Early Impact of "Bully"

More than 200 people attended the premiere screening of “Bully” at the Little Theatre this past Friday. The diverse audience – ranging from concerned adults to families with their children – also stayed for a WXXI-led talk back following the film. The discussion, moderated by All Things Considered host Hélène Biandudi, brought together an engaging group including Kaitlin Monte, Miss New York 2011 and Executive Director of Operations for Project Empower; Dr. James Colt, Cyber Bullying expert; Aly Belknap and Michael Canne, Rush-Henrietta students and co-founders of the school’s anti-bullying initiative; and parent Karrie Formicola.

WXXI helped to bring Ms. Monte to Rochester, and she also conducted an in-depth interview with Hélène that you can listen to on our WXXI News page. Not only has the film received extraordinary local media attention, the Little has already arranged several private screenings for school classes across the Greater Rochester area which we hope will shed even more attention and understanding of the most common form of violence young people experience in this country. This entire effort is an excellent example of how WXXI’s affiliation with the Little is already having a positive effect on our community.