Hallgren is on board to direct the feature documentary for Netflix; Barris and Williams will produceThe life and career of groundbreaking civil rights attorney Ben Crump will take center stage in a documentary feature from Peabody Award winning producer Kenya Barris, Oscar and Emmy Award winning documentary producer Roger Ross Williams and director Nadia Hallgren, a double Emmy nominee for her work on the Michelle Obama documentary Becoming.
Producers: Kenya Barris for Khalabo Ink Society; Roger Ross Williams for One Story Up Productions; and Nadia Hallgren and Lauren Cioffi.
Executive Producer: Geoff Martz
Synopsis: The yet-to-be-titled documentary feature will pull back the curtain on an array of Crump's past and current cases by examining the distinct nature of his work, his impact on American civil rights and racial justice, and the toll such work takes on him and his family. Considered a trailblazer and maverick of his field, Crump first gained recognition while representing the family of Trayvon Martin and is currently working with the families of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd.
About Ben Crump:
Through a steadfast dedication to justice and service, renowned civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump has established himself as one of the nation's foremost lawyers and advocates for social justice, earning the nickname Black America's Attorney General . His legal acumen has ensured that those marginalized in American society are protected by their nation's contract with its constituency. He is the founder and principal owner of Ben Crump Law.
We are on a journey to justice. Civil Rights Attorney Benjamin Crump is leading the charge. With the heartbreaking murders of unarmed black citizens, America's conversation about racial equity has become a global movement. At the heartbeat of that movement are the families seeking justice through Attorney Benjamin Crump. He represents the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Nakia Jones, Danny Ray Thomas and Stephon Clark, as well as the residents of Flint, Michigan.
Traditional media was a powerful ally in the 1960s when America watched in outrage as police attack dogs and high-pressure water hoses were turned on children and adult protestors in Alabama. With a similar understanding of the interplay between civil rights and the social media landscape today, Crump fights in the courtroom and in the court of public opinion.
A renaissance man and media influencer, he is also a producer, documentarian, and author. His production company Brooklyn Media, curates scripted narrative content for film, TV and digital media, with a focus on stories of injustice, inequality, and civil rights. Crump sees this as one of the most deliberate ways to affect how juries see people of color.
Inspired by the legacy of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, Crumps strategic selection of both cases and creative content is embedded in a singular mission -- to "shock the conscience" of the American people.
About Nadia Hallgren:
Nadia Hallgren is an award-winning filmmaker and cinematographer from The Bronx, New York. She directed the Emmy Award-nominated documentary Becoming (2020) and received nominations for Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program and Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program. In 2019, her documentary short, After Maria, was shortlisted for an Academy Award. Hallgren won the Special Jury prize at SXSW in 2018 for her independent documentary series Shes The Ticket. Her documentary short Gavin Grimm Vs. won a Webby Award. Her work in cinematography includes the Sundance award-winners Motherland (2017) and Trapped (2016) and Academy Award-nominated and Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winner Trouble the Water (2008).
About Kenya Barris & Khalabo Ink Society:
Founded by award-winning writer, producer and director Kenya Barris (Founder & CEO), Khalabo Ink Society is a full-service creative collective that produces an array of content, including television, film and digital properties. With a focus on socially conscious storytelling that reflects our culture and tackles contemporary issues and themes, Barris and Khalabo Ink Society's work has earned praise for telling poignant, powerful stories that make audiences more aware of the world around them while simultaneously making them laugh. With mentorship as a pillar of its storytelling process, Khalabo Ink Society has established itself as a creative force that fosters collaboration, allowing new talent and fresh voices to thrive.
Among the company's currently airing television slate are the Netflix original comedy #blackAF, the Peabody Award winning sitcom black-ish at ABC and its successful spin-offs grown-ish (Freeform) and mixed-ish (ABC). Additionally in the past year, the company launched the variety sketch series Astronomy Club named after and starring the first all-black house comedy team at New York's Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre; and began production on Entergalatic, a first of its kind adult animated music series based on Grammy-award winning artist Kid Cudi's upcoming album of the same name. Along with a booming television arm, Barris and Khalabo Ink Society continue to expand their work into film with several high-profile features in the pipeline. Among those projects are Coming To America 2, the highly anticipated sequel to John Landis' 1980s classic starring Eddie Murphy; an adaptation of Roald Dahls The Witches with Robert Zemeckis directing and Octavia Spencer and Anne Hathaway set to star; a reboot of the family comedy Cheaper By The Dozen; an adaptation of The French Quarter Will Not Be Spared for Lionsgate; Sony's The Last Dragon; and an animated feature based on the songs of Bob Marley, among others. Barris' past feature
