An actor known for playing Magic Johnson on HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers’ Dynasty and a movie producer—both notable Kalamazoo College alumni—will present a private screening of their next film this week at the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership.
Actor Quincy Isaiah ’17 and producer Adam Edery ’19 will present and discuss Grassland, a social justice drama about marijuana incarceration rates and the criminal justice system, at 7 p.m. Thursday, November 16.
A panel discussion featuring Kalamazoo-area residents including a former police officer, a former inmate and a cannabis industry professional, will immediately follow the film.
Grassland is set in 2008 during the Great Recession. It follows a single Latina mother whose illegal marijuana business is jeopardized when her son befriends new neighbors, a young white boy and his police officer grandfather. According to production research, Latino people were four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white people at the time, while Black people were seven times more likely.
Actors Mía Maestro and Jeff Kober star alongside Isaiah. Maestro’s credits include the 2014–15 TV series The Strain and the 2012 film The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2. Kober’s credits include TV series such as The Walking Dead, Sons of Anarchy and China Beach. His movie credits include the 2016 film Sully.
The film is set to premiere in 2024, possibly at the Sundance Film Festival, giving the Kalamazoo community a special opportunity to view the production before the rest of world. The private screening is free with advance online registration.