When: Wednesday, 4:30 p.m.
Where: Farmer & The Seahorse, Illumina Theater in La Jolla.
Cost: Free and Open to the Public
"Imperial Dreams" tells the story of the struggles faced by a young black man fresh out of prison who wants to build a new life for himself and his son.
It is based on a true story, but writer-director Malik Vitthal said not everything happened the way he tells it in the film.
The filmmaker met a young man in Watts about five years ago and he used his story to put life into the amalgamation that became the film.
“I started to see a lot of love that he had with him and his family members, and it was a very pure love because you were never sure if you were gonna see someone again,” Vitthall told KPBS Midday Edition on Wednesday.
He hopes people who see the film and put themselves in someone else’s shoes so they can understand the challenges people face trying to get their lives together.
The film made its worldwide debut at the Sundance Film Festival in 2014 and won the Best of NEXT Audience Award.
This event is part of the San Diego Foundation's efforts to shed light on recidivism rates and ways to improve the criminal justice system, especially for younger generations.
