Faculty film released on Netflix

Bavand Karim

Hate Crimes in the Heartland, a documentary co-written and produced by Emerson College faculty member Bavand Karim, was released on Netflix Monday, February 1.

Karim, assistant professor in the Department of Visual Media and Arts Department, also was cinematographer on the film, which explores the history of hate crimes in the United States by looking at two instances of violence against African Americans in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 90 years apart.

Hate Crimes in the Heartland was entered in a number of film festivals in 2015, including the Newark Black Film Festival, the Ohio Independent Film Festival, the San Diego Black Film Festival and the Pittsburgh Independent Film Festival.

It was optioned to Vigil Films Entertainment, and will be televised on The Oprah Winfrey Network.

The film was screened at Emerson last month as part of the College’s Martin Luther King Jr. Week programming, and was followed by a discussion led by Karim and writer/director/producer Rachel Lyon.