RiverRun to Offer Free Screening of “Just Mercy” Feb. 2

Film presented in collaboration with the Face to Face Speaker Forum and other local colleges and universities 

WINSTON-SALEM, NC (JANUARY 27, 2023)—RiverRun International Film Festival will screen “Just Mercy,” based on the book by Bryan Stevenson, on Thursday, February 2 at 7 p.m. at Hanes Auditorium, located in the Elberson Fine Arts Center on the campus of Salem Academy and College.  The screening is being presented in partnership with Wake Forest University’s Face to Face Speaker Forum, which is presenting Bryan Stevenson in person on Thursday, February 23 at Wait Chapel.

The “Just Mercy” screening is free and open to the public.  RiverRun and Face to Face are collaborating with Forsyth Tech, Salem Academy and College, UNCSA, Wake Forest University and Winston-Salem State University to encourage students, faculty and staff from local colleges and universities to attend the screening.

Released in 2019 by Warner Bros. Pictures, “Just Mercy” is an American biographical legal drama film co-written and directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and starring Michael B. Jordan as Bryan Stevenson and Jamie Foxx as Walter McMillian. It explores the work of young defense attorney Bryan Stevenson who represents poor people on death row in the South. Featured is his work with Walter McMillian, who had been wrongfully convicted of the murder of a young woman. The film is based on Stevenson's 2014 eponymous memoir, in which he explored his journey to making his life's work the defense of African American prisoners.

“This is a fantastic film that is worth a second viewing if you’ve already seen it.  If you haven’t seen it, don’t miss this wonderful opportunity,” RiverRun Executive Director Rob Davis said.  “In addition to being deeply meaningful film, watching ‘Just Mercy’ is the ideal backdrop as a preview to Bryan Stevenson speaking at Wake Forest just a few weeks after our screening at the Face to Face Speaker Forum.  The screening at Salem Academy and College is free, open to the public, and there’s plenty of parking and easy access to Hanes Auditorium.”

RiverRun sponsors

The RiverRun International Film Festival’s sponsors help sustain the organization’s mission to foster a greater appreciation of cinema and a deeper understanding of the many people, cultures and perspectives of our world through regular interaction with great films and filmmakers. Festival sponsors include:

Title Sponsor: UNCSA

Presenting Sponsors: Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, City of Winston-Salem, Millennium Fund

Marquee Sponsors: Forsyth County, Kilpatrick Townsend Attorneys at Law, Nelson Mullins, North Carolina Arts Council, PNC, Womble Bond Dickinson

About RiverRun

The RiverRun International Film Festival is a nonprofit cultural organization dedicated to the role of cinema as a conduit of powerful ideas and diverse viewpoints. Founded in 1998, RiverRun is a competitive event that annually showcases new films from both established and emerging filmmakers around the world. Each spring, RiverRun screens new narrative, documentary, short, student and animated films, offering both audience and jury prizes in competition categories. 

RiverRun will celebrate its Silver Anniversary this year, with the 25^th RiverRun International Film Festival running April 13–22, 2023.