Oscar nominated short film “St. Louis Superman” will premiere Monday, May 18 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on MTV, VH1 and MTV2 via simulcast, TheWrap has exclusively learned. Watch the trailer embed above.
The critically-acclaimed film is co-directed by Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan and produced by Al Jazeera Witness and Poh Si Teng. “St. Louis Superman” is the first acquisition for Sheila Nevins for MTV Documentary Films and is being positioned for Emmy consideration. The network enlisted Nevins, a longtime HBO producer and executive, to lead its new documentary films division last May.
Music provides a different kind of counterpoint in Sami Khan and Smriti Mundhra’s “St. Louis Superman,” about a battle rapper and Ferguson protester who embarks on a successful political career and becomes a Missouri State Representative. Fighting to change an imbalanced and fundamentally racist system from the inside, using his battle-rap skillset to drum up positive change, and committing to fighting youth violence with legislation and empathy takes a progressively difficult toll on Bruce Franks, Jr., as we experience firsthand that Capra-esque idealism is possible but, perhaps, too much to ask from just one person. “St. Louis Superman” reminds us that an open heart is as powerful as it is vulnerable.
“St. Louis Superman” won the jury prize for Best Documentary Short at Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, the Audience Award for Best Short at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, the Audience Award for Best Short at AFI Docs and the Special Jury Mention at Tribeca Film Festival.
“St. Louis Superman” is produced by Mundhra, Khan and Poh Si Teng and executive produced by Sheila Nevins and Fiona Lawson-Baker.