DAVID & ME Contact: Kelly Ebers [email protected] 416-536-1390 ext. 221
SYNOPSIS
Short: (91 words) David McCallum is a convicted murderer from the mean streets of Brooklyn who has spent 29-years in prison. Ray Klonsky is a middle class, Jewish-Italian kid from Toronto. When fate crossed their paths however, a friendship was born that changed both of their lives forever. David & Me is the story of their friendship and the fight for David’s freedom, as Klonsky joins a dedicated team of lawyers and activists who are looking into David’s case and searching for new evidence that will exonerate him. The unlikely bond between David and Ray turns this gut-wrenching wrongful conviction story into a transformative film about going the distance for what you believe.
Medium: (184 words) David McCallum is a convicted murderer from the mean streets of Brooklyn who has spent 29-years in prison. Ray Klonsky is a middle class, Jewish-Italian kid from Toronto. When fate crossed their paths however, a friendship was born that changed both of their lives forever. Ray found the older brother he never had growing up and, in turn, became a window through which David could experience the outside world. Inspired by David’s unwillingness to let the system destroy him, Ray joins a dedicated team searching for new evidence that will exonerate him.
Despite a mountain of evidence that should exonerate David, or at least grant him a new trial, Ray and the pro-bono team are stymied by a justice system that is not designed to free the wrongly convicted. When news of a DNA match that fingers a new suspect surfaces, the team thinks justice will finally be served. But they quickly learn their fight has only just begun.
The unlikely bond between David and Ray turns this gut-wrenching wrongful conviction story into a transformative film about going the distance for what you believe.
487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected]
Long: (440 words) David & Me is a gritty, gut-wrenching POV doc about two unlikely friends - a convicted murderer and a young Canadian filmmaker. David McCallum has served 29-years of a life sentence and may never leave prison again. Despite a mountain of evidence that should exonerate him, or at least trigger a new trial, filmmaker Ray Klonsky and a pro- bono team are stymied by a justice system that has proven reluctant to exonerate the wrongly convicted. When news of a DNA match that fingers a new suspect emerges, the team thinks justice will finally be served. Instead, they realize that their fight has only just begun.
“I’ve thought about it and I could not see myself standing in front of anyone and admitting guilt in this crime, and if it takes me dying in prison, I will do that. I’d rather die in prison. And that’s the truth.” -David McCallum
You’ve probably never heard of David McCallum – his case has not garnered the attention of Mumia Abu-Jamal or David Milgaard in Canada – but for more than a quarter century he has been tirelessly fighting to overturn his 1985 conviction for murder.
When Ray Klonsky, an aspiring filmmaker from Canada, began a letter correspondence with David McCallum, a friendship was born that would change both of their lives. The correspondence was initiated by Ray’s father, who was worried that Ray himself was heading for trouble. In David, Ray found the guidance and support of the older brother he never had growing up and Ray, in turn, became a window through which David could experience the outside world.
What started as a friendship became a fight for justice with high-powered lawyers, world-renowned experts – including Rubin ‘The Hurricane’ Carter – and concerned citizens coming together to fight for David’s innocence and freedom.
Ray was determined to make a documentary about David’s story, to chronicle the ongoing efforts to fight his conviction. He met Marc Lamy, another aspiring filmmaker and, together, they just started filming. Now, nearly 10 years later, Klonsky and the team make one final push for justice to be served. Cameras follow Ray every step of the way as he and the team hit the streets in search of that one piece of evidence or witness testimony that could get the case back into court and ultimately free David.
David & Me is not just another wrongful conviction documentary; it is the real story of how a friendship between a convicted murderer and a young Canadian filmmaker changed both of their lives forever. Their unlikely bond turns this gut-wrenching wrongful conviction story into a transformative film about going the distance for what you believe in.
