Omelet (www.omeletla.com), an LA-based creative company, is proud to announce the debut of its first feature-length documentary, titled License to Operate, at the 41st annual Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF). Screening from May 26th to 27th alongside anticipated films such as Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine and Sundance Film Festival winner Me and Earl and The Dying Girl, the documentary follows former Los Angeles gang leaders working to rebuild the communities they once helped destroy.
The film’s key subjects are former gang members who 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, the largest film festival in the United States.”
While premiering at the Festival, License to Operate will also compete in the esteemed Documentary Competition, which includes films chosen for original concept, striking style, and overall excellence. The winner will be announced on June 7th.
“Over ten years ago, we saw an opportunity to work with those from the Los Angeles communities that were being deeply impacted by gang violence,” said Pete Carroll, Head Coach of the Seattle Seahawks and Founder of A Better LA and sister organization, A Better Seattle. “We realized those from the neighborhoods who are professionally trained as interventionists are uniquely positioned to create positive impact, and prevent and reduce violence. We consider them the MVPs of the communities they serve.”
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 the world renowned Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
“We’re very proud of License to Operate, and its message of hope and redemption in the inner city is particularly relevant given the tensions being experienced in a number of American cities,” explained Don Kurz, Omelet Chairman & CEO. “Stay tuned for the film’s consumer release in 2015.”
About Omelet
Omelet is a creative company that solves complex marketing problems for progressive partners, including AT&T, AmazonFresh, Walmart, HBO, and Microsoft. The company also has divisions – including Omelet Studio, Omelet To Go, and Omelet Brands – to create original brand programming, live interactive experiences, and original owned intellectual property.
www.omeletla.com
About License to Operate
Across the country, there is a growing distrust between members of the community and those who are meant to protect it. License to Operate, Omelet’s first feature-length documentary, follows a group of former gang members in Los Angeles who work in partnership with community leaders and law enforcement on a mission to break the cycle of violence that they were once a part of creating. This film is about redemption, hope, and change. It’s about rebuilding relationships and forging new alliances. It’s about healing the wounds of a community. It’s about how the effort of a few can change the direction of an entire city. www.ltomovie.com
