The MPI Original short film Infraction will have its world premiere at the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) in February as an official selection. Attended by thousands each year, this Oscar-qualifying festival is the largest Black film festival in the United States. PAFF showcases a wide variety of Black creative works from around the world. 

Inspired by true events, Infraction follows an inmate and a prison guard who form an unlikely relationship with life-altering ramifications. The short touches on the themes of criminal justice reform and civil rights.

Percy Daggs III (Veronica Mars, Lifetime’s Christmas in Louisiana) stars as inmate Terrance Lewis. He has appeared in dozens of films and television shows and is best known for his role as Wallace Fennel in the film and television series Veronica Mars. Playing opposite of Daggs as prison guard Lieutenant Miles Bennett is Kevin Oestenstad. A stage-trained actor, Kevin’s credits include NBC’s Chicago P.D. and the CBS drama CSI: Cyber.

The film was developed by longtime MPI filmmaker Timothy Blackwood (The Conqueror) in MPI’s 2020 Short Film Lab. It is based on the life of Terrance Lewis, who also serves as an executive producer on the film. Terrance is an exoneree and former juvenile lifer who served over 21 years on a wrongful murder conviction. After his release in May of 2019, Terrance created the Liberation Foundation, of which he is founder and president. The Liberation Foundation, also known as the Terrance Lewis Liberation Foundation (TLLF), is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for wrongfully convicted people who are seeking legal representation. Through his work at TLLF, Terrance hopes to create lasting change in the justice system and provide support for those that need it most.

Dates for the Los Angeles screening are forthcoming. For more information about the festival and to purchase passes, click here.