487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 2 CREDITS
Written and Directed By Ray Klonsky Marc Lamy
Executive Produced By Judy Holm
Produced By Michael McNamara Aaron Hancox
Editor Roderick Deogrades
Director of Photography Marc Lamy
Music Composed By Sheldon “Solitair” Pitt
Commissioning Editor, TVO Jane Jankovic
Independent Production Officer, TVO Linda Fong
Production Coordinator Ben Travers
Additional Camera Aaron Hancox Ray Klonsky
Sound Recordist Marc Lamy Aaron Hancox
Assistant Editors Kyle Sanderson Craig Scorgie
487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 3 Emily Goode
Graphic Effects Supervisor Craig Scorgie
Graphic Effects Artist Emily Goode
Production Assistant Kelly Ebers
Research & Ben Travers Clearances
Pastel Sketches Ria Jessop
Associate Editor Miriam Altounji
Audio Post Facility Dark Studio Sound Company Supervising Sound Editor Grant Edmonds Dialogue Editor Gabe Knox Assistant Sound Editor Aidan McMahon SFX Editor Andy Frech Re-Recording Mixer Grant Edmonds On-Line Facility Rolling Picture Company Video Post Producer Mic Forsey Colorist Drake Conrad Coordinator Brandon Tobia Transcription Highscribe
Accounting Services Tanya Porter Kay & Warburton
Business Affairs Stéphanie Chapelle
Legal Christina Buchli Buchli Goldstein LLP
Insurance Brokers Front Row Insurance Brokers Ltd.
487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 4 Additional Music The Soul Motivators Audio Network
Archival Material AP-The Canadian Press © Bettmann/Corbis FILM Archives Inc. Ken Regan / Camera 5 Meryl Meisler – Bushwick 1980s Photographs Paul Vitucci Stock footage courtesy The WPA Film Library The Concordian The Sun Magazine Ken Regan / Camera 5 Ko – “Kurt Kobain”
Special Thanks
Klonsky Family McCallum Family Oscar Michelen Rubin Carter Van Padgett Laura Cohen
Thanks
The Rutgers University parole team Jay Salpeter Jane Snow Ronald Sullivan Peter Wagner Lois Ahrens Raphael Sperry Drop the Rock (Katelyn and Elois) Clayton Ruby James George Ted Conover Fraser McCallum Kyle Switzer Gary Dolin Liz Miller
487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 5 Jesse Tyrell Polaris Banks Joey Vaughan Rae Staseson Ralph and Amy Klonsky Yimin Hu and Ava Kim Dorion Kingsmill & Stephen Stuart Robbie Kingsmill Stuart Caitlin Wharin Jean - Philippe Pariseau Didier Tovel Julia Paliare Ashley Lafond New York State Correctional Department Linda Foglia Richard Mozer John Nadalin (Jnats) Maryann Rusnak Olive & Haris
Individual Contributors
Robin Pacific Jim and Marilyn Belfiore Maureen Whitehead Ann Pollock Neil and Joanne Naiman Eleanor Dudar and Rob Fothergill Nina Spada Norman Rowen and Joey Noble Wendy Allen Margaret McPhee and Jim Foort Dan and Carol DeMatteis Sondra Marshall Maureen Hynes Roberta Benson and Miriam Kaufman Diana Moeser Doris Corbo and Andy Hudak Anne Carballo
Produced in association with TVO
487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 6
Produced with the participation of
Produced with the participation of Rogers Documentary Fund
Developed with the assistance of the Shaw Media-Hot Docs Development Fund
Produced with the participation of
The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit
Ontario Tax Credit
Produced by Markham Street Films Inc.
© 2014 RD MSF Inc.
(Markham Street Films Inc. animation)
487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 7 BIOGRAPHIES / FILMOGRAPHIES
Co-Writer / Co-Director / Narrator – Ray Klonsky
Ray Klonsky began his career in production at the age of 17, renting out commercial space to produce citywide events for high school students. Upon graduating the communications program at Concordia University in 2008, Ray directed and produced numerous music videos, corporate web spots, short films, and large-scale events. In 2011 Ray was recruited to join No Regrets Entertainment, a New York City based production company where he continues to hone his skills.
Independently, Ray has directed and produced web spots for various brands including Mountain Dew, TJ Maxx, and Samsung. In addition, his series of short documentaries, Street Stories, found a home on Creative Control TV. They will be compiled as a short film that will be released in 2014. His first feature documentary, titled David & Me, will air on TVO in 2014.
