Slamdance Film Festival: SCM Professors and Alumna Win Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary

After the closing of the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, SCM film alumna Kait Plum, Producer/Director Hasan Oswald and Co-executive Producer Anthony Pemberton, walked away with a Slamdance Grand Jury Award for best documentary. The award was granted to the film “Higher Love,” which also featured credits for Professor Roberta Friedman as co-producer and editing Professor Dan Loewenthal.

Oswald’s award-winning film, “Higher Love,” is a captivating piece that sheds light on the opioid epidemic occupying the streets of Camden, NJ. It brilliantly constructs a story about the space within Camden and a love story into a 78 minutes documentary. The audience follows a father’s journey to remove his pregnant heroin-addicted girlfriend off the streets. With love, family and human experience at the core of the film, it leaves viewers with an everlasting perspective on the tragedy of drug addiction.

According to Pemberton, “We’re proud of the editor Kaitlyn Plum, who did an amazing job in putting this film together.” Plum is an MSU alumna, graduating from MSU in 2011. She received her BFA in Cinematography and Film/Video Production. In May 2012, she was given the Award of Excellence in Filmmaking by Friedman.

The team’s impact goal for their film is “To give dignified voice to people living with addiction in post-industrial communities. To support advocacy for the 1-in-8 children across America born to homes with substance abuse. To invite viewers to respond on a human level and encourage them to be agents of change for the disease of addiction regardless of socio-economic background.”

Congratulations to the “Higher Love” team on the honor.