Heartfelt Pictures and founder Denton Adams, in association with Purpose Work(s), will premiere the social justice anthology film, “00:08:46,” on Sunday, August 14, at The Miracle Theater, located at 226 South Market Street in Inglewood.
The Red Carpet opens at 6 p.m., and the film screening begins at 7:15 p.m. The “00:08:46” premiere is co-hosted by Pull and Row Productions founders Cal Roberson (“Married at First Sight”) and Rory Pullens (former LAUSD arts education director).
Adams, the L.A. based writer, producer, and creator of “00:08:46,” describes it as an anthology protest film comprising eight short stories of social and political relevance today.
“We’re bringing conversations about the need for justice and ways to eradicate racism to the forefront,” says Adams. “These are conversations people are having in the privacy of their homes, but these conversations need to continue publicly with everyone who values human life, especially because our slain brothers and sisters no longer have the opportunity to do so themselves.”
Created following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, as well as in response to the insurrection at the United States Capitol, stories in “00:08:46″ range in subject matter from the importance of voting to the power of protesting to building awareness about the micro-aggressions faced by people of color with a cast of multi-cultural actors including Latinos, Asian American Pacific islanders, and African Americans.
Derived from original story ideas conceptualized by Adams, each short film was then expanded upon, written and directed by four women filmmakers – Morgan Danielle Day, Kayona Ebony Brown, B.J. Minor, Katisha Sargeant; and four men filmmakers Denton Adams, Travis Houze, Freddy Ramsey, Jr., and Chris Rouse.
Says Adams, “My goal was to bring national awareness to the ongoing challenges of inequity facing many people in our country as we continue to grapple with issues around race relations and political ideology,” he shares. “Hopefully, we bring about revelations from people across all walks of life,” he adds.
Principal photography took place in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. during the pandemic in October 2020 with a hiatus until February 2021 when the team was able to complete principal photography in five days. It took a year of post-production in Los Angeles that ended in 2022.
Adams and his fellow filmmakers believe one of the great strengths of “00:08:46,” in addition to a diverse millennial cast, was the culturally diverse crew who worked collectively behind-the-scenes to bring the anthology to light.
Bridget Weitzel, the film’s script supervisor, shared, “I don’t know what to say to the families of those slain by law enforcement, the victims who have suffered all types of injustices, and the communities who still cannot see change on their behalf other than I am sorry from the deepest part of my being.
“I can never understand, but I can and will continue to learn, speak out, and be what you need me to be to help bring about justice and equality. I hope that ‘00:08:46’will touch, inspire, educate, and teach others the way it has done all of those things for me. Above all, I pray that the legacy of your pain is a pathway to healing for all who deserve better.”
