The Issue of Mr. O'Dell

A thirty-five minute documentary film which examines the lifelong work of a pioneering civil rights activist and organizer, Jack O’Dell, who was at one time a close colleague of Martin Luther King, Jr. A former member of the Communist Party, O’Dell was followed by the FBI, labelled the number-five Communist in America by President Kennedy, and was eventually forced out of King’s organization. 
At age 94, O’Dell eloquently speaks to issues concerning the civil rights struggle, both with respect to his historical involvement and to its contemporary incarnation under the stewardship of groups like Black Lives Matter. In the film, he passionately addresses the problems of systemic racism and inequality in America. Jack O'Dell passed away in 2019, after this film was completed.

Online Streaming (US), Kanopy
International online premiere (Worldwide) Roar Magazine
Broadcast and online premiere (Canada) Knowledge Network
DVDs for Home Use (United States and Canada) are available through The Cinema Guild
Educational Distributor (United States) The Cinema Guild
Educational Distributor (Canada) McIntyre Media

Winner: President's Award, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival '18
Winner: Best International Short, Baltimore International Black Film Festival '18
Winner: Honourable Mention, Documentary Short: Roxbury International Film Festival '18
Winner: Social Impact Award, Local Sightings Film Festival ‘19
Nominated: Golden Shaef Award, Student Productions: Non Fiction, Yorkton Film Festival ’19
Official Selection: DOXA Documentary Film Festival '18
Official Selection: St. Louis International Film Festival '18
Official Selection: Rhode Island International Film Festival '18
Official Selection: Freep Film Festival '18
Official Selection: Montreal International Black Film Festival '18
Official Selection: North Carolina Black Film Festival '19
Official Selection: Re Frame Film Festival '19
Official Selection: Powell River Film Festival '19
Official Selection: Belleville Downtown DocFest ‘19
Official Selection: Bellingham Human Rights Film Festival '19
Official Selection: Saltspring Film Festival '19
Official Selection: Emerging Lens Cultural Film Festival ‘19
Official Selection: (In)Justice Film Festival ‘19

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"[A] personal and humanizing portrait" - Pat Mullen, POV Magazine

"As a viewer, I was left wanting more." - Esther Sun, Discorder Magazine

"O’Dell shares his insightful outlook on past and present race relations in the United States, augmented beautifully with the stark and poignant imagery" - Danielle Piper, The Georgia Straight

"Filmmaker Rami Katz combines archival material with beautifully shot footage of O’Dell in conversation to weave the story of a man who has fought his whole life for justice." - Ljudmila Petrovic, Sad Mag


For Closed Captioned version, click Here

Poster Design by Steve Chow

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