Atlanta Jewish Film Festival – Crown Heights

Howie Mandel and Mario Van Peebles co-star as community leaders who join forces to diffuse racial tensions following a tragic accident in a Brooklyn neighborhood. Crown Heights, already divided along cultural and racial lines, is shaken with devastating riots when a Hasidic driver accidentally kills a young black boy. In the aftermath, two teens of different backgrounds, T. J. (DeQuan Henderson) and Yudi (Jeremy Blackman), form a bicultural rap group. Guided by hip Hasidic Rabbi Laz (Mandel) and youth counselor Paul Richards (Van Peebles), Project Cure gains media attention as a symbol of healing. Jeremy Kagan’s stirring drama, based on true events, earned the NAACP Image and Humanitas Awards for its gritty, nuanced portrayal of race relations, capturing an enduring spirit of unity.