The Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation has selected Emmy award winning independent filmmaker Dante James to direct a feature documentary, on the Black Panther founder.
The documentary is tentatively titled Huey P. Newton and the Story of the Black Panther Party.
“This film will tell the story of the Black Panther Party (BPP) from inside the Party through the story of Huey P. Newton,” said David Hilliard, a childhood friend of Newton, and a founding member and leader of the Black Panther Party.
Pictured: Huey P. Newton
“Huey was a brilliant, complex man whose commitment to the humanity and dignity of Black people and all of humanity is well-defined in his books and essays but is little known to the general public. Dante James is our choice to make this film because his work is engaging and complex and he respects his subjects and the history.”
“Other films have explored the Black Panther Party from the point of view of fringe and short time members,” said James. “This film will explore the inner workings and the evolution of the Party. Huey P. Newton’s story as leader and standard-bearer of the (Black Panther) Party will be interwoven throughout the film. Intimate interviews, unseen film footage and unheard audio recordings will drive the narrative.”
According to a statement released by the foundation, the documentary is needed because mainstream outlets continue to distort and disfigure the BPP legacy.
The producers of the project said, once complete, the film will be distributed through independent theater release, video on demand and DVD sales in domestic and international markets. James plans to complete the film by the summer of 2013.
The foundation and the film’s producers are seeking investments from independent, private sources and start-up funding through Kickstarter, an online financing Website.
