UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The 2022-23 Penn State Forum Speaker Series continues this spring with Sabaah Folayan, award-winning film director of the documentary “Whose Streets?" Folayan will present a talk, “The Art of Alignment: How knowing yourself and having the courage to change course can lead to personal fulfillment and professional success."
The talk and buffet-style luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 23, in the Presidents Hall of the Penn Stater Conference Center and Hotel, on the University Park campus.
Visit the registration page to purchase tickets/tables.
About the speaker
Through screenwriting, filmmaking, and public speaking, Sabaah Folayan levels an optimistic yet unflinching gaze on the urgent questions of our time.
Folayan made her directorial debut at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, with the feature length documentary "Whose Streets?" Nominated for Peabody, Critic’s Choice, Gotham and NAACP Awards, the film chronicles the experiences of activists living in Ferguson, Missouri when Michael Brown Jr. was killed. In 2021, Folayan wrote the series finale of HBO’s "Betty," a critically acclaimed comedy series about a crew of young female skateboarders in New York City. Her second feature documentary, "LOOK AT ME: XXXTENTACION," premiered at South by Southwest 2022.
Folayan was born in Los Angeles, raised in Hawaii and educated in New York City. She graduated from Columbia University as a pre-medical student. Her desire to work at a larger scale evolved into a unique storytelling practice that is informed by principles of behavioral science and social justice. Folayan specializes in blending care, nuance and depth with entertainment and popular culture.
About the Forum Speaker Series
The forum series is modeled after the National Press Club Speaker Series, which includes a presentation by an invited speaker, followed by audience questions.
The buffet-style luncheons are held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Presidents Hall of the Penn Stater Conference Center and Hotel, on the University Park campus.
All events are open to faculty, staff, students and the general public. Tickets for the Penn State Forum are $25 each, or $250 for a table of 10, and include a buffet lunch. Tickets may be purchased by visiting the Forum Speakers website.
Upcoming speakers for the series include:
- April 20 — Derek Lee and Monica Bond, wildlife biologists, activists and Penn State Eberly College of Science professors will present “True Tall Tales from Tanzania."
More information about the series is available on the Penn State Forum Speakers website.