Force of Blue
Donation protected
FORCE OF BLUE TRAILER:
https://youtu.be/msoD7I_fAgA
Force of Blue LLC is trying to raise $2500 for the production of the documentary feature film Force of Blue directed by North Minneapolis' own, Jeffrey S. Williams. Force of Blue is a powerful documentary film about Coach Charlie Adams III and the North High football team. We need your contributions to make this project a success! We have started shooting but, we need immediate funds to see this project through to completion. Every penny of the money donated will go to the production of this film. Your contribution, big or small, will be a great help. Please read the information below about the project and donate whatever you can! This project will impact a community for years to come!
THE PREMISE:
In a part of town where basketball is king and police are often considered the enemy, one cop transcends his role as a policeman to unite a community and coach his high school alma mater to championship heights.
THE STORY:
On the Northside of Minneapolis is North High School. Ten years ago North High School was slated to close due to declining enrollment but with the support of the Northside community, North was given a reprieve. In five years, North went from barely able to field a football team to State Champions in 2016. Now they are one of the top football programs in the state. What makes this team unique is their coach - Officer Charlie Adams III, better known as OA - a Minneapolis police officer. Assited by four other law enforcement agents, in a community that has had a tumultuous relationship with the police, it is ironic that OA and these officers along with a diverse staff of civilian coaches, are a beacon of stability and hope to many of its youth. This year, armed with a new football stadium, and a talented, veteran team, Officer/Coach Charlie Adams III will try to navigate his way through the rough streets of Minneapolis and the Covid-19 virus to win his second state football championship.
THE PROJECT:
FORCE OF BLUE, will follow Charlie Adams III and the North High Polars football team through the 2020 high school football season as he serves in the dual capacities of Minneapolis Police Officer and head football coach. What is the dynamic that is created by having a Minneapolis policeman as their head coach, in a neighborhood that has historically had an adversarial relationship with the police? What are the relationships he builds with the community, school, and players in his dual roles? How does his team relate to him? What difference does he make in the lives of these student-athletes? It takes a special type of person to pull this off and it will be intriguing to see exactly how he does it.
Coach Adams is not the only policeman on North High’s staff. Four other officers join him, including his father, a Minneapolis police commander. This documentary can serve as a social commentary on how positive interactions by police officers, in non-traditional capacities, help to create respect and a better relationship with the community they serve. But in reality, Coach Blue, is simply a sports movie about a high school football team out to win a state championship, that just happens to be coached by a policeman, who as he wins, rebuilds bridges previously torn down by negative interactions with police.
HOW THE MONEY WILL BE USED:
We are currently in production. 100 percent of your donations will be used to conclude the production of this documentary. We will use the money to pay legal fees, the production crew, and equipment to shoot the dramatic game scenes, the interviews, and everything else we need for this project.
PRODUCED BY: Jon Cermin, Jeffrey Williams, and Edgar Davis
Jon Cermin – Producer/Cinematographer, began his professional career as a D.P. and “one-man band” at FlightSafety International’s Center for Instructional Services writing, shooting, and editing aviation training videos for aircraft manufacturers and the U.S. military. After almost three years at FlightSafety. He was hired away by AMS Productions to start their production department. Seven years and hundreds of corporate, agency, and broadcast shoots later, he left AMS Productions to start Cine-Cermin Productions, Inc. Jon’s travels have taken him to all 50 U.S. States and 16 foreign countries. Memorable locations include the World Trade Center Ground Zero, the Oklahoma Federal Building a day after its attack, an orphanage in Damoh, India, and the Phoebe Christian Hospital in central Liberia. He’s been on stage with Toby Keith and Ted Nugent and with the USO in Kosovo, Italy, and Germany. Jon has shot spots for U.S. presidential candidates, state governors, and U.S. congressional candidates. He’s also taped countless interviews of legendary sports figures and recording artists. Jon has won numerous awards over his career and has earned five Telly Awards for his camera work.
