About the Film
A short narrative film, Grrrl Justice follows the stories of three characters - one being released from juvenile detention, another being exploited by a sex trafficker, and one navigating the school to prison pipeline. The film examines how traumatic backgrounds including family violence, racism, poverty, sexual abuse, homophobia and transphobia attach young people to systems that criminalize them, rather than alleviate the impacts of systemic oppression in their lives. It also takes an honest look at how these youth are employing their agency, body autonomy, and healthy resistance in pursuit of their own liberation.
Running time: 16:09
“As an artist, I’ve met so many incredible young people who have shared their stories of resilience and resistance with me. I’ve absorbed these stories into my creative practice and taken them with me into advocacy spaces and policy rooms. In many ways, they have reflected back to me some of my early experiences being a court involved young person. One of the things I recognize is that girls and queer youth of color have always used their agency to practice healthy resistance to structures that are meant to harm them, whether or not we characterize their behaviors as such. It is our responsibility as a community to shift our lenses from problematizing and criminalizing them, to supporting their efforts at liberation in all the ways we can. It is my hope that Grrrl Justice serves as a catalyst for these efforts.”
—Shontina Vernon, Filmmaker
Press Kit
screenings
PAST screenings
HBO OG Experience, New York, NY
Northwest Film Forum, Seattle WA
University of Arizona Museum of Art, Tucson, Arizona
Race and Pedagogy Institute, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA
FORCE: Disrupting Rape Culture, Baltimore, MD
National Guild for Community Arts Education, Baltimore, MD
Gary International Black Film Festival, Gary, IN
Sexual Trauma and Awareness and Response (STAR) Baton Rouge, LA
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee LGBT Resource Center, Milwaukee, WI
Detroit Area Youth Uniting Michigan, Detroit, MI
Margaret Walker Center @ Jackson State University, Jackson, MS
Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies, New Orleans, LA
Southern Fried Queer Pride, Atlanta, GA
Diversity Center of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK
Youth Empowerment Performance Project, Chicago, IL
Beyond Pink Summit, Justice for Girls Coalition, Seattle, WA
We are a Family, Charleston, SC
Memoirs from the Diaspora, Seattle Public Library, Seattle, WA
Union Seattle, Seattle, WA
Sanitary Tortilla Factory, Albuquerque, NM
News & Updates
Featured
Cast and Crew
Kamaria Hallums-Harris
Actor playing Grrrl 2.
Moni Tep
Actor playing Grrrl 1.
Zora Seboulisa
Actor playing Grrrl 3.
SUPPORTING CAST
Jéhan Òsanyìn, Detention Officer 1
Nikkita Oliver, Detention Officer 2
Chantal Degroat, Mom
Rashuad Johnson, Boyfriend
Naveah Hollis, Baby
Tim Gouran, Trafficker
Shawn Telford, “John”
Aishe Keita, Girlfriend
Matthew Grey, Student
Lance McQueen, School Officer
Tina LaPadula, Principal
Azura Tayabi, Youth Poet
Stas THEE Boss, DJ
PRODUCTION CREW
Zia Moharjerjasbi, Cinematographer
Candace Fields, 1st Asst Camera Grip
Futsum Tsegai, Grip/Gaffer
Myles Basterrechea, Grip
Adam McCollum, Sound and Boom
K.D. Shill, Wardrobe
Chimaera, Poetry Scene Design
Leah Franks, Editor
Brian Richard Sloss, Sound Design and Mixing
Paul Rucker and Hans Teuber, Music
DoNormaal, Music
Stas THEE Boss, Music
