Cresco Labs' Michael Thompson Documentary To Premiere At SXSW And Santa Barbara Film Festivals

Cresco Labs CL CRLBF announced the Clio Award-winning documentary short film, "The Sentence of Michael Thompson," will have its world premiere on March 9 at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. It will also screen March 13 through 17 at the South by Southwest.

"The Sentence of Michael Thompson" is the first documentary short film on the topic of social and criminal justice reform and cannabis decriminalization. It is also the first such film produced by a cannabis company to debut at two of the country's most prestigious film festivals. 

"It is humbling and an honor to have the opportunity to help share Michael Thompson's story through such prestigious film festivals like SBIFF and SXSW," Chima Enyia, EVP of SEED at Cresco Labs stated. "Unfortunately, one of the themes central to Michael's story is not unique; several hundred thousand Americans—predominantly Black and Latinx—continue to be arrested on marijuana-related charges every year. Over 40,000 people suffer in prison because of cannabis-related convictions at this very moment. Through this film, we hope to help audiences truly understand the gravity of injustice on the lives of people adversely impacted by The War on Drugs and advance the dialogue surrounding racial and social justice to help change our nation's drug laws."

The Film Summary

The film tells the story of Michael Thompson, the longest-serving nonviolent offender in the history of Michigan. In 1994, he was arrested for selling three pounds of cannabis to a close friend turned police informant. Thompson was sentenced to 42 to 60 years and was still in prison even after Michigan legalized cannabis.

The film follows Michael's daughter, Rashawnda and his lawyer Kim as they struggle for clemency. The film examines the disproportionate harm the War on Drugs caused on marginalized communities and explores paths forward as federal cannabis legalization gets closer to becoming a reality. The filmmaking team includes Kyle Thrash, Haley Elizabeth Anderson, Ian Ross, Logan Triplett and Matt Schaff, whose work has all been seen at SXSW, Sundance, Tribeca and other national and international film festivals. Released on Juneteenth 2021, the film's trailer earned the Silver Clio Cannabis Award for Film & Video for creative excellence.

Photo: Courtesy of Business Wire