An 11:11 EXPERIENCE (Production Company), run by partners Michael Leoni, Michelle Kaufer, and Erica Katzin, is a Los Angeles based production company dedicated to creating projects that promote social change. 11:11 was conceived from the idea that film and theatre have the capacity to create connection, encourage compassion and engage and inspire audiences. Founded in 2004, 11:11 focuses on developing powerful stories and compelling characters that encourage people to see the world from a new point of view.
From powerful documentaries to inspiring narratives and innovative theatre, 11:11 is committed to producing work that’s brave, provocative and significant.
Current projects include: American Street Kid, a powerful, award-winning, feature-length documentary, that takes us onto the streets and into the real lives of America’s homeless youth, currently available on Amazon Prime, iTunes, GooglePlay; When Today Ends, a narrative feature that confronts the tragic reality of teen suicide, scheduled for release in May 2021; and Famous, an innovative melding of live theatre and narrative filmmaking that delves deep into the behind-closed-doors side of sexual abuse in 90’s Hollywood.
"Michael Leoni continues his run of emotionally impactful stories."
- Irish Film Critic
AMERICAN STREET KID (2020)
In American Street Kid, filmmaker Michael Leoni takes you on a journey into a world that most people don't know exists. A world where in order to survive, kids are forced to sell drugs, beg for money or sell their bodies. Their powerful stories are heartbreaking and their unrelenting hope and determination to create a better life shines through, in this true tale of love, friendship, and the triumph of the human spirit.
Click here to watch now
Common Sense Media: American Street Kid movie review
American Street Kid
Movie review by Michael Ordona, Common Sense Media
This is a wrenching, painful, twisting climb with many drops into oblivion, but there are occasional success stories that make the journey worthwhile. You're rooting hard for these kids, who are living in such harrowing circumstances, often just trying to survive after being abandoned or chased out of everywhere else. But the experience of watching American Street Kid comes with a major cinematic caveat: It's not a traditional documentary. It doesn't conform to narrative or journalistic standards, which creates an unintentional distance between viewer and subject. The filmmaker becomes the main character, though not to the look-at-me-look-at-me level of someone like Morgan Spurlock. As the movie's tagline asserts, it "begins as a documentary," meaning Leoni quickly abandons all pretense of objective observation and bonds with his subjects. In a way, the film is about how he can't turn away from what he finds.
The kids' stories are compelling. One wants badly to be a father, though he has no plan to get himself and his pregnant girlfriend off the street. Another is a talented singer, who's obviously intelligent but can't seem to shake the emotional effects of being abandoned as an infant. "I wish there was a hero," he sings, "There doesn't seem to be." Though Leoni's actions, including taking several of the kids into his home, aren't practical examples for most who want to help, the film could shine a light on an overlooked issue in America (as did the indie gem Lean on Pete). But be warned: Although there are uplifting turns to some of the stories, most can be represented by this exchange: Kid: "I feel bad for you." Leoni: "Why do you feel bad for me?" Kid: "Because there's no hope for us."