South Philly local politicians and “Peace-a-Thon” award-winners to chronicle Philly violence in film documentary

The premiere of "AWAKEN: A Tale of Inner City Violence, Crime, and its Impact" is free and open to the public at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 10 at the historical Christian Street YMCA.

Photo courtesy of Maurice Henderson

The educational arena and elected officials have lauded the cinematography overflow of NKA Creations founders Nazir and Robert Alston with previous accolades such as a citation by Democratic State Representative Jordan Harris, Activities Grant funding by City Councilman Kenyatta Johnson and honoree acknowledgment by Republican City Councilman at Large David OH. The Alstons were last year recipients of the “Peace-a-Thon” Award at the University of Pennsylvania and their next big thing for the year 2019 is the much-anticipated release of “AWAKEN: A Tale of Inner City Violence, Crime, and its Impact.” This waymaking film premiere is free and open to the public and is scheduled for a 7 p.m. preview on Friday, May 10 at the historical Christian Street YMCA located at 1724 Christian Street.  

Commissioned by the YMCA, “AWAKEN”  presents itself as an engaging and exploratory film work that is being promoted as a “youth-led project about gun violence and its effects on the community in South Philly. Participants ages 12 to 18 years old all have been impacted by gun violence to some degree in their own lives.”  The YMCA has been entrenched as a safe haven in South Philly for a great many years and this notion was the jumpstart for Executive Director Lance Lee and colleague Mr. Warren to embark on assembling the Center’s at-risk youth population as contributors of first-person narratives. Community Activists, Crime Fighters are also featured in the film along with Political Officials Kenyatta Johnson and Jordan Harris, amongst others.  

The general public may remember Nazir and Robert Alston from their phenomenal testimonial and first public health film documentary on Sickle Cell disease entitled “Incomplete Cell”.  The Alstons are making a name for themselves locally and nationally with a most recent featuring during April 2019 at the Houston based Webisode Festival. Selected out of 2,656 submissions for the Texas showing, “Vigilante Chronicles” is the Alstons latest web series that chronicles social justice, bullying and suicide. The web series has been nominated for the Philadelphia Film Awards and will be shown at 2:45 p.m. on Friday, May 17 at the Foundation located at 3848 Lancaster Avenue.

The preview of “AWAKEN” will provide concerned citizens and community residents a chance to openly discuss the issue of violence and aggression and to also meet the film participants. More information can be obtained by contacting (267) 231-0830.