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First Run Features Presents
An Inside Look at the Transformation in Our Nation's Stance Towards Marijuana
Opens June 13 at New York's Cinema Village
Q&As with filmmakers June 13-14:
Special guest June 13
Ethan Nadelmann,
Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance
 An insider's look into the revolutionary campaign that became the first to legalize recreational marijuana, EVERGREEN: THE ROAD TO LEGALIZATION shows the front lines of the heated political battle in Washington State and how it evolved into a national debate – the first wave of a massive sea change in American drug policy.
EVERGREEN: THE ROAD TO LEGALIZATION opens theatrically in New York City on June 13, followed by screenings in other cities around the country.
Tracking the behind-the-scenes efforts of both the pro- and anti-initiative groups, the film serves as a case study for other states in determining how to reform their own drug policies, and examines the civic, economic and human impact of marijuana legalization.
Against the backdrop of the 40-year-old 'War on Drugs', the state of Washington becomes a key battleground in the fight for cannabis prohibition reform. A growing medical pot industry paves the way for cultural change, while an unprecedented team of political superstars and local celebrities put forth a plan, known as Initiative 502, that they hope will balance the delicate politics of the region and stand a chance to pass in the November elections.
But many in the local cannabis community are vehemently opposed to I-502, saying it imposes harsh and scientifically arbitrary DUI laws, new taxes, additional restrictions and penalties that negatively impact youth, medical marijuana patients and providers. These unexpected opposing forces create a scintillating inside look at a political clash, showing just how advanced the perspective of many Americans has become on drug policy.
Producer/Director Riley Morton has been a production professional in Seattle for more than 13 years, working in non-fiction television and film. His camera work and production have been seen on PBS, National Geographic, NBC, ABC and Discovery Channel as well as at film festivals from Kathmandu, Nepal to Poprad, Slovakia. He has also produced extensively in the corporate and nonprofit arenas, with clients from Microsoft to Greenpeace. EVERGREEN is Morton's first feature documentary. His previous four films were about ski town culture, climbing on Mount Everest and trail running.
Praise for EVERGREEN
"Evergreen offers an important boots-on-the-ground perspective… The personalities and rhetoric are colorful and the film's presentation is lively."- The Hollywood Reporter
"A fascinating, extraordinarily well-researched and executed documentary. How the law was constructed, why it succeeded in passing, what loopholes still exist that could potentially continue discriminatory law enforcement practices – it's all laid out digestibly and compellingly by Morton and his team." - Filmmaker Magazine
"Evergreen captures a crucial moment in the future of marijuana activism." - Indiewire
Watch the trailer here >
EVERGREEN opens Friday, June 13 at Cinema Village in New York City
EVERGREEN: THE ROAD TO LEGALIZATION
86 min / Documentary / English / Digital
Produced and Directed by RILEY MORTON
Produced and Written by NILS COWAN
Produced and Edited by JASON REID
Editor DARREN LUND
Co-Producer ADAM BROWN
Executive Producer ANDY McDONOUGH
Co-Executive Producer COLIN BAXTER
Director of Photography RILEY MORTON
Original Score JOHN E. LOW
Featuring RICK STEVES, JOHN McKAY, PETE HOLMES
DVD and ONLINE preview screeners are available
Contact: kelly.hargraves@firstrunfeatures.com
Press kit, photos, and other press materials are available at
www.firstrunfeatures.com/evergreen_press.html
*In an effort to go green, we're no longer automatically providing paper press materials along with screeners
or at press screenings. If you would like us to send a paper press kit with your screener, please let us know. |
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