David & Me 69 Min/Feature TVO 2014 Director
Street Stories New York, NY 2014 Director Independent
Pizza Cuz 6 x 30 minutes Cooking Channel 2013 Producer
Samsung Gear in the Wild, 1x90 seconds Edelman Digital 2013 NYC Producer
Samsung Gear in the Wild, 1x90 seconds Edelman Digital 2013 Austin, TX Director/Producer
TJ Maxx Style Scout 3x90 seconds Edelman Digital 2013 Campaign Producer
Cooking Channel All-Star 1 x 1 hour Cooking Channel 2012 Holiday Special Associate Producer
The Cool Kids x New Era 1 x 3minutes Mountain Dew / 2011
487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 8 Director/Producer Cornerstone
Cookies and Cocktails 1 x 1 hour Cooking Channel 2011 Associate Producer
Pizza Outside the Box 2011 Associate Producer
Ko, Kurt Kobain (Music Video) Atlantic Records 2010 Director
28 Dayz 1 x 7 mins Independent 2010
Co-Writer / Co-Director / DOP – Marc Lamy
Since graduating from Concordia University in 2007, Marc Lamy has been working as a Director of Photography and Director on numerous Canadian productions - from documentary television series to music videos and web-based work. In 2008, he began developing the POV documentary, currently titled David & Me with writing/directing partner, Ray Klonsky. With Markham Street Films producing, David & Me is slated to premier in 2014.
David & Me 66 minutes TVO 2014 DOP/Director
Accès Illimité 2 X 52 minutes TVA 2013 Cameraman
Fatal Vows 2 6 X 52 minutes Discovery 2013 DOP Investigation
Felipe, Zeste 13 X 24 minutes 2013 DOP/Director
Hôtel et Restos 26 X 52 minutes Canal Evasion 2012- d’Exception 2013 DOP/Director
Tout Le Monde Danse 13 X 26 minutes Canal Evasion 2012- DOP/Director 2013
Les Touristes 30X22 minutes V Télé 2012 DOP 487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 9
Déco-Tendance 1&2 13 X 22 minutes Casa TV 2012 DOP
L’Amour est Dans Le Pré1&2 13X 52 minutes V Télé 2011- DOP 2012
28 Days 7 mins Independent 2011 DOP
Producer – Michael McNamara
Born in Chicago and raised in the US, England and Windsor, Canada, Michael McNamara presently lives in Toronto where he works as a filmmaker, screenwriter and director. In February 2002, he launched Markham Street Films with his partner Judy Holm, specializing in projects that are edgy, smart, provocative and funny. McNamara received a 2004 Gemini nomination for writing Radio Revolution - The Rise and Fall of The Big 8 (History Television Canada), which he also directed and narrated. The film, about legendary Windsor radio station CKLW, went on to win the 2004 Best History Program Gemini.
Since then, McNamara’s series of positive body image documentaries Flatly Stacked, Stacked Like Me and Penis Dementia: The Search for the Perfect Penis has been seen in over 40 countries; he wrote and directed Driven by Vision, a 17-part series on visionary outsider artists and won a Gemini for Best Direction in a Documentary Series; his feature documentary, 100 Films & A Funeral, about the rise and fall of PolyGram Films, won a Gemini for editing and is being distributed internationally by MGM Pictures; his feature length documentary Acquainted With The Night won Best Direction in a Documentary Program and was nominated for Best Picture Editing in a Documentary Program or Series and Best Science, Technology, Nature, Environment or Adventure Documentary Program for the 2011 Gemini awards. Acquainted With The Night was produced in association with Rogers Cable Network Fund and Rogers Documentary Fund. It was broadcasted by documentary and TFO in Canada, ARTE in France and Germany, and YLE in Finland. Over the past two years, he has written and directed Lights Out for CBC’s Nature of Things and Ice Sweat & Tears for CBC’s Doc Zone and co-produced the feature film Hold Fast. McNamara most recently co-directed a BravoFact comedy entitled Incident at Elysian Fields with partner Judy Holm. On the documentary side, McNamara is currently writing and directing the one-hour documentary Taken to Heart: The Cholesterol Question for CBC’s The Nature of Thing.
McNamara is currently producing Big News From Grand Rock a comedy by writer/director Daniel Perlmutter, starring Ennis Esmer and Meredith MacNeill. Aaron Ashmore, Gordon Pinsent, Peter Keleghan, Kristin Booth and Leah Pinsent have also
487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 10 joined our cast.
Other credits as a director, writer and producer include: Wrinkle (CBC) - Gemini Nomination Hearing Voices: The Lives & Times of Rich Little (CBC) The Life and Times of Robert Munsch (CBC) Birth Stories (Docusoap) (Life) In Thru The Out Door (CBC/Showtime) – 2 Gemini Nominations My Foolish Heart: The Holly Cole Trio (Global) – 2 Gemini Awards Jane Siberry: I Muse Aloud (TVO) Gemini Award Sharon Lois and Bram’s Elephant Show (CBC) Candles Snow and Mistletoe (CBC) 2 Gemini Nominations Greatest Canadian – Frederick Banting Episode with Mary Walsh (CBC)
McNamara was the sole director and a co-writer of the internationally popular 166-part children's television series Polka Dot Shorts and he co-wrote and directed the children's live action and animated series, Elliot Moose for Nelvana Productions.
