On August 22, ACT Human Rights Film Festival kicks off the school year by screening an inspiring film about a group of tween girls who have learned that bystanders don’t catalyze change.  
Meet the “Radical Monarchs,” a group of 8 to 13-year-old girls of color from Oakland, CA, who are at the front lines of social justice. The film, We Are the Radical Monarchs, documents the girls’ growth and journey as they earn badges for completing units including disability justice, being an LGBTQ ally, and preserving the environment. Each unit offers opportunities for the girls to celebrate their identities, connect in sisterhood, and participate in community organizing and advocacy work. The film follows the group’s growth and successes across three years as co-founders Anayvette Martinez and Marilyn Hollinquest create a safe, inclusive, empowering space for young women of color.  
“ACT Human Rights Film Festival celebrates stories about the human spirit. We Are the Radical Monarchs showcases extraordinary girls and women who are championing equity and social justice,” says Beth Seymour, managing director of ACT Human Rights Film Festival. “The film is compassionate, uplifting, and sweet.”   
We Are the Radical Monarchs world premiered at SXSW and is the winner of a 2019 Seattle International Film Festival’s Golden Space Needle audience award for top documentary as well as that festival’s Films4Families Jury Award. It also won the special jury award at Independent Film Festival Boston. The film was directed and produced by Emmy-nominated Linda Goldstein Knowlton, who will join ACT via Skype for a post-screening question and answer session.   
While ACT’s weeklong film festival occurs annually in April, ACT Year-Round brings must-see films to Fort Collins throughout the year, allowing ACT to engage with audiences and foster conversations about human rights and social justice issues more consistently. 
We Are the Radical Monarchs will screen on August 22, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. at The Lyric. Tickets are $10 general admission; $8 for students/seniors. ACT Year-Round is presented in partnership with The Lyric. Learn more at www.actfilmfest.org.