Lets Get Real
- Country
- USA
- Year
- 2003
- Director
- Debra Chasnoff
- Producer
- Debra Chasnoff
- Finance
- Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice
California Endowment
Marguerite Casey Foundation
Columbia Foundation
R Gwin Follis Foundation
Ford Foundation
Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr Fund - Budget
- USD 100,00
- Length
- 35 minutes
- Website
- www.womedia.org/letsgetreal.htm
Synopsis
Let's Get Real explores the problem of bullying in middle schools in the US in a honest and thought-provoking way. The film allows both the bullied and the bullies to tell their own stories. The accounts are sometimes shocking and sometimes heartbreaking. The film examines some of the causes of bullying, such as racial or religious differences and perceived sexual orientation.
Impact
Let's Get Real is part of a larger project by Women's Educational Media, the Respect for All project. The project utilises documentary films, printed curriculum guides and professional diversity training to stimulate open debate and encourage safe, hate-free schools and communities throughout the US.
The Women's Educational Media website contains the study guide and links to other organizations, such as the Anti-Defamation League. The site also contains further reading on the topic for both adults and young adults and ways to make a donation to support the project. In addition, there are examples of how the film has been successfully used as an educational tool by schools.
The film and outreach were financed by a number of sources. The California Endowment provided $1000 in 2003 to the Women's Educational Media Inc for sponsorship of the series film premiere. The Marguerite Casey Foundation provided $200,000 in 2005 as an ongoing grant to the Women's Educational Media 'Respect for All' project. This project centres around a series of films, including Let's Get Real, with accompanying study guides. The films are for use in promoting diversity and anti-bias education. Columbia Foundation provided $5,000 in 2003 for the benefit premiere, public relations and outreach campaign, and free school distribution. R Gwin Follis Foundation also contributed. The Ford Foundation also contributed. Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr Fund gave $110, 000 to Women's Educational Media for the Respect for All project to prevent bullying, including funds for a strategic and business plan. This was followed up by the Fund gaing WEM $225,000 over two years to train California middle-school and after-school staff, parents and administrators to prevent bullying; and for executive transition and fundraising support. Both of these grants gave support to Let's Get Real.