John Scott - Art & Justice, his short documentary about the notorious Canadian artist was an official selection of the 1998 Toronto International Film Festival and the Cork Film Festival and was nominated Best Short Film at the 1999 Hot Docs Festival.
McNamara’s first feature drama, The Cockroach That Ate Cincinnati won critical acclaim at many international film festivals in Canada, the US and the UK and earned a Best Actor Genie nomination for its star, Alan Williams. Michael and his partner Judy Holm produced the feature film Victoria Day for first-time writer/director David Bezmozgis. Victoria Day premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
PRODUCTION CREDITS FEATURE FILMS
Big News From Grand Rock 99 minutes Distributor 2015 Producer Markham Street Films
Hold Fast 90 minutes Distributor 2013 Producer EOne Entertainment
Victoria Day 85 minutes Distributor 2009 Producer EOne Entertainment
The Cockroach That Ate Bravo! 1997 Cincinnati Director
487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 11 DOCUMENTARIES
David & Me 60 Min/Feature TVO 2014 Producer
Ice, Sweat & Tears 60 Minutes CBC Doc Zone 2013 Director / Writer / Producer
Lights Out 60 Minutes CBC Nature of Things 2012 Director / Writer / Producer
The F Word 1 hour CBC 2011 Director / Writer / Producer
Fan Boy Confessional 6x30 min Space 2011 Director / Writer / Producer
Acquainted With the Night 90 minutes CBC documentary 2010 Director, Writer, Producer Arte, YLE
100 Films & A Funeral 87 minutes Distributor 2008 Director MGM
Radio Revolution: 72 Minutes History Television 2003 The Rise & Fall of The Big 8 Writer, Director, Producer
Driven by Vision 16 X 30 min Vision TV 2007- Co-Producer, Director, Writer 2008
Penis Dementia DHCAN, LIFE, CANAL VIE 2005 Producer
Meet the Sumdees VISION TV 2004 Producer
Flatly Stacked TVO, DOC CHANNEL 2004 Producer
The Life and Times of Rich Little CBC 2002 Producer
Wrinkle CBC NEWSWORLD 2001 Producer 487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 12
The Life and Times of Robert Munsch CBC 2001 Producer
Birth Stories (docusoap) LIFE 2000- Producer 2001
DOCUMENTARIES IN PRODUCTION
Taken to Heart: The 60 Minutes CBC 2014 Cholesterol Question Producer, Director, Writer
SHORT DOCUMENTARIES
John Scott - Art & Justice 25 minutes CBC 2000 Associate Producer
SHORT FILMS
Incident at Elysian Fields BravoFact 2013 Co-Director
CHILDREN’S SERIES
Polka Dot Short TVO, BBC2 1995- 2001
Prairie Berry Pie Global /SCN 2000
Elliot Moose CBC 1998
Eric’s World TVO 1988- 1991
Sharon Lois and Bram’s CBC 1986- Elephant Show 1987
VARIETY / SKETCH COMEDY
Just For Laughs CBC/Rozon 1999 - 2003
In Thru The Out Door CBC / Showtime (US) 1999 487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 13
Candles, Snow and Mistletoe CBC 1992
LIFESTYLE SERIES
Canadian Gardening HGTV 1997- 1999
Harrowsmith Country Life Life Network 1996- 1998
TELEVISION SERIES
Moneysworth TVO 1986- 1992
Saturday Night at the Movies TVO 1994- 1998
Film International TVO 1992- 1998
MUSIC SPECIALS
Colin James - Rock, Rhythm and Blues Global TV 1998
Carol Baker’s Country Classic CTV/Baton 1995
My Foolish Heart: The Holly Cole Trio Global TV 1993
Jane Siberry: I Muse Aloud Global TV 1987
Producer – Aaron Hancox
Aaron Hancox is an emerging producer with Markham Street Films, originally from Montreal, whose award-winning work has been broadcast and distributed internationally. His first film, 24/106 was a short documentary about World War II veterans that aired on CBC in 2006. His second film, Cinema L’Amour won the Best Student Documentary at the 2007 Montreal World Film Festival. In 2011, he directed and co-wrote Unheralded for TVO about a small town newspaper. Since that time, Hancox has produced a handful of titles with MSF, including Lights Out! (2012) a film about the science of light for CBC’s The Nature of Things. In 2014, Hancox and Markham Street were nominated for Best Documentary at the Canadian Screen Awards for Ice, 487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 14 Sweat & Tears (2013), an inside look at the world of competitive figure skating for CBC’s DocZone. Hancox is currently producing Taken to Heart: The Cholesterol Question for CBC’s The Nature of Things, and has just delivered David & Me, a wrongful conviction documentary for TVO.
