On Tuesday, July 7, MNFF welcomes back the principals of the outstanding Emmy-nominated documentary Personal Statement, the acclaimed Opening Night film at the 4th Annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival. Join Beth Levison, Producer, Juliane Dressner, Director, and two of the lead student participants, Karoline Jimenez and Enoch Jemmett, in a wide ranging discussion with MNFF Artistic Director Jay Craven of the film’s significant impact since concluding its festival run.
Personal Statement brilliantly tells the story of three seniors at Brooklyn high schools determined to get their entire classes into college, even though they weren’t even sure they would make it there themselves. They work tirelessly as peer college counselors to realize better futures for themselves and their classmates because, in the disturbing absence of resources in their schools, many of their friends have nowhere else to turn for support. Despite enormous personal challenges, these courageous students refuse to succumb to the barriers that prevent so many low-income students from attending and graduating from college. And we are incredibly fortunate to have two of them, Karoline Jimenez and Enoch Jemmott, joining us to illuminate our audience on where life has taken them since graduating from high school, including the creation of the dynamic #We Belong In College impact campaign.