ST. LOUIS — Sunday night, a Southern Illinois University Edwardsville assistant professor premiered his film, "Ten Years - Michael Brown, the Ferguson Uprising and the Impact on a Generation," at the St. Louis International Film Festival.
The 90-minute movie explores the impact of Ferguson teen Michael Brown Jr.'s death on Aug. 9, 2014, and the unrest that followed. Its debut came just three months after the 10th anniversary of Brown's death.
The filmmaker, Geovonday Jones, said the movie was a passion project after his cousin was killed by an off-duty St. Louis police officer.
"Everyone I knew and loved were fighting for justice," Jones said. "I had to turn my attention somewhere, and that's where I became what I call a 'social justice art-ivist.' I was always an actor. I was always a director, but those horrific incidents turned my art into activism."
The 33rd annual film festival ran from Nov. 7-17 and spanned diverse venues across the St. Louis region, including at Hi-Pointe Theatre, Wildey Theatre, Arkadin, the Contemporary Art Museum and the St. Louis Public Library.