RECENT CREDITS - BROADCAST DOCUMENTARIES AND FACTUAL Taken to Heart: The 60 minutes CBC In Production Cholesterol Question Producer
David & Me 60 minutes TVO 2014 Producer
Ice, Sweat and Tears 60 minutes CBC 2013 Producer, 2nd Unit Director Canadian Screen Award Nomination: Best Documentary Program
Lights Out! 60 minutes CBC 2012 Line Producer, 2nd Unit Director Canadian Screen Award Nomination: Best Science Documentary Program
Unheralded 30 minutes TVO/NFB 2011 Director/Co-Writer
Executive Producer – Judy Holm
Ms. Holm launched Markham Street Films Inc. in 2002 with partner Michael McNamara. MSF produces film, television and award-winning documentaries. The feature length documentaries Ms. Holm has produced have all won Geminis and been nominated for others: Radio Revolution: the rise and fall of The Big 8; 100 Films & A Funeral; Acquainted With the Night. The one-off and series docs have done the same: Driven by Vision (17x30min on outsider art); Fanboy Confessional (6x30min); Lights Out; Ice Sweat & Tears; The F Word: who wants to be a Feminist and more. Holm is currently producing two one hour documentaries: David & Me for TVO and Taken to Heart: The Cholesterol Question for CBC’s The Nature of Thing. She is also actively developing the Documentary Series The Borderless Sky with German co-producer Taglight and Celtic Soul with Jay Baruchel.
On the feature film front, Holm produced the feature drama Victoria Day with writer/director David Bezmozgis (Natasha and Other Stories, The Free World). Victoria Day premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 15 Holm recently wrote the short comedy Incident at Elysian Fields, which she and McNamara co-directed and Stéphanie Chapelle co-produced. She and McNamara also recently delivered Hold Fast, a feature length film they co-produced with Nfld and Labrador company Rock Island Pictures.
Big News From Grand Rock a comedy by writer/director Daniel Perlmutter, starring Ennis Esmer and Meredith MacNeill is currently in post-production. Aaron Ashmore, Gordon Pinsent, Peter Keleghan, Kristin Booth and Leah Pinsent have also joined our cast.
Holm is currently writing The Return of the Fabulous 7, a feature comedy, in development with Telefilm. Other films in development include: Sailor Girl, a female adventure story to be directed by Anita Doran (The Lesser Blessed); Heaven is Small, a comedy about the afterworld, to be written and directed by McNamara; and The Mistress of Nothing, based on the Governor General Award winning book. The Edible Woman, from writer/director Francine Zuckerman and based on Margaret Atwood’s first novel, is at packaging
Holm is also developing the television series The Split with Stéphanie Chapelle and writer/showrunner Jesse McKeown; The Hell Benders, with Stéphanie Chapelle; and two comedy series she is writing herself: The Apartment and Irreconcilable Differences.
Holm previously co-wrote the documentaries Wrinkle, Flatly Stacked Meet the Sumdees and The F Word: Who Wants to be a Feminist.
