MISFIRE - THE PEOPLE VS. ARI AKI YOUNG

Directors:

Writers:

Jon Knautz

Producers:

James Nelson

Run Time:

0:17:22

Awarded for the following Category(s):

Awarded Category(s)

A short documentary film about the shooting, arrest, verdict and aftermath of Ari Aki Young.

Submitter Statement

A jury acquitted a young man of attempted murder of a police officer. The police continue to publicly push a narrative of guilt - "justice has not been served." This documentary publishes the complex story and pushes back against a force that was determined to convict someone based on a false narrative. It is about a general understanding of truth in the age of viral video - what gets exposed, what is believed and who controls the story. I hope this film reminds people to always look beyond the surface and stay open minded about where truth may actually be found.

After gaining experience in directing, producing, camera, writing, and editing, Jon completed the Film Foundation program at the Vancouver Film School. Jon's first short film Apt. 310 played eleven film festivals and garnered two awards for Best Short Film. In 2004 Jon received a government grant to direct the short film The Other Celia. He followed this experience with the critically acclaimed short film Still Life. Each film played numerous festivals and Jon was awarded Best Director for both films at the Malibu Film Festival in 2006. After the successes of his short films, Jon parlayed his experience into his first feature film Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer. The film gained considerable attention throughout the festival circuit and received rave reviews. His second feature, The Shrine, premiered at the 2010 Fantasia International Film Festival and won the Audience Award for Best Canadian Feature. Jon's latest feature films are the psychological thrillers Goddess of Love and The Cleaning Lady. Jon has also completed the short film Viper, starring Missi Pyle (The Artist) and Omar J. Dorsey (Ray Donovan).

Key Cast

Rajan Maline

Other Credits