‘Kemba’ Castings; ‘Dave Stevens: Drawn To Perfection’, ‘The Race to Alaska’ Acquisitions; ‘Rosé All Day’ Trailer; ‘Neil Young: Harvest Time’ Release Date – Film Briefs

EXCLUSIVE: MPI Original Films and BET have added to the cast of their feature Kemba, inspired by the life of criminal justice reform advocate Kemba Smith, with Michelle Hurd (Star Trek: Picard), Sean Patrick Thomas (Till), Siddiq Saunderson (Wu-Tang: An American Saga) and June Carryl (Helstrom) signing on for roles. Nesta Cooper will lead the cast of the film directed by Kelley Kali, which is currently shooting in Atlanta, as previously announced.

The upcoming film follows Kemba (Cooper) as a young college student who falls in love with a man, only to learn he is a drug kingpin who leads her down a path of abuse and manipulation, placing her in the middle of the government’s “war on drugs,” and ultimately landing her in federal prison. Hurd and Thomas will play Kemba’s loving parents Odessa and Gus, with Saunderson as Kemba’s college boyfriend and drug kingpin, Khalif, and Carryl as Elaine, an NAACP Legal Defense Fund lawyer that takes up Kemba’s fight.

More from Deadline

• Nesta Cooper To Star In Drama 'Kemba' From MPI & BET; Kelley Kali Directing

• Concord Originals, Outfest Fusion Unveil Pitch Contest; Passionflix's 'This Man' Sets Cast; Acquisitions By Freestyle, Video Project, Adventure Entertainment, Cranked Up, Tubi; More - Film Briefs

• Chelsea Alden, Veronica Dunne, Jenna Uskowitz, Alice Hunter And Cameron Kelly Are Ready To Drink 'Rosé All Day' In Marla Sokoloff's Indie Comedy

Stacey Parks, Lana Link, and Rob Pfaltzgraff will produce for MPI, with Smith, MPI’s Nick Reid, and BET’s Maureen Guthman and Connie Orlando exec producing. BET’s Jon Marc Sandifer and Lorisa Bates will co-executive produce, with MPI’s Hannah Ruth Earl and BET’s John Baldasare serving as consulting producers.

The film will have its television premiere on BET, with additional launch and distribution plans to be announced at a later date. Hurd is repped by APA and TMT Entertainment Group; Thomas by Innovative Artists and AFA Prime Talent Media; Saunderson by Innovative Artists, M88 and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman; and Carryl by O’Neill Talent Group and NOVA Talent Group.

***

EXCLUSIVE: Samuel Goldwyn Films has picked up rights to the documentary Dave Stevens: Drawn to Perfection, with plans to release it on demand on December 2nd.

The film from director Kelvin Mao explores the life and career of artist and illustrator Dave Stevens whose work included advertising, comics, animation, movies and TV. The artist notably created the hit comic book series The Rocketeer that re-introduced the world to the 1950s pin-up icon Bettie Page and was later adapted into a feature film starring Billy Campbell and Jennifer Connelly. Working with luminaries like Jack Kirby, Doug Wildey, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, John Landis and Joe Johnston, Stevens was widely considered one of the best illustrators of his generation.

Dave Stevens: Drawn to Perfection was produced by Mao and Rob Chatlin, and exec produced by Robert Windom. Check out the trailer for the documentary below.

***

EXCLUSIVE: Freestyle Digital Media has acquired North American rights to the documentary The Race to Alaska from director Zach Carver, slating it for release across VOD platforms on November 29.

The Race to Alaska is billed as a nail-biting, humorous account of everyday heroes who push themselves to the brink on a 750-mile, engineless boat race through the Pacific Northwest, up the Inside Passage to Alaska. Mixing raw, first-person footage with vast aerials and in-depth interviews, it tells the story of the race’s improbable inception and the epic journey of those who answer its call.

Carver and Greg King wrote the script. The former also produced alongside Ian Morland and Liv von Oelreich. Freestyle negotiated the deal to acquire The Race to Alaska directly with Glen Reynolds of Circus Road Films. Watch the trailer for the film below.

***

EXCLUSIVE: Deadline has an exclusive red band trailer for the comedy Rosé All Day, from director Marla Sokoloff, which Vertical Entertainment will release in limited theaters and on all transactional platforms on November 11.

The film written by Katie Amanda Keane follows a group of college friends who meet once a year for a Rosé All Day pool party. But after years of babies, careers and different life paths, the cracks in their relationships become all-consuming sinkholes filled with vomit, tears and confessions.

Jenna Ushkowitz (Glee), Veronica Dunne (K.C. Undercover), Chelsea Alden (13 Reasons Why), Briana Cuoco (The Flight Attendant), Cameron Kelly (Masters of Sex), Alice Hunter (Another Period) and Avery Norris (White Elephant) star. Corey Moss and Brad T. Gottfred produced for Bold Soul Studios, alongside Milan Chakraborty of Marginal MediaWorks, with Michael J. Norris, William J. Norris and Jeanette M. Norris, Michael Masukawa and Kelly Fre exec producing, and Keane, Allyssa DelPiano, Jaki Silver, Bradford Downs, Blake Edward Boyd and D’Elia Guarnieri serving as co-producers.

Check out the Rosé All Day trailer below.

***

Neil Young: Harvest Time, a docu-film about the landmark 1972 album, will hit movie theaters worldwide on Thursday, December 1, with select encores on Sunday, December 4. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Young’s multiplatinum album Harvest, which includes the No. 1 single “Heart of Gold,” the film includes footage from Northern California, London and Nashville during its creation. The exclusive cinema event from Shakey Pictures, Trafalgar Releasing, and Warner Records begins with a personal introduction from Young about the film and signature album.

Created between January and September 1971, Neil Young: Harvest Time takes viewers on an intimate journey to Young’s Broken Arrow Ranch in Northern California for the “Harvest Barn” sessions, to London for an iconic performance with the London Symphony Orchestra and to Nashville where the then 20-something Neil Young worked on various tracks of this signature album. Performance and rehearsal content is intertwined into creative storytelling and includes most of the album’s tracks including “Heart of Gold,” “Old Man,” “Alabama” and “A Man Needs a Maid.”

Here is a clip from the film:

Best of Deadline

• Shelley Duvall Career In Film Gallery: From ‘The Shining’, ‘Three Women’, ‘Annie Hall’ & More

• Jerry Lee Lewis: A Career In Photos Gallery

• Who Are The Ultimate Final Girls in Horror Gallery: From ‘Laurie Strode’, to ‘Sidney Prescott’ & 'Dorothy Gale'

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.