Eight members of the Class of 2025 received second and third place awards in the 2024 RFK Human Rights Speak Truth to Power Video Contest. The films debuted at the Tribeca Festival showcase in New York City earlier this month.
“Behind Bars Too Soon” received second place and is a short documentary film produced as a collaborative effort by students in Transformative Justice, IB Film, and global politics courses. The film also won third place for Best Documentary Film at the Greenfield Film Festival in April.
Directed by Ellie Remus and inspired by what she learned in her Transformative Justice course, the film was written by Emery Mooney, with cinematography and editing by Halaylah Lewis-McGlotham and editing support from Grey Fraser.
“Born Trembling” received third place. Directed by Honor Withers, written by Gabriella Harris and Emerson Ross, and edited by Keshav Sabapathi, the film featured George School alumna Donzaleigh Abernathy ’75.
George School has a storied history with the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights film contest. Most recently, students won the Grand Prize in 2019 and 2022 and were finalists in 2021.
The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Speak Truth to Power video competition was created in partnership with the American Federation of Teachers and the Tribeca Festival to encourage middle, high school, and college students to become engaged in key human rights issues through creative storytelling. Submissions are judged by a panel of film industry experts, actors, and educators.
“Art is a powerful tool for advocacy, activism, and personal expression, and these students have learned to harness that power at a young age,” said Karen Robinson, Human Rights Education Program Director, RFK Human Rights.