Omelet, an LA-based creative company, will debut its first feature-length documentary, titled License to Operate, at the 41st annual Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF). Screening on May 26 and 27, the documentary–directed by James Lipetzky of Foundation Content–follows former Los Angeles gang leaders working to rebuild the communities they once helped destroy.
The film’s key subjects hail from some of the nation’s most feared and most violent gangs, including Bloods, Crips and Florencia 13. These men and women are now professionally trained community interventionists supported and funded by A Better LA, a Los Angeles-based charity founded by Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. Thanks in part to these interventionists’ efforts, violent crimes in the areas they work in have dropped to a 20-year low.
“We’ve been captivated by these men and women since being introduced to their story,” said Mike Wallen, Omelet’s chief content officer and producer of License to Operate. “We’ve been putting our hearts and souls into this film for nearly two years, so that we could help tell the story of these unknown heroes. We’re incredibly honored that it will premiere at SIFF.”
While premiering at the Festival, License to Operate will also compete in the Documentary Competition, which includes films chosen for original concept, striking style, and overall excellence. The winner will be announced on June 7.
Omelet Studio, the company’s division dedicated to original content, is currently in development on its second feature-length film, this time to tell the remarkable story of global public health progress over the past 100 years, in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