Jeffrey S. Williams – Producer/Director is the director of the award-winning short film For Dinner that was the past winner of the St. Paul Film Festival’s Best Horror Short Film. For Dinner has been shown in festivals around the world and has over a half-million views online. He wrote, produced, and directed the well-received short film 5ive Man Confession, which has played in numerous festivals around the country. He also wrote, produced, and directed the short film Check It Up – To Whom It May Concern, based on the future feature film, Check It Up. He is a graduate of Colgate University and the Howard University Graduate School of Communication with an MFA in Film. While at Howard, he won the prestigious School of Communication’s Paul Robeson Award for Best Producer and Best Screenplay. Jeffrey would later go on to be awarded two significant screenwriting fellowships – The Bush Artist Fellowship for Screenwriting and the Independent Feature Project North/McKnight Screenwriting Fellowship.
Edgar Patterson Davis – Producer/ Editor, is a native of Washington, D.C., and has worked in Los Angeles, California for the past sixteen years in post-production and digital distribution. Edgar attended the Howard University School of Communications, where he studied under the tutelage of acclaimed Ethiopian filmmaker, Haile Gerima. After earning his Master of Fine Arts degree in Film, Edgar began teaching at the Howard University School of Communication as an Assistant Professor on track for tenure. As Post-Production Supervisor, Edgar has worked on a number of series including the UPN sitcom, One on One, and later on the Emmy-nominated Showtime series, Weeds. Most recently, he was the Post-Production Supervisor on the “reboot” of the sitcom Mad About You which was produced by Sony.
PLEASE SHARE WITH FRIENDS, FAMILY, CO-WORKERS, and ACQUAINTANCES! WE NEED EVERYONE'S HELP!!!
Visit our website at:
b4lfilmworks.net
Note: This is an independent project produced by Force of Blue LLC. Force of Blue is not sponsored by Minneapolis North High School or the Minneapolis Public Schools.
New York Times Article on North High Football:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/26/sports/george-floyd-police-schools.html?smid=fb-share&fbclid=IwAR3EJSbxFEiCmoA_bzUBlilM5Xgir8ronIozSFyGPFx2rC9ksEslRNNHiwQ
#SmallBusinessRelief
https://youtu.be/msoD7I_fAgA
Force of Blue LLC is trying to raise $2500 for the production of the documentary feature film Force of Blue directed by North Minneapolis' own, Jeffrey S. Williams. Force of Blue is a powerful documentary film about Coach Charlie Adams III and the North High football team. We need your contributions to make this project a success! We have started shooting but, we need immediate funds to see this project through to completion. Every penny of the money donated will go to the production of this film. Your contribution, big or small, will be a great help. Please read the information below about the project and donate whatever you can! This project will impact a community for years to come!
THE PREMISE:
In a part of town where basketball is king and police are often considered the enemy, one cop transcends his role as a policeman to unite a community and coach his high school alma mater to championship heights.
THE STORY:
On the Northside of Minneapolis is North High School. Ten years ago North High School was slated to close due to declining enrollment but with the support of the Northside community, North was given a reprieve. In five years, North went from barely able to field a football team to State Champions in 2016. Now they are one of the top football programs in the state. What makes this team unique is their coach - Officer Charlie Adams III, better known as OA - a Minneapolis police officer. Assited by four other law enforcement agents, in a community that has had a tumultuous relationship with the police, it is ironic that OA and these officers along with a diverse staff of civilian coaches, are a beacon of stability and hope to many of its youth. This year, armed with a new football stadium, and a talented, veteran team, Officer/Coach Charlie Adams III will try to navigate his way through the rough streets of Minneapolis and the Covid-19 virus to win his second state football championship.
THE PROJECT:
FORCE OF BLUE, will follow Charlie Adams III and the North High Polars football team through the 2020 high school football season as he serves in the dual capacities of Minneapolis Police Officer and head football coach. What is the dynamic that is created by having a Minneapolis policeman as their head coach, in a neighborhood that has historically had an adversarial relationship with the police? What are the relationships he builds with the community, school, and players in his dual roles? How does his team relate to him? What difference does he make in the lives of these student-athletes? It takes a special type of person to pull this off and it will be intriguing to see exactly how he does it.
