Documentary Production and Distribution News

Powerful Film Submit the Documentary Explores the Reality of Cyberbullying

By StudentFilmmakers.com
posted Jun 10, 2013, 13:11

Adults and kids underestimate the severity of cyberbullying and the impact it can have on a child’s life. Cyberbullying is 24x7x365 and reaches as far as the internet can carry it. In the worst cases, it could be why some of our youth take their lives. Submit: the Documentary is a film that is informative and all too telling of a serious social phenomenon confronting children and their well-being. The film features interviews from affected teens, parents of victims, educators, experts and law enforcement as they tackle this worldwide issue, while offering solutions to this complicated problem. The ultimate goal of the documentary and website is to become the center of education on cyberbullying awareness, support, and solutions.

Director and Producer Les Ottolenghi explains why he created this cyberbullying film, “I came home from work one night and turned on the local news and saw the story of an 11-year-old boy who had been cyberbullied and then committed suicide. I thought about my 1-year-old son and thought this can’t happen again this can’t happen to anyone else’s child this can’t happen to our child. So I made this movie so these wonderful and powerful technologies that can be used in very good ways were not used in bad ways. I made this film so that all of you that are watching it become aware and not bystanders.”

Merlyn Horton of Safe Online Outreach Society in British Columbia describes the film as, “Finally a calm rational discussion about cyberbullying that includes children, as well as credible informed professionals, that doesn’t flinch from the contradictions inherent in the issue of online harassment, sexual extortion and bullying.”

John Lowe father of Johanna Marie Lowe expresses, “Had I known what was on those texts, had I known what was on Facebook and YouTube and seen and been aware and acknowledged it, I would have taken action immediately. I would have done anything for my daughter.” Johanna Marie a Central Florida student lost her battle to cyberbullies at the age of 13.

Submit also explores the option for political change and advocacy for anti-bullying legislation. Debbie Wasserman Schultz a Florida Congresswoman states, “The internet has opened up our world to our children, but it has also opened up our children to the world.” Parents relate as they look for solutions to keeping their children safe online.

With all the experts and educators in the film the question becomes what do children think about adults and their reaction to cyberbullying? Kai Yost says, “A lot of times even when you talk to adults they don’t really take it seriously. Sometimes they don’t feel like listening and sometimes the child doesn’t want to go to them because they are scared the adult will overreact completely.”

Submit’s unique approach to demonstrating the reality of cyberbullying is depicted through an animated info-graphic that shows the frustrations of parents and schools along with the short-comings of law-enforcement and the legal system.

This film is now available for free private screenings through the website http://www.submitthedocumentary.com/screenings

Resources:
http://www.submitthedocumentary.com/