(upbeat music) - Patrice O'Neill is a filmmaker behind many films, including "Not In Our Town," a documentary that became a national movement promoting safe, inclusive communities.

She's here to share how it all began and where it's headed and tell us about a more recent film.

Hi, thanks so much for being here.

Patrice, I mean, your films have really done a lot to show how communities can really step in and make a difference.

- It all started 30 years ago when we aired a film about people in Billings, Montana, who stood up when hate groups were trying to organize in their town.

And I think the message of the film is that each of us can play a role in standing up, and that can have a larger community impact.

We thought we'd do 10 town hall meetings.

When that film aired in 1995, there were over 100, and I think it was because people saw themselves in the story.

Each community had a discussion about their own town.

And here we are, 30 years later, seven PBS documentaries later, and many, many other short films, hundreds of communities have engaged over the years.

And we're excited to be back here in Salt Lake.

Today, we are screening "Repairing the World: Stories from the Tree of Life" about people in Pittsburgh who stood up when the synagogue was attacked, and 11 people were killed there.

We're showing it to high school students.

- I know, and that's really where you have to start, I think, with young people to tell them that, you know, you can play a big role.

It may not seem like it, but you can play a big role, and your films really help do that.

Tell us about the film you're showing them.

- It's about how the entire community of Pittsburgh came together after the attack at the synagogue.

And we followed that story over three years and saw the depth of the relationships that were built across the board between the Jewish community, the Black community, a whole variety of communities, and created this sense of solidarity.

That's what we need.

And the students who saw it today really took that message home and were excited to see what they do next.

- Ah, so wonderful.

I just applaud you for everything you're doing and have done.

Thank you, thank you.

And if you would like to know more about "Our Town," "Not In Our Town" Movement, the whole movement, the films are available to stream online, go to niot.org, niot.org.

(upbeat music) I'm Mary Dickson.

Thanks for watching "Contact."

(upbeat music) - Local events, arts, culture.

It's what brings us together.

Hi, I'm Mary Dickson.

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