Justice4Reel Education Tool

Justice4Reel is a platform where powerful stories converge on film to ignite conversations, inspire change, and foster a collective commitment to justice and equality.

The Justice4Reel Film Festival showcases a curated selection of films that engage pressing social issues, challenge perspectives, and amplify the voices of underprivileged communities. From documentaries that expose systemic inequalities to dramas that portray personal struggles for justice, each film serves as a catalyst for reflection and dialogue.

This education tool provides teachers and educators with process plans to use films from the 2024 Justice4Reel Film Festival to spark learning and dialogue. The tool also is supplemented with a range of lessons to deepen learning on human rights issues. The 2024 Festival was part of the Ignite Change Convention, a 10-day celebration and reflection on the 75th anniversary of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It featured Edmonton-based filmmakers and explored locally relevant issues, including race, genocide, poverty, disability, and gender diversity.

These films transcend borders, ideologies, and backgrounds, using the art of storytelling to drive social change. The films and this tool provide a platform for empathy, understanding, and advocacy.

Film creates the opportunity to open up dialogue across differences to build bridges and find common understanding on issues and find potential solutions in our community. Creating shared spaces for learning allows us to build stronger and more resilient communities where everyone participates, is valued, included, and belongs.

Use these process plans to create spaces that inspire action towards a world that values security, freedom, justice, and dignity for every voice.

Permissions Policy

You may use sections of this toolkit for educational and facilitation purposes with youth.

You may not sell, distribute, or adapt this toolkit for fee-based services or incorporate it into other materials without prior written consent from the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights. Any reproduction or sharing of this toolkit must credit the Justice 4 Reel initiative and the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights.

Word of Thanks

The John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the following supporters for their invaluable support of Justice4Reel, which brought the 2024 Film Festival and this toolkit to fruition:

  • Edmonton Arts Council

  • Canadian Race Relations Foundations

  • Government of Alberta

  • Government of Canada

  • Canadian Red Cross

Your generous contributions have been instrumental in empowering the voices of community members through film.