KELLY NOMINATED FOR NATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Senior and filmmaker Caitlyn Kelly was selected to participate in the All American High School Film Festival from Oct. 5 to 8 in New York City. Her documentary “what exactly IS in a tampon?” advocates for the use of organic tampons and informs consumers about the risks that come with using synthetic tampons.
“I saw an advertisement about organic tampons, which inspired me to research more [about the topic], and I eventually made a documentary about it,” Kelly said. “[The advertisement was] from a company called LOLA that advocates for organic [and cotton] tampons because there are a lot of [harmful substances] in regular tampons that [people do not know about].”
Kelly’s interest in filmmaking began in seventh grade when she took a broadcast journalism class. She enjoyed the idea of creating a story with her videos, so she joined the Advanced Video Production class freshman year and has been participating in it ever since. Her mother Jenny Kelly has been supportive of Kelly’s love for filmmaking over the years.
“[Filmmaking] has helped her interact and meet new people [who] she would not have met on her own,” Jenny Kelly said. “When she told me she got nominated for the festival, I was so excited and proud of her. It [was] like going to the high school Oscars.”
She originally made the film for Peninsula’s Advanced Video Production class taught by Advanced Video Production, Drama and Broadcast Journalism teacher Seth Cohen. Upon seeing the finished project, Cohen was extremely supportive of the message behind her film.
“Any time you are presenting a documentary about hidden health risks, [it] gets the audience to think twice about their bodies and the products they are using,” Cohen said.
Cohen also understands how dedicated Kelly is to filmmaking, and he felt that she clearly displayed her effort and passion for video production through this project. He was impressed by her independent and driven nature when he saw how well she handled the research for the film.
“[As] a very passionate and thoughtful filmmaker, the material that [ Kelly] has produced over the past two years has been very deep, and she takes each assignment very seriously,” Cohen said. “She is always striving to tell an interesting story, whether it be a narrative or a documentary project. Her strong work ethic also helps her execute [any] project really well.”
Upon hearing the news, Kelly and her family were excited and surprised, knowing that this selection would be a milestone in her filmmaking career.
“It was just a lazy Sunday for me [while] I was scrolling through my emails, [until] I found out that my film was [chosen] for the festival,” Kelly said. “I was so happy.”
As someone who sees filmmaking as an outlet for her creativity, Kelly is excited to continue exploring the field of video production. She aspires to become either a director or a cinematographer. For now, Kelly hopes her film will inform her audience about the health risks associated with synthetic tampons and encourage them to view organic tampons as a viable alternative.
“Some people may find the film embarrassing, [and] others may feel uncomfortable and watch it with some nervous laughter,” Jenny Kelly said. “But I hope that they [not only feel inspired to change to organic tampons], but also learn something important from the film [just like Caitlyn wanted].”