Prior to MSF, Holm worked for over a decade in feature film distribution, wrapping up as VP Distribution for PolyGram Filmed Ent. Canada.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
FEATURE FILMS
Big News From Grand Rock Markham Street Films In Production Producer
Hold Fast EOne Film Canada 2013 Co-Producer
Victoria Day EOne Film Canada 2009 Producer
The Cockroach That Ate Cincinnati Bravo! 1998 Co-Producer 487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 16
FEATURE DOCUMENTARIES
Acquainted With the Night Markham Street Films 2010 Producer
100 Films & A Funeral Kino Smith/MGM 2008 Producer
Radio Revolution: Markham Street Films 2003 The Rise & Fall of The Big 8 Producer
SHORT FILMS
Incident at Elysian Fields 7.5 minutes BravoFact 2013 Director
DOCUMENTARIES
David & Me 1 hour & feature TVO 2014 Executive Producer
Ice Sweat & Tears 1 hour CBC 2013 Producer
Lights Out 1 hour CBC 2012 Producer
The F Word 1 hour CBC 2011 Producer / Writer
Fan Boy Confessional 6x30 min Space 2011 Producer
Driven by Vision 16 X 30 minutes Vision TV 2007/2008 Producer, Writer
Stacked Like Me 60 Minutes Discovery Health, Life 2006 Producer Network, Canal Vie
Penis Dementia 60 Minutes Discovery Health, Life 2005 Producer, Writer Network, Canal Vie
487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 17 Meet The Sumdees 60 Minutes Vision TV 2004 Producer, Writer, Narrator
Flatly Stacked 52 Minutes TVOntario 2004 Producer, Writer, Narrator & The Documentary Channel
The Genuine Article 79 Minutes The Documentary Channel 2003 Producer & W Network
Hearing Voices 60 Minutes CBC 2002 The Lives & Times of Rich Little Co-Producer
Wrinkle 60 Minutes CBC Newsworld 2001 Creator, Associate Producer, Co-Writer, Narrator
DOCUMENTARIES IN PRODUCTION
Taken to Heart: The 60 Minutes CBC 2014 Cholesterol Question Producer
Editor – Roderick Deogrades
Roderick Deogrades has worked both as a picture editor and a sound editor for over 15 years. This extensive knowledge of both sides of the post equation has proven invaluable. His documentary work includes Michael McNamara's Radio Revolution, winner of the 2004 Gemini for Best History Documentary, and 100 Films and a Funeral – a film chronicling the rise and fall of UK's PolyGram Films – for which he received the 2008 Gemini for Best Picture Editing in a Documentary Program or Series. Deogrades recently edited Liz Marshall’s critically acclaimed Ghosts in Our Machine, which premiered at Hot Docs in 2013.
Some of his past feature film credits include picture editing Michael McGowan's Score: A Hockey Musical, One Week and Still Mine, for which he was recently nominated for Best Editing at the Canadian Screen Awards, as well as by Canadian Cinema Editors. He also edited Victoria Day, directed by acclaimed author David Bezmozgis (Natasha And Other Stories). It made its world premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival in the World Dramatic Competition. His award-winning sound work includes Istvan Szabo's Sunshine, Menno Meyjes' Max, and Paul Gross's Passchendaele, all of which received the Genie for Best Sound Editing.
487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 18 FESTIVALS
• Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival • Manhattan Film Festival
AWARDS
• Best Documentary Feature, Manhattan Film Festival
PRESS COVERAGE AFTER US PREMIERE
June 25, 2014
• ‘David & Me,’ a heartbreaking, urgent call for justice by Matthew Taub / Brooklyn Daily Eagle QUOTE: “I’m a grown man, and I was in tears.” http://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/%E2%80%98david-me%E2%80%99- heartbreaking-urgent-call-justice-2014-06-24-173000
PRESS COVERAGE BEFORE US PREMIERE
June 18, 2014
• New Doc: Has a Bushwick Man Served 29 Years For a Murder He Didn’t Commit? by Kirsten O’Regan / Bedford + Bowery http://bedfordandbowery.com/2014/06/this-new-doc-insists-a-bushwick- man-has-wrongfully-spent-25-years-in-prison/
• ‘David & Me’ examines ‘wrongful’ conviction of Bushwick native David McCallum by Chelsea / Hirsch http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/new-film-old- wrongful-conviction-article-1.1835343
PRESS COVERAGE BEFORE TVO WORLD BROADCAST PREMIERE
June 2, 2014
487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 19 • Documentary film seeks to exonerate imprisoned Brooklyn man by Jeff Gray / The Globe and Mail QUOTE: “Heart-wrenching” http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/following-hurricane- carter/article18958145/#dashboard/follows/
PRESS COVERAGE AFTER HOT DOCS PREMIERE
June 1, 2014
• Cargo takes int’l rights for “1971,” “Bronx Obama,” “David & Me” by Manori Ravindran / realscreen http://realscreen.com/2014/05/31/cargo-takes-intl-rights-for-1971-bronx- obama-david-me/
April 29, 2014
