Thirteen-year-old India Mitchell only learned of Polly Klaas’ story a year or two ago through a social media course she took at Kenilworth Junior High School in Petaluma.
With the marking of the 30th anniversary of Klaas’ kidnapping and killing this past October, India, who is an aspiring filmmaker, dove into the case for her entry into the Santa Rosa Junior College’s Student Film Festival on April 5.
The teen’s original plan had been to just retell the circumstances of Klaas’ story but when she finished, she realized her entry went a step further and emphasized the child safety and awareness concerns that arose from the case.
India titled her five-minute short film about Polly Klaas, “Guiding Light.”
“I want the public to know that the legacy, her legacy, lives on even 30 years later and she is still protecting children from going missing,” Mitchell said Wednesday.
“Guiding Light” was a Best of the Fest award recipient at the junior college event, an event coordinator confirmed.
Now available on YouTube, her film is also being shown at film festivals across the country, including the Rogers Short Film Festival in Rogers, Arkansas and the ARCLight Student Film Festival in Arlington Heights, Illinois.