A local student from Bradley Central High School is among the six winners the Better Angels Society announced for the 2022 Next Generation Angels Awards, the annual prize established in coordination with National History Day to recognize excellent well-researched historical filmmaking by students across the United States.
The high school award winners are COMMUNIST IN THE CORNFIELDS: ROSWELL GARST'S CITIZEN DIPLOMACY (directed by Maci Hill, 11th grade student at Livingston High School in Livingston, Tx.), FIGHT FOR OUR WILDERNESS: THE BOUNDARY WATERS CANOE AREA WILDERNESS ACT (directed by Abigail Peters, 11th grade student at Roseville Area High School in Roseville, Mn.), and MORE THAN POTATOES: DEBATE AND DIPLOMACY IN THE MISSION OF THE USS JAMESTOWN (directed by Jessie Henderson, 12th grade student at Bradley Central High School in Cleveland).
You can view the films by visiting The Better Angels Society’s website
here.
The middle school recipients are WHAT THEY TAUGHT US: HOW GRASSROOTS DEBATE AND DIPLOMACY SHAPED THE MILWAUKEE OPEN HOUSING MOVEMENT (directed by Krin Blegen, 8th grade student at Kettle Moraine Middle School in Oconomowoc, Wi.), MAKAH WHALING RIGHTS: A MORAL DEBATE OF CULTURAL PRESERVATION (directed by Aubrey Grier, 8th grade student at Chief Umtuch Middle School in Vancouver, Wa.), and WOLVES: BLOODTHIRSTY MENACES OR STEWARDS OF THE LAND? (directed by Lachlan Gebhart, 6th grade student at Lander Middle School in Lander, Wy.).
The winners will have opportunities in the coming months to discuss their films during mentorship events with acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, as well as with winners of the Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film.
All winning films will also be available to watch on Ken Burns UNUM, Mr. Burns’s digital history project that traces themes throughout American history. At the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, Mr. Burns and the UNUM team curated an UNUM Playlist based on National History Day’s theme, “Debate and Diplomacy,” to inspire the students' projects. The playlist includes scenes from Mr. Burns’s past films as well as new videos from modern-day thought leaders, including Dr. Imani Perry and Dr. Eddie S. Glaude, Jr.
“These impressive young students represent the next generation of documentary filmmakers who are already contributing to our greater understanding of our country’s complicated past,” said Mr. Burns. “Now more than ever, well-researched documentaries about American history are critical to the health of our democracy. I’m immensely proud of these student filmmakers for their countless hours of hard work that went into the research, planning, and execution of their films — and for so effectively engaging and educating audiences on their chosen topic.”
The winning filmmakers will each be provided with official copyrights for their films during a virtual ceremony in October, when their projects will be entered permanently into the Moving Image Section of the Library of Congress.
“I’m thrilled to be adding the great work of these impressive student filmmakers to the Library of Congress’ collections,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “Documentaries like these are invaluable contributions to the preservation and understanding of our nation’s rich unfolding story. They help bring that story to life in the vivid and immersive way that only multimedia can.”
“We’re proud to welcome these young filmmakers into The Better Angels Society community,” said Courtney Chapin, executive director of The Better Angels Society. “We look forward to celebrating their accomplishments and enriching their understanding of historical documentary filmmaking in the months to come.”
The Next Generation Angels Awards are funded thanks to the generosity of John and Jessica Fullerton, who have pledged to support this program for ten years. The Better Angels Society is committed to engaging and empowering the next generation of documentary filmmakers through initiatives such as The Next Generation Angels Awards. Learn more about The Better Angels Society by visiting www.thebetterangelssociety.org.