UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — “Class of Her Own,” an award-winning documentary feature by Boaz Dvir, an associate professor in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, will screen at its 50th film festival Nov. 7-8.
The documentary will screen as an official selection at the Coronado Island Film Festival at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 7 and 10:30 p.m. Nov. 8 at the city’s Village Theatre.
MovieMaker Magazine listed Coronado among this year’s “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee.”
The 86-minute film, which has screened as an official selection at 49 other film festivals around the world, has won 15 awards, most recently Best Documentary at the Jacksonville Urban Film & Music Festival. “Class of Her Own” opened the inaugural event.
The documentary tells the story of Gloria Jean Merriex’s transformation into a trailblazing teacher who used hip hop and dance to lead her high-need school from an F to an A on the state standardized test.
“Gloria has had a profound impact on countless teachers and students, including myself, around the world,” said Dvir, who wrote, directed and produced “Class of Her Own.” “I’m honored to share her story with a growing audience.”
Forbes described “Class of Her Own” as a “real-life mirror of [the hit ABC sitcom] ‘Abbott Elementary’.”
The documentary, which was also produced by Matthew Einstein and Emil Pinnock, is available for free viewing on Amazon Prime, Roku and Tubi.