• David & Me Review [Hot Docs 2014] by Adam A. Donaldson / We Got This Covered QUOTE: “A beautiful, life-affirming work” http://wegotthiscovered.com/movies/david-review-hot-docs-2014/
April 28, 2014
• David & Me (2014): Not Guilty But Imprisoned For Life (Hot Docs) by Manon de Reeper / A Modern Journal: The Movie Scrutineer http://www.themoviescrutineer.com/david-me-2014-review/
April 27, 2014
• Hot Docs Review: David & Me By Manon Reeper / Cinema Axis QUOTE: “Worth the watch” http://cinemaaxis.com/2014/04/27/hot-docs-review-david-me/
PRESS COVERAGE AFTER HOT DOCS ANNOUNCEMENT / PRIOR TO PREMIERE
April 26, 2014
• Hot Docs 2014 Review: David & Me By Jordan Adler / Toronto Film Scene QUOTE: “Impassioned…thrilling” 487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 20 http://thetfs.ca/2014/04/26/hot-docs-2014-review-david-and- me/#.U11Pt61dVAx
• Hot Docs 2014: David & Me by Sean Kelly / Sean Kelly on Movies QUOTE: “A film well worth watching.” http://www.skonmovies.com/2014/04/hot-docs-2014-david-me.html
• FEATURE: “David & Me” – Hot Docs Film Festival Fabulousity Productions Blog http://fabulousityproductions.blogspot.ca/2014/04/feature-david-me-hot-docs- film-festival.html
April 21, 2014
• Even With Dying Boxer’s Appeal, a Tough Road Ahead for Convicted Man by Stephanie Clifford / The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/22/nyregion/even-with-dying-boxers-appeal- a-tough-road-ahead-for-convicted-man.html?_r=2
• Runin “Hurricane” Carter Dies at 76: Wrongly Jailed Boxer Championed Justice After Winning His Own Democracy Now http://www.democracynow.org/2014/4/21/rubin_hurricane_carter_dies_at_76
• Hot Docs 2014: David & Me Review by Andrew Parker / Dork Shelf http://dorkshelf.com/2014/04/21/hot-docs-2014-david-me-review/
APRIL 18, 2014
• David & Me Chronicles Rubin Carter’s Fight to Free David McCallum as He Fights for His Own Life By Steve Drizin / Huffington Post "I am hoping that Mr. Thompson, and the newly-appointed head of the Thompson's Conviction Integrity Unit -- ... will review David's case, see David & Me, and re-open an investigation into David's innocence." – Steve Drizin http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-drizin/david--me-chronicles-rubin- carters-fight_b_5073601.html
• Hot Docs 2014: David & Me (2014) Brandy Dean / Pretty Clever Films
487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 21 http://prettycleverfilms.com/movie-reviews/documentary/hot-docs-2014-david- 2014/#.U1VfHuZdX38
MARCH 18, 2014
• Hot Docs 2014 will feature Aaron Swartz, Big Bird and George Takei by Steve Kupferman / Toronto Life http://www.torontolife.com/informer/toronto-culture/2014/03/18/hot-docs- 2014-will-feature-aaron-swartz-big-bird-george-takei/
• Aaron Swartz Doc to Open 2014 Hot Docs Festival by Jennie Punter / Variety http://variety.com/2014/film/news/aaron-swartz-doc-to-open-2014-hot-docs- festival-1201137644/
• Hot Docs Announces Full 2014 Lineup by Indiewire / Indiewire http://www.indiewire.com/article/hot-docs-announces-full-2014-lineup
• Aaron Swartz to kick off 2014 Hot Docs by Adam Benzine / realscreen http://realscreen.com/2014/03/18/aaron-swartz-doc-to-kick-off-2014-hot- docs/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=aaron-swartz-doc-to- kick-off-2014-hot-docs
• Other Hot Docs highlights by Simon Houft / The Globe and Mail http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/other-hot-docs- highlights/article17549461/?page=2
• TVO at Hot Docs TVO Doc Studio http://docstudio.tvo.org/blog/doc-studio-blog/tvo-hot-docs-2014
PRESS COVERAGE PRIOR TO HOT DOCS
APRIL 4, 2011
• Hurricane Returns by William Finnegan / The New Yorker http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2011/04/04/110404ta_talk_finnegan
487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 22
MAY 15, 2011
• Brooklyn filmmaker eyes Hollywood ending for prison inmate's sad saga by Jake Pearson / Daily News http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/brooklyn-filmmaker- eyes-hollywood-ending-prison-inmate-sad-saga-article-1.144023
JULY 22, 2013
• I-Team: Questions Linger About 1985 Murder Confession by Chris Chris Glorioso / NBC New York http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Questions-1985-Murder-Confession- Queens-David-McCallum-I-Team-216239471.html
FEBRUARY 21, 2014
• Hurricane Carter’s dying wish: He asks Brooklyn DA Ken Thompson to free another man who was wrongly convicted by Rubin Carter / New York Daily News http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/hurricane-carter-dying-article-1.1621747
FEBRUARY 23, 2014
• Hurricane Carter’s deathbed plea: Ex-boxer battles for release of New York convict by Peter Edwards / The Toronto Star http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/02/23/hurricane_carters_deathbed_pl ea_exboxer_battles_for_release_of_new_york_convict.html
