openDemocracy & The Tedworth Charitable Trust

...in association with Exile Nation Media...

present

The Exile Nation Project:

An Oral History of the War on Drugs & the American Criminal Justice System

a film by Charles Shaw

Please join us at the Crescent Heights United Methodist Church for the Hollywood Premiere of The Exile Nation Project.  There will be a reception preceding the screening and Q & A to follow with the Director and several members of the cast including Mark Kleiman, UCLA Professor of Public Policy, Judge James P. Gray (Ret.), Lynette Shaw, owner of the oldest medical cannabis dispensary in California, Scott Imler, co-author of Proposition 215, and former prisoner turned activist, Steve Costello.
　
Friday, April 1, 2011
7pm doors, 8pm screening
Crescent Heights United Methodist
1296 N. Fairfax Ave
W. Hollywood, CA 90046

Map:
http://bit.ly/e3mF6i

Parking:

Attendees Parking:
        A) Parking available on Fountain (read signs if parking on streets other than Fountain)
        B) Suggested parking: paid parking lots available within walking distance: 
            1114 N. Orange Grove  &  8200 Santa Monica  

“Like” us on Facebook:
http://on.fb.me/fsvWVy

A limited number of tickets will be available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis, but seating is limited, so advance purchase is recommended:
http://exilenationhollywood.eventbrite.com/

Suggested Donation: $30 - $10 (sliding scale; no one turned away for lack of funds)

View the trailer:
http://bit.ly/9AJbYE

About the project:

The Land of the Free punishes or imprisons more of its citizens than any other nation. This collection of testimonials from criminal offenders, family members, and experts on America’s criminal justice system puts a human face on the millions of Americans subjugated by the US Government's 40 year, one trillion dollar social catastrophe: The War on Drugs; a failed policy underscored by fear, politics, racial prejudice and intolerance in a public atmosphere of "out of sight, out of mind."

The United States has only 5% of the world's population, yet a full 25% of the world's prisoners. At 2.5 million, the US has more prisoners than even China does with five times the population of the United States. 8 million Americans (1 in every 31) languish under some form of state monitoring known as "correctional supervision." On top of that, the security and livelihood of over 13 million more has been forever altered by a felony conviction. 

The American use of punishment is so pervasive, and so disproportionate, that even the conservative magazine The Economist declared in 2010, "Never in the civilized world have so many been locked up for so little."

The project will unfold over a two year period, beginning with the release of this feature-length documentary and then continuing on with the release of short films and complete interviews from each of the 100 participants in the project, meant to represent the 1 in 100 Americans that are currently sitting behind bars. 

To further support The Exile Nation Project, please make a donation to our Kickstarter campaign:  http://kck.st/dVKDLD  Every little bit helps get the word out to more people.

The Exile Nation Project is not just one film - it’s an online archive of interviews, short films, and other features that will grow over the next two years. Our generous foundation grant got us off the ground and helped us make the first film, but we need to raise $7,000 by the end of May to meet our goal for Phase 2 of this project.