Lights, camera, action! It’s almost time for the premier of a special film made here in New York state. Spectrum News 1 went behind the scenes of how a young, predominantly Black, filmmaking crew is set to make history.

"Filmmaking to me is a passion," said 20-year-old Buffalo State University junior Khalil Carr. "I love to tell stories through videos, through music, through any type of thing, any way."

At his age, he will be the youngest Black filmmaker to host a premier in Buffalo's historic North Park Theater and he already has seven years behind the camera.

"I know right when I started YouTube, I'm like, I have to make people laugh. What can I do?" Carr asked. "I can’t sing, I can't rap, but I'm funny as hell."

But somehow when Carr’s feature-length movie 'Levi' hits the big screen, it won't be the comedy he and his longtime collaborator Taiyana James are used to.

"'Levi' is about this young boy named Levi and he has to live a double life to run his father's illegal business by night, and then he has to be a teenager by day," said James.

And in order to see that come to fruition, there's some slightly older, more experienced hands involved, like director Eula Banks.

"Khalil and I came into contact on Facebook. He wanted to be an actor in one of the films that I did," said Banks. "But he was underage at the time, so I actually didn't allow him."

And so putting this all together is something she’s proud to be part of.

"The one thing that I think is really special about this project and how it was made was just the age range of the crew I mean, we're all 25 under," she added.

With varying levels of experience, there's one thing they have in common.

"Being a POC (person of color) on a movie set is not like some in some dystopian thing," said the film's director of photography Luqman Muhammed. "Anyone can do it. You just have to put your mind to it and the industry is changing."

Respect and drive that comes from every person in every role that had to be earned by a young man on a mission.

"When I first started, there was nobody willing to help me. I began writing and I just said, ‘you know I have the money,’ you know," said Carr. "Not because I'm rich, but because I've saved up money and I'm a kid and I work at a fast food job and I'm like I can save up this money and make something out of this."

At 20 years of age, he isn't Spike Lee, Tyler Perry or Jordan Peele, he’s Khalil Carr, equipped with a historic crew of young Black filmmakers.

"I want to kick the doors down and knock them off the hinges when it comes to young Black Filmmakers. Buffalo is filled with so many creative people," he added. "It's important that my team who used to come here and watch movies and be a part of stuff like that has actually came to premiere the movie here."

The official premiere of “Levi” will take place on May 28.

"Not a lot of people have that luxury, have that drive and have that like fearlessness determination to do what they love," James added.

Khalil and company are hoping that people across the state, and maybe even the country, can see what they’ve been able to do on a college student, working full time, and plenty of passion, budget for diversity and become a shining light for aspiring filmmakers in different areas across the empire state.