BROOKSVILLE, FL (WFLA) — Eight out of 10 teenagers say they have been cyber bullied or know someone who has been bullied through social media. Film students at Nature Coast Technical High School in Brooksville are raising awareness of the problem through a short film that has already won an award from the The AT&T Cyberbullying Film Contest, part of the All-American High School Film Festival. Voting is underway for the Public Choice Award, which could earn the students $5,000 for their class.
In the short film, “Words Unspoken,” a teenager is humiliated by a video, shot without her permission, and posted online. While it’s not based on any one person’s story, the high school film makers say it’s representative of what they see online.
“This is happening,”says Ckatie Guimaraes . “All this isn’t a joke. It’s going on all over.”
The Nature Coast Technical students had 10 weeks to prepare for competition, but only 48 hours to produce it — all in New York City. They filmed in Central Park, Queens, and even on top of a building. While it’s told through the teenage star’s voice, the role of the mother is vital to the story.
“That’s your daughter, that’s your son. You have to pay attention – you’re the one guiding them,” said Ckatie.
“A lot of times you don’t really think about the parent. It probably hurt them a lot to lose their kid,” adds Matthew Caldwell.
More than 30 teams from across the county participated in the competition. Nature Coast’s short received the Heart Award for creating a film embodying the most heartfelt story. That’s a huge validation for this crew.
“The message that we’re getting across that we’ve told, I think is so important,” says senior Riley Annejarman.
Voting ends at 11:59 p.m. on October 28. Click here to watch the full film, and to vote.
