Filmmakers and Organizations Join to Promote World Day Against the Death Penalty

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Organizations across the United States and MountainTop Films director Lisa Boyd of An American Tragedy have partnered to produce an online fundraising event on October 10, 2022, World Day Against the Death Penalty. The event aims to convey, through a screening of An American Tragedy, the possibility of rehabilitation, the potential for forgiveness, and the cruelty of the death penalty, and through the Q&A discussion following, to activate audiences by providing information and tools for those seeking to become involved in the movement to abolish the death penalty.

Date: Monday October 10, 2022
Time: 7:00pm Eastern/6:00pm Central/4:00pm Pacific
Online Event Link: https://bit.ly/AttendWDADP
Event Sizzle: https://youtu.be/LhogSSihOz4

What: Screening of An American Tragedy followed by a Q&A with filmmakers, organizations, and political figures to spread awareness & provide tools to the public on what individuals can do to get involved and prevent any other inmates from suffering the ultimate sentence. 

Price: A "pay what you can" event, the $5 charge covers the event production fees. Donations to support the work of the organizations involved will be graciously accepted on the event website.

An American Tragedy Synopsis: For 26 years, the Hall Family has been waiting for justice for the brutal rape and murder of their seventeen-year-old daughter. With just four hours to live, Death Row inmate Jeffrey Ferguson must face his final moments and seek redemption for the pain and suffering he inflicted on everyone involved. Would you forgive the man who killed your daughter?

An American Tragedy director Lisa Boyd shares, "This film is my promise to both the Hall and Ferguson families to share their stories of hope and forgiveness and to help end further suffering. Death is not the answer."

World Day Against the Death Penalty was founded by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty and the event is supported in partnership with the below organizations. Special guest speakers and additional partner organizations to be announced.

Founded in 2012, MountainTop Films aims to bring about change through award-winning film, television, and documentaries. Director and Producer Lisa Rhoden Boyd (Bitter Sugar, Pinero, Parade, El Cantante) and David Boyd (The Walking Dead, Dear Edward, As We See It) work directly with the Missouri Department of Corrections to bring stories on prison reform, the death penalty, forgiveness, and second chances to the world through the power of film. https://www.facebook.com/TheMountainTopFilms 

Nebraskans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty is a nonpartisan 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 1981 to educate Nebraskans on the problems of our broken death penalty system and to support abolition efforts in our unicameral Legislature. https://www.nadp.net

The death penalty is largely unsupported by Missouri constituents and as the number of pending death penalty cases and the population of Missouri's death row steadily declines, Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty continues to be a driving force behind the movement to Abolish the death penalty in Missouri. https://www.madpmo.org

Death Penalty Action (DPA) provides tools and strategies for individuals and groups to help stop executions. We offer high visibility resources, leadership, support, educational and direct-action events and activities within the broader death penalty abolition movement. https://deathpenaltyaction.org

Death Penalty Focus was founded in 1988 by a group of California death penalty abolitionists. Since then, DPF has led protests, supported vigils, engaged people of faith, and worked with community leaders to end the death penalty. https://deathpenalty.org

Members of the Commission include lay persons, clergy, religious sisters, police officers, attorneys, and educators. Marie Kenyon is the director of the Peace and Justice Commission. The Commission will develop its priorities by looking at how issues affecting our region specifically impact the family. As Catholics we believe as Pope Francis states "the family is the fundamental cell of society, where we learn to live with others despite our differences and belong to one another." By working to help strengthen the family, the Commission hopes to help build stronger communities and a peaceful and just region and world. https://www.archstl.org/peace-and-justice-commission

The World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, an alliance of more than 160 NGOs, bar associations, local authorities, and unions, was created in Rome on 13 May 2002. The aim of the World Coalition is to strengthen the international dimension of the fight against the death penalty. Its objective is to obtain the universal abolition of the death penalty. To achieve its goal, the World Coalition advocates for a definitive end to death sentences and executions in those countries where the death penalty is in force. https://worldcoalition.org/2022/09/09/take-action-for-world-day-2022/

To learn more or to offer your partnership & support contact:
Kristen Bedno, SideHussle Life
1.310.801.8959
[email protected]

SOURCE MountainTop Films