MY ROLE: Program Manager
Human Rights Watch Film Festival High School Program
The Human Rights Watch Film Festival sponsors a year-round High School Program whose mission is to provide high schools and after-school programs with a lending library of award-winning human rights documentaries, lesson plans, and resources. The program also provides guest speakers -- filmmakers, their subjects, and human rights advocates -- who travel to schools to speak to students about the issues raised in the films.
As Program Manager, I organized screenings across the five boroughs, leading large assemblies and coordinating guest speaker visits. I also selected films from past festivals for high school audiences and contacted the director and distributor to secure screening rights. Once cleared, I wrote a synopsis and discussion questions for each film. (Above: Life in Debt, Dir. Stephanie Black)
I worked closely with teachers to plan out their screening goals, provide background materials, and invite guest speakers like Kathleen Cleaver and Cleo Silvers to speak on Jens Meurer's documentary Public Enemy, and Pamela Yates, Director of When the Mountains Tremble, the story of activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú.