New York, New York – MTV Documentary Films Academy Award® nominated St. Louis Superman, produced by Al Jazeera Witness will premiere Monday, May 18 at 9PM ET/PT on MTV, VH1 and MTV2 via simulcast.
The
award-winning film directed by Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan, tells the
story of Representative Bruce Franks Jr., a Ferguson activist and battle
rapper who was elected to the overwhelmingly white and Republican
Missouri House of Representatives.
Known as
“Superman” to his constituents, Franks Jr. cuts a unique figure -
an unorthodox politician who has overcome a tremendous loss to become
one of the most dynamic and unapologetic young leaders in the country.
Forced to deal with the trauma he's been carrying for nearly 30 years
after witnessing the shooting death of his nine-year-old brother, the
film chronicles his work toward overcoming both personal trauma and
political obstacles in an effort to pass a bill that is critical to his
community. Only by confronting his pain can Franks Jr. find peace and
truly fulfill his destiny as a leader.
The
film won the jury prize for Best Documentary Short at Big Sky
Documentary Film Festival, the Audience Award for Best Short at Hot Docs
Canadian International Documentary Festival, the Audience Award for
Best Short at AFI Docs and the Special Jury Mention at Tribeca Film
Festival. St. Louis Superman is produced by Mundhra, Khan and Poh Si Teng and executive produced by Sheila Nevins and Fiona Lawson-Baker.
About Bruce Franks Jr.
Bruce
Franks Jr. is an American politician and community activist. He served
in the Missouri House of Representatives representing the 78th District
and served as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Police/Community
Relations before resigning in 2019. A St. Louis native, Franks Jr. is
also a world-renowned battle rapper known as “Ooops” as well as a small
business owner. Today, he works with the Community Justice Action Fund,
which holds elected officials and community leaders accountable for
ending gun violence in communities of color across the nation.
About MTV Studios
MTV
Studios is a unit of MTV focused on developing content for SVOD and
linear distribution platforms. With access to one of the largest
libraries of 200+ youth and music titles, MTV Studios was created to
harness the power of MTV, create new franchises and reimagine its most
iconic hits including “The Real World” for Facebook Watch as well as
“Punk’d” and “Singled Out” for Quibi. Additionally, MTV Studios launched
MTV Documentary Films to explore the social, political and cultural
trends and stories important to young people.
About Al Jazeera English - Witness
St.
Louis Superman is an Al Jazeera original documentary from AJE Witness,
an award-winning documentary strand of Al Jazeera English. AJE Witness
celebrates independent filmmaking and stories challenging dominant
views that reflect the human experience. Al Jazeera English provides
international news, current affairs and documentaries that places people
at the heart of the story, rooted in the belief that everyone has a
story worth hearing. The AJE Witness team is proud to have the
opportunity to work with protagonist of the film Bruce Franks Jr., and
award winning directors, Smriti Mundhra & Sami Khan.
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