Last night in New York City, The New York Public Library was filled with over 200 guests for a private screening of Emilio Estevez’s newest film, The Public. Estevez wrote, directed, and starred in the film. The movie was also executive produced by Living The Dream Films founder, Ray Bouderau. His credits include London Fields and The Clapper.
The Public is about…
An unusually bitter Arctic blast that has made its way to downtown Cincinnati and the front doors of the public library where the action of the film takes place. At odds with library officials over how to handle the extreme weather event, some homeless patrons turn the building into a shelter for the night by staging an “Occupy” sit in. What begins as an act of civil disobedience becomes a stand-off with police and a rush-to-judgment media constantly speculating about what’s really happening. This David versus Goliath story tackles some of our nation’s most challenging issues, homelessness, and mental illness and sets the drama inside one of the last bastions of democracy-in-action: your public library.
At the screening cast members from the film were in attendance, which included Alec Baldwin, Taylor Schilling, Gabrielle Union, Jacob Vargas, Michael K. Williams, Emilio Estevez, Che “Rhymefest” Smith, Ray Bouderau, and more. Emilio introduced the film and talked about his inspiration for the film. The film was a passion project of Emilio, and “the library” serves as a focal point of the movie. He also introduced the cast who spoke briefly about their characters. The president of the New York Public Library was also on hand to thank everyone for attending and noted how important it was for him to support this movie and show it at the iconic venue.
The film brings attention to the issue of homelessness through the storyline. Don’t think of the film as being completely sad because The Public flawlessly transitions in and out of soft tender moments to outrageous comedic relief. One of our favorite moments included a tastefully done semi-nude scene with a lot of the leading actors. The Public is a must-see for movie buffs looking for something a little more inspirational in movie theaters.
The room gave the film a standing ovation at the end of the screening.
Following the premiere, the cast and attendees headed over to Magic Hour at MOXY Times Square for an after party celebration. The cast and guests enjoyed cocktails and bites while mingling with the crowd. It was another magical evening in New York City.
The Public will premiere in over 250 theatres on Friday, April 5th around the country.
Photos: Strarpix