Los Gatos, November 3, 2023: The Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District is proud to announce that five Saratoga High School students were selected to win Honorable Mention at the One Earth Film Festival in the University category. Seniors Simarya Ahuja, George Hu, Nicita Raamkumar, Alexa Shuey, and Caitlin Weber’s film “Environmental Justice” was screened at the Global Awards Celebration this past September in Chicago, Illinois.
Originally made as a project for Saratoga High School’s Media Arts Program (MAP), the students were tasked to create a documentary that addressed an issue in the United States and propose a realistic solution to it. Through research and interviews, these filmmakers chose to address environmental racism, focusing on the disproportionate effect of environmental policies on low-income and underrepresented communities.
With interviews of Jorge Pacheco, an ethnic studies teacher in Menlo Park, and Matthew Tejada, an Environmental Protection Agency representative, the students created, “Environmental Justice,” a 5-minute documentary focusing on Kettleman City, California, home of a Class 1 landfill that has led to a sharp rise in congenital disabilities in the area.
“Environmental Justice'' was also awarded Best American Issues Documentary at SMASH’N 2023, the annual awards night for the Media Arts Program this past June.
“Our MAP program has provided a strong foundation for so many students interested in media and filmmaking,” shared Superintendent Bill W. Sanderson. “I am so proud of these students for sharing the work they created in class and giving it a platform to potentially make a difference outside of our community.”
The One Earth Film Festival is a Chicago area film festival that creates opportunities for understanding climate change, sustainability, and the power of human involvement through sustainability-themed films and facilitated discussion. In its ninth year, the One Earth Filmmakers contest is open to students from grades 3 through college level and was created with the goal of engaging youth in the discussion about sustainability issues and solutions.
