FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A Penn State faculty member's documentary has been gaining global recognition, winning Best Documentary Feature at the Windsor International Black Film Festival in Canada and being selected to screen Nov. 24 at the Helsinki Education Film Festival International in Finland.

"'Class of Her Own' tells a distinctly American story, so I’m thrilled to see it resonating with audiences in other countries,” said Boaz Dvir, an associate professor in journalism in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications whose films have aired and streamed on PBS, The New York Times, Hulu and other major platforms. “I believe people everywhere can be inspired by and learn from the journey undertaken by the documentary’s protagonist, Gloria Jean Merriex, who transformed into an innovative educator and used music and movement to teach her high-need students.”

“Class of Her Own” shows Merriex rewriting the curriculum to meet her students where they were and incorporating hip hop, dance, and call-and-response into her reading and math lessons. Refencing the popular ABC sitcom, Forbes’ Peter Greene describes the 86-minute documentary as a “real-life mirror of Abbott Elementary.”

The documentary has screened as an official selection in several U.S. film festivals. The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival will screen “Class of Her Own” at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center. The event, which includes a reception featuring music by FeminAfrika and food by Chef Rose Jamaican Cuisine, is free and open to the public. 

“Class of Her Own” has been named a finalist for Best Documentary Feature three times and a semifinalist once. It also earned an honorable mention. The Orlando Urban Film Festival nominated Dvir for Best Documentarian.