TOMORROW at 1 PM: NYWIFT Talks “Just Mercy” with Scott Budnick, April Grayson & Donna Hylto
Welcome to NYWIFT Talks, a new weekly series to bring updated news and vital information about the impact of COVID-19 on the media and entertainment industry. Industry professionals will be in conversation discussing what you need to know about theatrical releases, digital advances, virtual tools, festival opportunities, production updates and more.
This edition of NYWIFT Talks is free for all to attend.
In this NYWIFT Talks, join Just Mercy Executive Producer and CEO of One Community Scott Budnick, Campaign Surrogate and Statewide Coordinator for The Young Women’s Freedom Center April Grayson, and Campaign Ambassador Donna Hylton as we discuss the positive after-effects of Just Mercy, Black Lives Matter and civil unrest.
You can stream Just Mercy on for free on any platform.
Award-winning filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton’s Just Mercy is based on the powerful and thought-provoking true story of young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or who were not afforded proper representation, with the support of local advocate Eva Ansley (Brie Larson). One of his first, and most incendiary, cases is that of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), who was sentenced to die for the notorious murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite a preponderance of evidence proving his innocence. Bryan becomes embroiled in a labyrinth of legal and political maneuverings, as well as overt and unabashed racism as he fights for Walter, and others like him, with the odds—and the system—stacked against them.
This conversation will be moderated by NYWIFT Executive Director Cynthia Lopez.
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