Free Anti-Bullying Documentary Screening in Englewood

Hundreds of local students are expected to attend a free screening of a new anti-bullying documentary film Wednesday afternoon and the public is invited to an evening showing, a local lawmaker announced.

Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle, the lead sponsor of the state’s , will host the screening of “Bully” with her husband Englewood Mayor Frank Huttle III at the Bergen Performing Arts Center, 30 North Van Brunt Street. A noon screening is reserved for students, with a 6 p.m. show open to the public. The evening show will include a panel discussion. 

The film is set to appear in select theaters around the country, but none in Bergen County.

“‘Bully’ showcases the harassment and intimidation the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights seeks to prevent and address,” Vainieri Huttle said. “This movie is both heartbreaking and enlightening and I hope everyone will take the time to see it.”

The film, directed by Lee Hirsch, follows several middle schoolers through a school day and chronicles what they face.

“The Bully Project opens on the first day of school. For the more than 5 million kids who'll be bullied this year in the United States, it's a day filled with more anxiety and foreboding than excitement,” the film’s trailer website says.

“It’s important that the families, educators, and leaders in our community have an opportunity to see this movie,” said Huttle III, Englewood’s mayor. “It’s a real eye opener, especially for those who think they might not be directly affected by bullying because, in one way or another, we all are.”

The film sparked controversy when it was rated “R” by the Motion Picture Association of America. The MPAA eventually pulled the rating after a national outcry.