suicide awareness.

Yolonda Johnson-Young, writer and director of ‘Finding Elijah’, grapples with her son’s suicide by making a powerful film .

Tune in tonight for the Broadcast Premiere of the award winning ‘Finding Elijah’ on WHYY TV-12 Philadelphia: Tuesday, September 29th, 7:30pm EST.

On September 10th, 2020, Suicide Awareness Day, Good Day Philadelphia’s
Mike Jerrick and Alex Holley speak with Yolonda.

WATCH HERE

TRAILER

Collage of award notifications and festival selections for the film 'Finding Elijah', featuring logos from various film festivals and a portrait of director Yolonda Johnson-Young.
Portrait of Yolonda Johnson-Young, a writer and director. She has short gray hair and wears a floral blouse with a pearl necklace.
Director Statement: I believe that my work on Finding Elijah can create a collective consciousness to open the dialogue about suicide awareness and prevention, with solutions on to how to break the stigma surrounding mental health conditions and homelessness, and have real conversations to stop suicide. I want to help individuals and families to have more understanding when it comes to mental health issues. I hope to create a space for those who are in need to talk and to access help, and to partnerships with mental health agencies, homeless shelters and social service centers.

MORE INFO: https://filmfreeway.com/FindingElijah

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Yolonda participated in GOOD PITCH PHILLY (9/16/20) and discussed her next film ANOTHER LIFE: A BLACK FAMILY IN WITSEC.

Based upon the childhood experiences of filmmaker Yolanda Johnson-Young WITSEC––the Witness Security Program––provides for the security and safety of government witnesses. As a child in the years 1977-79, filmmaker Yolanda Johnson-Young’s family was part of that program. Following up her short doc directing debut, “Finding Elijah” (Good Pitch Local Philly 2018) Johnson-Young crafts a journey of discovery using memory, personal photographs, archival footage, and interviews that puts the pieces of her life back together.

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