The Social and Economic Justice Festival Presents Emmy-Nominated Choreographer Jeremy McQueen’s Black Iris Project Presents WILD: ACT 1 
 
Emmy-Nominated choreographer Jeremy McQueen is the founder of the Black Iris Project, the only ballet collaborative of its kind in the country dedicated to telling stories about the Black experience and to providing a platform and safe haven for Black artists, which celebrated its fifth anniversary this year. With social justice issues dominating the current national conversation, WILD explores systemic racism and injustice through the real-life accounts of youth who have grown up in juvenile detention centers around the country. The Groundbreaking New Feature Length Dance Film Explores Systemic Racism and Injustices Through the Real-life Accounts Of Youth Embroiled in the Justice System. Inspired by Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s novel Where the Wild Things Are, WILD follows the journey of several young men as they struggle to break free from the systemic injustices that permeate Black and Brown communities. Using physical movement to illustrate and honor the history of Black bodies moving through space while encountering oppression, this cutting-edge contemporary ballet will incorporate poetry, reflective journal entries, visual art, and original music, WILD transforms the young men’s personal stories into an artistic dance work which is intended to be a reclaiming of time, unity, space, and Black culture. The second installment, titled WILD: Act 1, traces the journey of a young man celebrating his 14th birthday behind bars, explores the effects of isolation and imprisonment on childhood development. McQueen was deeply moved upon seeing a photograph by Richard Ross at the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. WILD: Act 1 is also inspired by and features Ross’ award-winning book, Juvenile-in-Justice , a collection of images, interviews, audio documents, and texts created over a dozen years, at 300 sites in 35 states, drawn from the lives of more than 1,000 kids. Ross’ work turns a lens on the placement and treatment of American juveniles housed by law in facilities that treat, confine, punish, assist and, occasionally, harm them. WILD: ACT 1 premiered exclusively on the BronxNet Television to the Bronx Community. The Social and Economic Justice Film Festival is proud to re-present WILD: ACT 1 on Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at 4:00PM PDT / 7:00PM EST. This mid-afternoon matinee showing is a prelude to the SEJJ Festival Opening on September 23, 2021.