‘Finding Kendrick Johnson’: Gravitas Ventures Sets Oscar-Qualifying Run For Jason Pollock Doc
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
EXCLUSIVE: Gravitas Ventures has set an Academy-qualifying U.S. theatrical run for the Jason Pollock doc Finding Kendrick Johnson.
Pic will first hit 17 theaters across the country today for one-night only engagements, with a seven-night Los Angeles run kicking off on the 29th. The documentary’s awards campaign will be getting a push from its producer, Girls Trip and Space Jam: A New Legacy director Malcolm D. Lee, as well as actress Jenifer Lewis (Black-ish, The Princess and the Frog), who serves as its narrator and EP.
More from Deadline
Finding Kendrick Johnson is the production of a four-year, undercover investigation into the case of Kendrick Johnson, the 17-year-old Georgia native who was found dead in his Lowndes High School gym, in a rolled-up gym mat, in 2013.
After an initial botched investigation, the state of Georgia ruled his death as being due to accidental positional asphyxiation. However, the Johnson family hired their own forensic pathologist, who concluded his death to be from non-accidental blunt force trauma, after discovering that organs were missing from KJ’s body. To this day, no one knows where the organs have gone and the official cause of death has not been changed.
After much public pressure , the local Valdosta sheriff, Ashley Paulk, reopened Johnson’s case back in March. Pollock’s doc will shed light on new evidence he uncovered during his investigation, including an unredacted FBI report, missing video footage from the high school, and testimonials from whistleblower Mitch Credle, a DC homicide detective who investigated the case, and has been openly speaking about what he discovered, including what he believes was an obstruction of justice within the FBI.
Pollock wrote, directed and co-edited the film, which he also produced with Lee, Amy McCampbell and Morgan J. Freeman. Lewis exec produced with Hill Harper, Elizabeth Hurwitz, Dia Sokol Savage, Kurt Engfehr, and Lenny Beckerman.
“Gravitas is proud to partner with Jason Pollock again on his latest film, which now more than ever, reinforces the notion that justice and accountability should be vigorously pursued, no matter how long it takes,” said Brendan M. Gallagher, Gravitas Ventures Executive Vice President & General Counsel.
“It’s the most important work I’ve done in all my decades in Hollywood,” added Lewis. “At this very moment ‘Finding Kendrick Johnson’ is opening minds, hearts, and souls globally. This powerful feature documentary is a must see, hear, touch, taste and smell.”
Founded in 2006, Gravitas, a Red Arrow Studios company, is an all-rights film distributor that connects indie filmmakers and producers with distribution opportunities across the globe. Recent releases from the company include Michael Lembeck’s Queen Bees; Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s Our Friend, starring Casey Affleck, Dakota Johnson, and Jason Segel; Vanguard, directed by Stanley Tong, and starring Jackie Chan; and Andy Tennant’s The Secret: Dare to Dream, starring Katie Holmes.
The list of theaters hosting Finding Kendrick Johnson today can be found below.
Galaxy Mission Grove – Riverside, CA
Galaxy Theaters Atascadero – Santa Barbara, CA
Galaxy Theaters Riverbank – Sacramento, CA
Galaxy Porterville – Fresno, CA
Emagine Canton – Detroit, MI
Cinema Chatham – Chicago, IL
Emagine Rogers – Minneapolis, MN
America Cinemas – Fort Worth, TX
America Cinemas – Houston, TX
Icon Cinema – San Angelo, TX
Galaxy Theaters Canary – Las Vegas, NV
Galaxy Theaters Victorian – Sparks, NV
Galaxy Theaters Monroe – Seattle, WA
Emagine Noblesville – Indianapolis, IN
Emagine Geneva Lakes – Milwaukee, WI
Movies at Meadville – Pittsburgh, PA
Westown Movies Middletown – Philadelphia, PA
Best of Deadline
Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