Coach Adams is not the only policeman on North High’s staff. Four other officers join him, including his father, a Minneapolis police commander. This documentary can serve as a social commentary on how positive interactions by police officers, in non-traditional capacities, help to create respect and a better relationship with the community they serve. But in reality, Coach Blue, is simply a sports movie about a high school football team out to win a state championship, that just happens to be coached by a policeman, who as he wins, rebuilds bridges previously torn down by negative interactions with police.
HOW THE MONEY WILL BE USED:
We are currently in production. 100 percent of your donations will be used to conclude the production of this documentary. We will use the money to pay legal fees, the production crew, and equipment to shoot the dramatic game scenes, the interviews, and everything else we need for this project.
PRODUCED BY: Jon Cermin, Jeffrey Williams, and Edgar Davis
Jon Cermin – Producer/Cinematographer, began his professional career as a D.P. and “one-man band” at FlightSafety International’s Center for Instructional Services writing, shooting, and editing aviation training videos for aircraft manufacturers and the U.S. military. After almost three years at FlightSafety. He was hired away by AMS Productions to start their production department. Seven years and hundreds of corporate, agency, and broadcast shoots later, he left AMS Productions to start Cine-Cermin Productions, Inc. Jon’s travels have taken him to all 50 U.S. States and 16 foreign countries. Memorable locations include the World Trade Center Ground Zero, the Oklahoma Federal Building a day after its attack, an orphanage in Damoh, India, and the Phoebe Christian Hospital in central Liberia. He’s been on stage with Toby Keith and Ted Nugent and with the USO in Kosovo, Italy, and Germany. Jon has shot spots for U.S. presidential candidates, state governors, and U.S. congressional candidates. He’s also taped countless interviews of legendary sports figures and recording artists. Jon has won numerous awards over his career and has earned five Telly Awards for his camera work.
Jeffrey S. Williams – Producer/Director is the director of the award-winning short film For Dinner that was the past winner of the St. Paul Film Festival’s Best Horror Short Film. For Dinner has been shown in festivals around the world and has over a half-million views online. He wrote, produced, and directed the well-received short film 5ive Man Confession, which has played in numerous festivals around the country. He also wrote, produced, and directed the short film Check It Up – To Whom It May Concern, based on the future feature film, Check It Up. He is a graduate of Colgate University and the Howard University Graduate School of Communication with an MFA in Film. While at Howard, he won the prestigious School of Communication’s Paul Robeson Award for Best Producer and Best Screenplay. Jeffrey would later go on to be awarded two significant screenwriting fellowships – The Bush Artist Fellowship for Screenwriting and the Independent Feature Project North/McKnight Screenwriting Fellowship.
Edgar Patterson Davis – Producer/ Editor, is a native of Washington, D.C., and has worked in Los Angeles, California for the past sixteen years in post-production and digital distribution. Edgar attended the Howard University School of Communications, where he studied under the tutelage of acclaimed Ethiopian filmmaker, Haile Gerima. After earning his Master of Fine Arts degree in Film, Edgar began teaching at the Howard University School of Communication as an Assistant Professor on track for tenure. As Post-Production Supervisor, Edgar has worked on a number of series including the UPN sitcom, One on One, and later on the Emmy-nominated Showtime series, Weeds. Most recently, he was the Post-Production Supervisor on the “reboot” of the sitcom Mad About You which was produced by Sony.
PLEASE SHARE WITH FRIENDS, FAMILY, CO-WORKERS, and ACQUAINTANCES! WE NEED EVERYONE'S HELP!!!
Visit our website at:
b4lfilmworks.net
Note: This is an independent project produced by Force of Blue LLC. Force of Blue is not sponsored by Minneapolis North High School or the Minneapolis Public Schools.
New York Times Article on North High Football:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/26/sports/george-floyd-police-schools.html?smid=fb-share&fbclid=IwAR3EJSbxFEiCmoA_bzUBlilM5Xgir8ronIozSFyGPFx2rC9ksEslRNNHiwQ
#SmallBusinessRelief
Organizer
Jeffrey Williams
Organizer
Minneapolis, MN
