The Carmel Mayor’s Youth Council (CMYC) is currently hosting International Movies at Midtown Plaza, an international film series that highlights a different country every month. On September 17, CMYC held a showing of Canela, a Mexican movie. The idea originally came about in March but was postponed in the planning stages due to COVID-19.

Zoe Edwards, CMYC member and senior, said “The international film festival was started by members kind of as a way to promote cross-cultural awareness among people and to really expose them to things they wouldn’t otherwise see.”

CYMC has partnered with the city of Carmel to put on the film festival and ensure that COVID-19 precautions are taken. Social distancing is enforced and masks are strongly recommended. The next installment in the festival is tentatively scheduled for October 15 and will feature the Ugandan movie Endurance.

In previous years, CMYC had hosted Howl-O-Ween, what CMYC sponsor Kelli Prader described as “a fashion show and party for dogs.” However, both that and the Ultimate Frisbee tournament, which is normally scheduled in late September and early October, have been canceled.

Additionally, CMYC’s meetings have gone virtual, using Zoom video calls instead of meeting in person.

Prader said, “It’s really unfortunate that we have to do this, because a lot of the events that we would normally be putting on have been canceled, and a lot of our members, especially the new ones, haven’t even gotten a chance to meet one another despite being in the same organization. It’s tough, but we’re really just trying to stay together as a group.”