fiscal sponsorship
MOVE: The Tragedy of Philadelphia
TYPE: Documentary Feature
GENRE: Documentary
STATUS: Pre-Production
LOGLINE
MOVE is an in-depth exploration of the first known government organised attack on American soil, the bombing of the black liberation group Move in 1985 in the city of Philadelphia.
SYNOPSIS
MOVE, a black liberation group, was in constant conflict with the city of Philadelphia, encountering the law enforcement who viewed the group as threat. After years of turbulence, the death of one police officer and several arrests, the group would relocate as armed police and city officials would gather with the agenda of cleaning house.
500 cops. 10,000 rounds. 90 minutes.
What would follow, would become a bizarrely little-known, yet horrific stain on the United States policing history.
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
The bombing of the MOVE headquarters on Osage Avenue is one of the most surreal and devastating moments of the last fifty years in American history, but it’s a tragedy that very few people are aware exists. Our MOVE documentary is an in-depth exploration of why the Philadelphia Police Department decided to drop a bomb on a house filled with American men, women and children. It will detail the long history of conflict between MOVE and the city. The film will dig into all of the elements that led to May 13, 1985.
KEY CREW
RANDY WILKINS - Director/Editor
An Alumni of Spike Lee’s legendary Forty Acres and A Mule Filmworks, Randy began as an editorial intern on ‘Inside Man’ before raising through the ranks to become the Lead Editor on Spike Lee's joints including the hit Netflix series ‘She's Gotta Have It’,
Other projects, on which Randy was the lead editor are: ’Da Sweet Blood of Jesus’, ‘Jesus Shuttlesworth’ for ESPN, ‘The Greatest Catch’ for ESPN, ‘Katt Williams Priceless’ for HBO, the Emmy award winning ‘What Is The Triangle? A Spike Lee Orange and Blue Skies Joint’ for the MSG Network, Andra Day’s debut music video ‘Forever Mine’ and ‘2 Fists Up’ for ESPN. In addition to his editing work, Randy earned two Emmys for his cinematography on the FOX 59 Promo ‘Indiana Made’ and PIX 11 Promo ‘Lionel’. As a director, Randy helmed the ESPN 30 for 30/Lil' Spike Joint ‘86-32’ chronicling the controversial decision between Roy Jones Jr. and Park Si-Hun in the Light Middle Heavyweight gold medal match at the 1988 Summer Olympics. He has also enjoyed success with his award winning digital series‘Docket 32357’ with the second season earning a distribution deal with innovative platform Seed&spark. Wilkins latest effort is directing an episode of ‘Dear X’ a documentary/narrative hybrid series for Apple’s new streaming service.
Randy received his B.A. in English from Franklin and Marshall College, Randy enrolled in NYU’s esteemed Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Film Program where he earned a chair’s fellowship and a Masters of Fine Arts in 2009.
Chris Patterson - Producer
Since 2001 Chris has worked as Location Manager, Production Manager and Line Producer across the UK and Ireland, on projects as varied as Auf Weidershen Pet (2002), NBC’s Branson: The Billionaire, Mersey Beat (2004), Quantum of Solace (2009), Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (2009) and 1Nenokkadine (2014).
Since establishing Causeway Pictures in 2009, Chris produced Netfix Documentary Feature Hostage tothe Devil (2017), he produced short films The Ash: Safe Haven. (2017), The Invention (2018), FindingShakespeare (2018) and FOG (2019). Chris is currently developing a range of projects supported with Northern Ireland Screen.
Margaret McGoldrick - Producer
In 2016/17, Margaret produced short films Childer & Safe Haven via the BFI/Northern Ireland Screen Shorts-To-Features scheme which were recently distributed via Gunpowder & Sky’s online horror platform ‘Alter’ to excellent viewings and reviews. Other recent credits include the award-winning crime webseries Farr (2015) via RTE’s/IFB Storyland, NI Screen short film Time & Again (2016), which closed its festival run with an online release via Cinephillia & Beyond and Film School Rejects and soon to online platform Omleto, feature-documentary Hostage To The Devil (Netflix, 2016) and indie budget slasher Braxton Butcher (2016/17 - international release plus VOD platforms Amazon/Sky/iTunes). Her latest producer venture, short film The Invention, is currently closing its strong festival run which includes the Oscar qualifying Indy Shorts Film Festival and Bafta qualifying Aesthetica Film Festival. Margaret is currently writing her own features as well as developing with writers a bank of feature scripts including vigilante thriller Monsters as well as serial television dramas Bleeder and Actual Innocence for the US market.
Lisa Black - Exec Producer
MBA seasoned award wining producer, with 30+ years of expertise in c-level business development and formation of strategic alliances resulting global profitable ventures. Ms. Black began her career at Price Waterhouse, and applied those skills to producing script to screen, focusing on the entire trajectory of creative endeavors. Under her shingle Garnet Girl she managed to cultivate global strategic alliances resulting in award wining international feature films, while fostering creatives in the media entertainment sectors. Ms. Black as served as panelist, speaker, juror at international trade, festivals and markets sharing knowledge on packaging, marketing and distribution strategy.
Member of Producer Guild of America, Co-Chair, Delaware Film & Television Board, Co-Founder US-Norway Film Development Initiative. Board of Directors for the Norwegian-American Chamber of Commerce-Philadelphia
Connect With The Filmmakers:
ACCOLADES
Help promote my fundraising campaign
Put our donation widget on your website
The Gotham Film & Media Institute is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to finding, developing and celebrating the people and projects that shape the future of story.