Girls State (film) explained

Girls State is a 2024 American documentary film, directed and produced by Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine. It follows teenage girls from Missouri navigating a week-long immersive democratic experiment Girls State, learning how to build a government from the ground up. It serves as a companion film to Boys State (2020).

It had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2024, and was released by Apple TV+ on April 5, 2024.

Cast

The film primarily focuses on three participants in the program:

• Emily Worthmore, a Christian white conservative girl who runs for the Federalist Party Governor. She wants Girls State to be taken more seriously and increasingly focus on partisan issues rather than just bipartisan politics. Her passion for journalism leads to her interrogating the foundational differences between the Girls State and Boys State programs.
• Nisha Murali, an Indian girl who pushes herself to be more social and loves big decision-making, aiming to be a Girls State Supreme Court Justice, going through a string of pressing interviews to do so. She is most vocal about the topic of abortion rights.
• Tochi Ihekona, a black progressive girl who runs for the Nationalist Party State Attorney General. She is Nigerian with immigrant parents. She hopes to ensure she can provide quality legal counsel to the Supreme Court.

Other participants also make prominent appearances, especially Faith Glasgow and Cecilia Barton, who determinedly run for Federalist and Nationalist Party Governor respectively, as well as Brooke Taylor, who aims to be a Girls State Supreme Court Justice alongside Nisha, and Maddie Rowan, friend of Emily and vocal member of the queer community.

Premise

A large group of teenage girls with diverse backgrounds and views from Missouri attend 2022's Girls State, a week-long democratic experiment about building a government from the ground up. Several girls campaign for the highest office at Girls State, Governor of Missouri. The film also tackles the systemic differences between Girls State and Boys State, the latter often being socially taken more seriously as a program for meaningful political discussions.

By the end, Cecilia Barton wins the election for Governor and Tochi Ihekona successfully becomes Attorney General at Girls State. And even though she lost the election for Governor, Emily Worthmore is granted a scholarship.

Production

In December 2023, it was announced Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine had directed a documentary film revolving around Girls State, with Apple TV+ producing and distributing.^[2]

Release

It had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2024.^[3] It was released on April 5, 2024.^[4]

Accolades

Award	Date	Category	Recipient	Result
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards	September 7, 2024	Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special	Nicole Stott, Jonathan Silberberg, Davis Guggenheim, Laurene Powell Jobs, Amanda McBaine & Jesse Moss		[5]
		Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program	Laura Hudock, Laela Kilbourn, Daniel Carter, Erynn Patrick Lamont, Keri Oberly, Thorsten Thielow, and Martina Radwan
		Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program	Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss
Critics' Choice Documentary Awards	November 10, 2024	Best Political Documentary	Girls State		[6]
Cinema Eye Honors	January 9, 2024	Outstanding Broadcast Film	Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss		[7]
		Outstanding Broadcast Editing	Amy Foote
		Outstanding Broadcast Cinematography	Martina Radwan, Daniel Carter, Laela Kilbourn, Erynn Patrick Lamont, Laura Hudock, Thorsten Thielow

Notes and References

1. Web site: Girls State. Sundance Film Festival. January 18, 2024.
2. Web site: Apple Original Films Sets New Documentary Feature 'Girls State' From Filmmakers Jesse Moss & Amanda McBaine Of 'Boys State'. Deadline Hollywood. Valerie. Complex. December 1, 2023. January 18, 2024.
3. Web site: Sundance Unveils Packed 2024 Lineup That Includes A.I., Pedro Pascal, Kristen Stewart, Satan, Devo & Steven Yeun. Deadline Hollywood. Anthony. D'Alessandro. Dominic. Patten. December 6, 2023. January 18, 2024.
4. Web site: Girls State. Apple TV+. January 18, 2024.
5. Web site: 76th Emmy Awards Complete Nominations List . September 19, 2024 . Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
6. Web site: 'Sugarcane' Leads Critics Choice Documentary Awards Nominations. The Hollywood Reporter. Hilary. Lewis. October 14, 2024. October 14, 2024.
7. Web site: Cinema Eye Honors: ‘Girls State’, ‘Ren Faire’ Lead Broadcast Nominees; Audience Choice Award Longlist Revealed. Deadline. Patrick. Hipes. October 24, 2024. November 15, 2024.