(Atlanta, GA)- On October 8, 2009 Craig Ross Jr. will premiere his award winning film The Mannsfield 12, at Clark Atlanta University in part with BET Hip Hop Awards Weekend. In lieu of the upcoming BET premiere, which airs next month, CAUs Campus Activities Board (CAB), is hosting an official screening of The Mannsfield 12 at the Carl & Mary Ware Student Activities Center in the heart of the AUC.
Subsequent to the screening, Ross Jr. (writer, producer and director of the film), will make himself available for an exclusive Q&A and cast members Joe Torry (Poetic Justice), Aaron D. Spears (The Bold and the Beautiful) and William L. Johnson (Motives 2), are set to join him.
The official Mannsfield 12 BET Hip Hop Awards Pre-party will be held the following night at Club 495 in Atlanta.
The Mannsfield 12 marks Ross's 7th project as an independent feature film director and he is showing no signs of slowing down. Armed with a brilliant script and capable cast, The Mannsfield 12, has unsurprisingly won Ross two awards – one being "Best Director" and another for "Best Screenplay." Through his many accomplishments Craig Ross Jr.'s has become known as one of the premiere urban independent filmmakers in Hollywood. In short, The Mannsfield 12 tells the story of a small group of men that come to grips with the reality that being good at what they did made them criminals…and standing up for who they were, made them legends.
"I did the movie because I hadn't seen anything like it before," Ross Jr. said. "I asked myself what if these inmates had made different choices in their lives… 'Where would they be now?'"
The Mannsfield 12 is scheduled to air on the BET Network November 7, 2009. Please check your local listing for specific airtime. For more info and to view the trailer please go to www.themannsfield12.com.
Thursday, Oct. 8, 2009
The Mannsfield 12 Screening at Clark University
Carl & Mary Ware Activities Center
Room 102
Time: 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Host: Angel Robinson, green carpet correspondent for "The Yard" radio show
Co-host: Chrystal Davis, Clark Atlanta University Junior Class Representative & Co-President of Campus Activities Board (CAB).
Friday, Oct. 9, 2009
495 Night Club
Hosts: The Cast of The Mannsfield 12
Address: 495 Peachtree St.
Media & Celebrity RSVP's for all events can be made to christiwithaneye@gmail.com or Cnicolepr@gmail.com.
ABOUT MANNSFIELD 12: The East Wing in Mannsfield State Penitentiary is a special place that the warden has for the most successful hustlers in the joint.  Twelve inmates reside in East Wing.  If you live in the East Wing it's because you have a hustle so sweet the warden wants you close so that his kick back comes easier.  Andrew Perryman was sent to Mannsfield on an eighteen-month sentence.  To teach him a lesson, his father silently pays the warden $50,000 a month to put young Perryman in with hardcore criminals.  Andrew caves psychologically from all the intimidation and violence of the East Wing.  After stabbing Barron, the guard, in an effort to keep his monthly pay off coming in, the warden seeks a confession from the other inmates and tortures all twelve one by one.  But the warden greatly underestimates these twelve men and in doing so, he underestimates the human spirit.
ABOUT CRAIG ROSS, JR: Craig Ross Jr. was born in Boston Massachusetts.  After attending film school at the prestigious New York University, Craig established his own production company Asiatic Associates (ASA), now known as Asiatic Incorporated.  Under Craig's direction, this production company has produced such films as Cappuccino and the award winning Blue Hill Avenue.  Craig has directed hit television shows for CBS, NBC and the Fox Networks.  Television shows such as Cold Case, Crossing Jordan, Bones and Standoff.  In 2001, he was awarded the Black Film award and Grand Jury Prize for Best U.S. Film, and Best Director for Blue Hill Avenue.
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Contact: Christi With an Eye Public Relations
Christi Harber (christiwithaneye@gmail.com)
Nicole Pierce (cnicolepr@gmail.com)
312-451-3796
