Here’s a blurb from Entertainment Weekly about my filmmaker friends.

And the award for Most Unlikely Announcement the Week goes to Colin Firth (Love, Actually) and Livia Giuggioli-Firth. The married couple are producing In Prison My Whole Life, a feature documentary about a young white British man named William Francome with an unusual connection to controversial death-row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal. ”He was born on the day that [Philadelphia police] officer Daniel Faulkner was shot,” explains Firth, ”[which is] the crime for which Mumia was condemned [to death]. Francome’s [American] mother, being something of an activist, made him aware of this all his life. Every birthday has marked the incarceration of this man on the other side of the world across this huge cultural distance. It’s connected him with something that would otherwise be very, very far away.” 

Firth, who only learned of the Abu-Jamal case after his wife introduced him to Francome, is working with director Marc Evans (My Little Eye, Snow Cake) to follow Francome’s exploration of the case and its place in the development of African-American culture and political awareness over the last quarter-century. ”We’re not really taking a position of who is innocent or not of that crime,” says Firth (who is nonetheless firmly against the death penalty), ”but more the fact that Mumia himself has become such a catalyst for political passion on both sides of the argument.” Firth and Giuggioli-Firth plan to have the film completed in time to screen at next year’s Cannes Film Festival.

If you’re in La La, here’s an important film on Black voting suppression. Ask Sundance.

 “American Blackout” Comes To Los Angeles

An award-winning exposé that chronicles systemic attempts to undermine the Black vote from 2000 to 2004.

We’ve told you about continued attempts to suppress the Black vote across the country and given you ways to take action. Now we want to let you know about a powerful film that brings the issue of voter suppression to the big screen— “American Blackout,” by GNN‘s acclaimed director Ian Inaba.

“American Blackout” is a jarring yet entertaining film that paints a comprehensive picture of voter suppression in 2000 and 2004. It has already won numerous awards, including the prestigious Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. The film features never before seen footage that captures the tactics used to suppress the Black vote, testimonials from members of Congress, stories from Black voters denied the right to vote, and even those involved in perpetrating suppression.

In screenings across the country—from the rural Midwest to urban centers—“American Blackout” has galvanized audiences that care about the health of this country’s democracy.

“American Blackout” is an important tool for educating ourselves and others, and ultimately for saving our democracy. Not only does it lay bare the problems of our democracy—it also helps us understand what it will take to fight back, and inspires action.

We believe this film has the potential to start a national dialogue and expose how partisan interests systemically push eligible voters out of the political process. It could help everyone to come to terms with the systemic disenfranchisement that has plagued democracy in this country.

Please join us in watching this important film.

For more info or to see the trailer, visit the American Blackout website.

Thank You and Peace,

— James, Van, Gabriel, Clarissa, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team