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Arkansas 10-year-old creates movie about bullying

It's a film called "The Birthday Bully" and it's aimed at a young audience to show them how important it is to speak up.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) -- A 10-year-old girl is on her way to changing the world, with a new movie portraying the dangers of bullying.

It's a film called "The Birthday Bully" and it's aimed at a young audience to show them how important it is to speak up.

"First I just wanted to make a movie video club with my friends during the summer,” said Kennedy Jordan.

CREDIT: KTHV

It’s an idea that started on paper, but is now a film for everyone to see.

"As a parent, you don't want to be the parent of the child who's a bully or the parent of child who is bullied,” Mary Faulkner Turriff said.

"If you look around the world there are so many kids being mean to each other,” said Jordan.

She’s young, but is already wise beyond her years.

“Not only did she write the movie, but she's also directing it,” said Turriff.

The Birthday Bully also stars Jordan. It’s a reminder that bullying is still a well-kept secret among many children.

"I've never been bullied, but I've been picked on. I cannot imagine how it feels to have that happen to you every single day of your life,” Jordan said.

She hopes the film encourages kids to do more than turn the other cheek when they see something happening.

"I was happy to be a part of something that shows how important peer intervention is. As a parent, you want to dive in and give everything you can. But you really don't know what's happening when you're not there,” said Turriff, an actress who got her start in Los Angeles.

She plays Jordan's mom in the movie.

"I learned on set that 36 percent of people who are bullied report it, which means 64 percent of kids who are bullied don't report it,” she added.

Jordan's research found 1 in 5 student's experience bullying. She also wants adults to be more aware.

“It can happen to your kid, your kid can be bully. Just because you think that your kid is angel doesn't mean they are at school,” Jordan said.

The Birthday Bully will be screened at the Argenta Community Theater in October, the Limelight Performance Academy in Cabot, and Don Roberts Elementary. From there Jordan hopes to get the film into schools and then, maybe, on to film festivals.

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