Dare Not Walk Alone Opens in Los Angeles
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WHAT: An award-winning feature-length documentary about civil rights in America. Written, produced, and directed by Jeremy Dean.
WHERE: The Laemmle Grande 4-Plex, 4th & Figueroa, downtown LA.
WHEN: Starts Friday, April 25. Show times and tickets online here.
4/25 Friday 5:30pm, 7:45pm, 10:00pm
4/26 Saturday 1:00pm, 3:15pm, 5:30pm, 7:45pm, 10:00pm
4/27 Sunday 1:00pm, 3:15pm, 5:30pm, 7:45pm, 10:00pm
Monday through Thursday 5:30pm, 7:45pm
This movie both reflects and illuminates what Barack Obama is talking about today, the injustice, the anger, the legacy of defeat, but also the new signs of fresh hope, an historic opportunity for dialogue that we must not pass up.
"A TRIUMPH OF OUTRAGE AND EMPATHY"
-- Aaron Mesh, Willamette Week
Set to a soundtrack that flows from gospel to hip hop, the film places the heroic sacrifices of the past in the context of present day struggles in a community that epitomizes what Barack Obama has called "the gap between the promise of our ideals and the reality of their time."
Dare Not Walk Alone mixes rare news footage from 1964 with present day testimony to document the untold story of a war of wills and ideals waged in the Florida where, in the words of Dr. King "the negroes of St. Augustine and their allies in the white community" determined to march the streets of the city "until the walls of segregation come crumbling down." In doing so they risked their lives and brought about the passage of the first civil rights act.
BRAVE FILMMAKING
-- San Jose Mercury News
A POWERFUL AND IMPORTANT FILM
-- Orlando Weekly
"A POWERHOUSE OF A PICTURE"
-- Aaron Mesh, Willamette Week
The most gritty version of civil rights history I've ever seen.
-- Peter Miller, Co-producer Ken Burns' Jazz
[For interviews, photos, media enquiries please email info@dnwa.info]
Perhaps it's not surprising that some of the earliest and best coverage of the film has come from America's Alternative Newsweeklies, starting with FolioWeekly in Jacksonville, Florida. Their first story on the film appeared in January of 2006, ahead of the very first public screening.
Click on the cover to read/download the article (Warning: it is a large, 3.5 megabyte, Adobe Acrobat .pdf file.)
FolioWeekly did a follow-up interview with director Jeremy Dean which you can read here.
The film's first major festival outing was Cinequest 2006 in San Jose, where strong audience response led the organizers to add a third screening. Later, at the Deep Focus Film Festival in Columbus, Ohio, sponsored by Alive!, the local alternative weekly, Dare Not Walk Alone won the Audience Award , over a strong field of more commercial contenders. More recently the film was reviewed in the Willamette Week which is Portland Oregon's Pulitzer-winning alternative weekly. There has also been coverage in Spero News Article, Celebrating Children, Thug Life Army, and The Spartan Daily Review.
You can read more quotes here.
ENGAGEMENT DETAILS
The film will be playing for at least a week, starting Friday, April 25, at Laemmle's Grand 4-Plex which is in the lower level of the downtown Marrioot at fourth and Figueroa (345 S. Figueroa St, Los Angeles, 90071 -- 213-617-0268). The Laemmle web site has ticket and parking/access info here. Click here for a map.
Right from the start, Dare Not Walk Alone has been a grassroots effort, an "out-of-nowhere" movie with no big name sponsors or corporate backers that has finally made it to the big screen.
And the film now has a serious chance to become a serious success story thanks to a whole bunch of 'ordinary people' getting involved (hey, we know you're not ordinary--but you know that's what the media is going to say).
Right now, a great way to help this film get the attention it deserves is to post the flyer you see on the left. Click on the image and it will take to a download page that offers several format options. Specially made for the LA opening, this flyer should print nicely on letter-size paper in a regular office printer. Then you can hang it on the office bulletin board, or leave copies in the lunchroom or the lobby, or any other creative act of [responsible] guerilla marketing you can think of that will spread the word about Dare Not Walk Alone finally getting its big break and playing in Los Angeles. THANKS!
The first night that the film played in St. Augusitne over 1200 people turned out to see it. After a strong response at college and high school screenings up and down Florida, the film was entered into a series of festivals across the country, often earning standing ovations.
Starting at the big Cinequest festival, the film was approached by numerous distributors. The film makers were delighted to receive strong support from one of the most highly respected independent distributors, THINKFilm, which currently handles the film's non-theatrical distribution (the person to call for festival, school, college, church and other bookings is Dylan Marchetti at 212-444-7900).
Feeling that this documentary needed to be shown in cinemas across America before going to DVD and television, the film makers sought a theatrical distribution deal.
Last Fall they signed with an independent distributor that passionately supports their goal: Indican Pictures. Talking about the deal, director Jeremy Dean said "We went with Indican because Shaun and Randy really 'get' what Dare Not Walk Alone is about and believe, as I do, that it is a film many Americans will want to see, particularly at this time, when open and honest dialogue about race in America is finally starting to happen."
According to executive producer Stephen Cobb, who helped several hi-tech startups find market success before getting involved with the film, "In movies as in business, success is all about passion for the product. We felt that passion at Indican, which is developing an impressive track record for spotting talent and trends and signing films ahead of the curve."
We will be adding more of these as they come in.
Brent Simon, Los Angeles City Beat
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times
Eric Monder, Film Journal International
"An important tool for showing the bravery of those who struggled for equality during the civil rights movement ... [this film] goes far beyond past history and exposes issues that we face everyday in the continued struggle for equality, especially when it comes to the health and education of all our children."
--
Arne Duncan, CEO,
Chicago Public Schools
The following are from post-screening comment cards collected at festivals across the country:
"This is a powerful film! To be reminded of the prices so many paid, and also challenged by what is still to be done, has been an overwhelming experience."
"Absolutely incredible. Really surfaced a lot of issues that are in desperate need of consideration. Extremely thought provoking."
"Amazing, moving, and about time! Thank you!"
"This documentary is long overdue. Bravo!"
"Educational and amazing." "Excellent documentary!"
"Very powerful!" "Outstanding! Everyone needs to see this!"
"I am inspired and moved!!" "Heart wrenching"
"Very moving. I learned a lot and want to see it again."
"Thank you so much. You have opened my heart and my mind to this problem."
"This film will open lots of eyes and hearts--including mine--to this problem."
"Long overdue. Genius. Top notch and done with love. Life changing and much needed. Hats off to Jeremy Dean for conquering this tough issue."
"Awesome! Incredible. Thank you so much for devoting your life to shed light for others."
"So powerful and moving; an experience everyone should have."
"Great way for students, adults, to connect and learn."
"You hit a lot of essential points. The film will really raise awareness and I commend all who worked on the film and hope that there is more we can do as a community to change."