Editor

Voltage Pictures is launching worldwide sales on writer-director David Midell’s (NightLights) tragic retelling of the fatal shooting of a 68-year-old Black man by the White Plains, NY, police in the multi-award-winning The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain, it was announced today by President and COO Jonathan Deckter and Revelations Entertainment’s executive producers Morgan Freeman, Lori McCreary and Gary Lucchesi. Voltage will begin talks on the hot title, with buyers immediately.

The film, which made its world premiere at the Austin Film Festival in 2019, stars Frankie Faison (Do the Right Thing, Silence of the Lambs and Banshee) as Chamberlain. The film is produced by Midell and Enrico Natale of Redbird Entertainment. Executive producers also include Sharad Chib, Chris Paladino, and Milan Chakraborty.

The film rose to Freeman and McCreary’s attention after racking up a bevy of awards, starting with its debut at the Austin Film Festival where it won both the Jury Award and Audience Award. It also won the top narrative feature prize at the 24th annual Urbanworld Film Festival, a festival which celebrates inclusive, diverse filmmaking and attracted talent including 13^th director Ava Duvernay, Lena Waithe as well as political figures Stacy Abrams and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley.

The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain tells the true story of the final hours of the life of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., an elderly African American veteran with bipolar disorder, who was killed during a conflict with police officers who were sent to his home to check on him, when his medical alert device was mistakenly activated. Despite Kenneth informing the officers there was a mistake and he did not have an emergency, they were recorded taunting Kenneth, ridiculing his military service, howling racial epithets at him, and finally, the officers broke his door down and shot him to death.

“The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain is a visceral, confronting and necessary portrayal of the tragic death of an innocent man, as told by the fiercely talented David Midell,” said Deckter. “With the eyes of the world on the Black Lives Matter movement, we’re beyond honored to have been chosen to represent this special, pertinent film, and look forward to sharing it with our partners.”

“We are confident, that working with Voltage, this truly important film will get the wide audience this subject matter deserves. Once viewers see The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain, the answer to the question of the imminent need for police reform is obvious,” said Freeman and McCreary.

“We felt it was important that the film asks critical questions about law enforcement’s treatment of people of color and people with mental health challenges: we’re excited to have Voltage on board to amplify that message.” said Natale. 

The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain joins the robust Voltage sales slate including the political biopic Reagan, starring Dennis Quaid, the action-thriller The Marksman starring Liam Neeson releasing Jan 12, the upcoming third and fourth installments of the After franchise and the horror-thriller The Seventh Day starring Guy Pearce. 

ABOUT VOLTAGE PICTURES

Voltage Pictures, established in 2005, is a privately held, film and television production, financing and sales entity. Voltage has won six Academy Awards including Best Picture for The Hurt Locker, and three Academy Awards for Dallas Buyers Club.

The current Voltage sales slate includes the highly anticipated action-thriller The Marksman starring Liam Neeson, the gangster crime biopic Lanksy starring Harvey Keitel, Sam Worthington and Annasophia Robb and the horror thriller The Seventh Day starring Guy Pearce.  

Voltage represented worldwide rights on After, based on the internationally best-selling series of books by Anna Todd, debuted number one at the box office in 17 international territories including Germany and Italy when released in April 2019 and grossed over $70m worldwide. The highly anticipated sequel, After We Collided, recently opened number one in Italy, Portugal and Spain. The third and fourth films in the franchise are currently shooting in Eastern Europe.

Voltage also produced the blockbuster comedy I Feel Pretty starring Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Emily Ratajkowski, and Naomi Campbell, which generated nearly $100m in worldwide box office. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile starring Zac Efron, Lily Collins, Kaya Scodelario, Jim Parsons, and John Malkovich premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival to great acclaim.