FEBRUARY 27, 2014
• Rubin Carter’s Final Wrenching Wish: To Live In A World Where Truth Matters and Justice, However Late, Happens by Abby Zimet / Common Dreams http://www.commondreams.org/further/2014/02/27-1
PRODUCTION NOTES
From Ray Klonsky, co-director:
As a filmmaker, I want to tell engaging and unique stories with underlying universal 487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 23 themes. It is these themes that I believe allow audiences to emotionally connect to the material. Although many films have been made about wrongful convictions, no wrongfully convicted individual is like David McCallum. In spite of waking up in a nightmare every day, David has maintained his unwavering conviction, compassionate nature and positive outlook. My friendship with David has shaped my adolescence and early adulthood and getting to know him has given me unparalleled perspective on life. I hope that sharing this story can do even a fraction of the same for viewers.
Documenting this journey has been the biggest challenge of my life. This film’s seeds were planted when Marc Lamy and I were students at Concordia University. I had known David for about a year when I wrote a treatment for a documentary film about him in a class I was taking. I asked Marc if he would be interested in getting involved and the next thing I knew we were road-tripping down to New York to interview David’s family. That was almost eight-years-ago. Since then we have had every reason to give up – lack of resources, limited funding, stagnation in the legal case – but we felt a responsibility to keep pushing forward. As long as David and his amazing team of supporters could stay strong and fight for his freedom, we would keep the dream alive of having the opportunity to tell the story through moving picture. In 2012, Markham Street Films signed on and brought fresh energy to the project. It turned out to be the push we needed and led to TVO agreeing to commission the film.
David is not just a statistic with a story; he is my friend and brother. It is my responsibility to tell David’s story, and help to build awareness around his case that we hope will contribute to the fight for his freedom. As long as he is able to maintain hope under unthinkable duress, I will continue to fight for him and tell his story, our story, to the world.
The release of David & Me comes at a critical time in the fight for David’s freedom. While we were filming last year, the team discovered new information that we feel could be enough to get David a new trial. Additionally, a new district attorney was recently elected who has claimed he will make wrongful convictions a priority. In February of 2014, Dr. Rubin “Hurricane” Carter wrote a plea to the new DA from his deathbed asking him to review David’s case. It was picked up by numerous international media outlets, including The Toronto Star. In addition to entertaining and moving audiences, we hope this film will increase public pressure on the people who have it in their power to exonerate David McCallum. It’s been 28-years since he falsely confessed to murder. As Dr. Carter said in his final wrenching wish, “If I find a heaven after this life, I’ll be quite surprised. In my own years on this planet, though, I lived in hell for the first 49 years, and have been in heaven for the past 28 years. To live in a world where truth matters and justice, however late, really happens - that would be heaven enough for us all.”
From Marc Lamy, co-director:
487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 24 The idea of making a film about David McCallum came just after my 22nd birthday, in 2006, when Ray and I wrapped up our first video production class together. He came to me with the thought of making a documentary film about a prisoner he had been writing letters to. We had no money, no camera and no idea how to make a film.
He introduced me to David that summer. Even after more than two decades behind bars, David had a excitement and curiosity towards life that most of us envy in children. His unshakable optimism and his obsession for clearing his name were infectious. He lit those fires inside of Ray, and Ray passed them on to me.
We’ve had every imaginable reason to quit this filmmaking process and every time the road seemed to come to a dead end, we remembered Dr. Rubin Carter’s motto that he shared with us every time we saw him: “Dare to Dream”! So we did.
We owe this film to David and his growing team of incredible supporters for teaching us the power of never giving up on what you believe.
BROADCAST COMMITMENTS
TVO iChannel
WEBSITE davidandme.com
487 Adelaide Street W, Ste 201 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada • M5V 1T4 tel:416.536.1390 • fax:416.536.7986 • [email protected] 25