The short film “Brenda’s Story: Undocumented and Documented” has done an exceptional job capturing the story and challenges of Michigan State University student, Brenda Pilar-Ayala, becoming a United States citizen. Earlier this year, the film was recognized by the Broadcast Education Association with two awards, an Award of Excellence and another recognizing its strength in DEI. More recently, it won an Edward R. Murrow Award and was nominated for a Regional Emmy award.
The Regional Edward R. Murrow Award in small Market TV aims to recognize works in the digital journalism or broadcast field that are outstanding. Edward R. Murrow set a standard in the journalism field of excellence, and the RTDNA honors those who demonstrate this excellence. This includes work that upholds ethical standards, demonstrates technical expertise, and highlights the important role that journalism plays in a community.
The nomination for the Regional Emmy award in Human Interest – Long Form Content is from the Michigan Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. This non-profit organization aims at awarding films that represent quality work, in turn raising industry standards and setting a precedent of recognizing and encouraging excellence in film making. The nomination of “Brenda’s Story” demonstrates its quality and speaks volumes of the work done by Geri Alumit Zeldes, Jason Howard, Evan Kutz and Faye Kollig.
“The Regional Emmy and Edward R. Murrow Awards underscore the salience of issues involving undocumented and DACA students on our colleges and universities,” said Zeldes. “The Awards also confirm that MSU's J-School can compete with professionals on the regional, national and international levels.”
If you want to learn more, check out the film or read more about Brenda's story on MSU Today.
By Allie Horning