Hilda O. vs. The State of New York follows the extraordinary journey of 81-year-old Hilda Onley as she confronts a dark chapter from her past, seeking justice for sexual abuse she endured more than six decades ago. The film intimately chronicles Hilda's courageous pursuit of accountability as she navigates the legal system between her deposition and final court judgment. Now in her eighties, she stands ready to confront not just her abuser, but an entire system that failed to protect her as a child. Her case represents a watershed moment in America's reckoning with historical sexual abuse and institutional accountability. HILDA O. VS. THE STATE OF NEW YORK is a powerful testament to resilience, the long arc of justice, and one woman's determination to transform decades of pain into hope for future generations.

A screening of the 17-minute documentary, followed by a discussion with co-directors Alison Cornyn and Heather Greer, with discussant Sherika Stewart.

Dinner will be served following the panel.

Content warning: this film concerns child sexual abuse and includes references to the abuse.

Speakers

Alison Cornyn (Co-Director/Producer) is a Peabody Award-winning interdisciplinary artist and educator. Her studio, Picture Projects, produces in-depth media projects about pressing social issues, often focusing on mass incarceration. Her work has received numerous awards in addition to the Peabody, including a Gracie Allen Award and Pew’s Batten Award for Innovation. Her work has been presented at Sundance, Hot Docs, IDFA, and many other film festivals. Cornyn serves on the board of the New York City Archives—Department of Records and Information Services and teaches at the School of Visual Arts’ Design for Social Innovation MFA program in New York City.

Heather Greer (Co-Director/Producer) is an Emmy-winning producer, award-winning filmmaker, media artist, and educator. She is the founder of Black Tartan Studios, a boutique creative agency based in Brooklyn. Her films and video installations have been screened and exhibited nationally and internationally at leading festivals and arts venues, including MoMA, Tribeca, BAFICI, the Female Eye Film Festival, and CineDoc. "Nevereverland", her feature narrative screenplay, was a selected project for the 2024 Stowe Narrative Lab. In a humanitarian capacity and as a media educator, Heather has worked in several countries, including Rwanda, Malawi, Mali, and Bangladesh.