Art Burton

Kings: The Short Film (2017)
Film (Drama and Short) Executive Producer / Music department It's 2017. Another unarmed kid has just been shot and killed by the police. People everywhere are outraged. Brandon Billips, a rookie African American officer has just joined the Oakland Police Department. Ambitious and determined to bridge the gap between the community he grew up in and the people governed to protect it, he sets out on a journey to break the new stereotype associated with the "boys in blue". Unfortunately, on his very first night shift he finds his back "against the wall" when his partner decides to break protocol and take matters into his own hands, putting people's lives, as well as his own, in jeopardy. Now Billips must make a choice. Stand up to his partner, risking his job and reputation, or do what he was "trained" to do and back him up. KINGS not only addresses the obvious issues between black and white stereotypes, but also of the reprogramming of self imagery and what needs to be done in order to tear down the walls of ignorance in each individual. Written by Jamaal Scott