After serving eight years in prison, reformed gang leader S. Lance Ingram (DANIEL BEATY) re-enters society and struggles to adapt to a changed Harlem. Living under the tough supervision of a parole officer in a halfway house, he is unable to find a job that will let him use the technological skills he gained in prison. Lance is forced to take a job delivering for a food pantry where he befriends Ms. Maddy (LORETTA DEVINE), a strong and spirited grandmother, and assumes responsibility for her 15-year- old grandson Ty, a promising student who is pulled into a dangerous street gang. When gang members decide to punish Ty for disobeying the “law of the streets,” Lance risks sacrificing his “second chance” at freedom so that Ty can have a “first chance” at a better life.

With Chapter & Verse, director Jamal Joseph, a filmmaker, acclaimed author, film professor, community leader, activist and a Black Panther who spent time in prison as a result of his involvement in the organization, reflects upon what it means to forge your own destiny in an outwardly harsh society.

Starring: Daniel Beaty, Loretta Devine, Omari Hardwick, and Selenis Leyva

 Directed by: Jamal Joseph

Written by: Jamal Joseph and Daniel Beaty

Executive Producers: Antoine Fuqua and Cheryl Hill

Presented by: Harlem Film Company and Paladin

Release Date: Opening in NY on February 3, 2017; Opening in LA, Chicago and additional cities on February 10, 2017

Runtime: 97 minutes

Not Rated