Hirsch, a former victim of bullying himself, started filming Bully in the fall of 2009, shortly after two 11-year-old boys – one from Massachusetts and one from Georgia – committed suicide following prolonged harassment at school.
At the podium, Hirsch tackles the issue of bullying and how it affects students, their families, the schools and society at large. He engages audiences in "The Bully Project," a social action campaign to end bullying that started as a result of the film. "The Bully Project" highlights solutions that both address immediate needs and lead to systemic change. Hirsch's debut feature film, Amandla! a Revolution in Four Part Harmony, chronicles the history of the South African anti-apartheid struggle through a celebration of its musical heroes.
He is also the founder, director and producer of the Local Voices for Obama project, a series of ads featuring Obama supporters in small towns in swing states speaking candidly about their support of this candidate.
In 2007, Hirsch also directed and produced the History Channel special, Act of Honor. A truly unique immigration and war story, the film has been applauded in reviews by The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and other major publications.