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Through chronicling a critical turning point for the residents of Chicago’s now-defunct Cabrini-Green public housing project, writer-director Minhal Baig’s We Grown Now explores how the reverberations of this bygone time and place continue to register today. Set in 1992 amid the real-life death of 7-year-old Dantrell Davis—who was walking to school with his mother when a stray bullet struck him—Baig’s film follows young boys Malik (Blake Cameron James) and Eric (Gian Knight Ramirez) as they grapple with the aftermath of the tragedy. Despite the oppressive living conditions due to Chicago Housing Authority (Cha) negligence, Malik’s home life is replete with […]

The post “I Was Definitely Paying Homage to Stories Set in Chicago”: Minhal Baig on We Grown Now first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Through chronicling a critical turning point for the residents of Chicago’s now-defunct Cabrini-Green public housing project, writer-director Minhal Baig’s We Grown Now explores how the reverberations of this bygone time and place continue to register today. Set in 1992 amid the real-life death of 7-year-old Dantrell Davis—who was walking to school with his mother when a stray bullet struck him—Baig’s film follows young boys Malik (Blake Cameron James) and Eric (Gian Knight Ramirez) as they grapple with the aftermath of the tragedy. Despite the oppressive living conditions due to Chicago Housing Authority (Cha) negligence, Malik’s home life is replete with […]

The post “I Was Definitely Paying Homage to Stories Set in Chicago”: Minhal Baig on We Grown Now first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Blake Cameron James as Malik and Gian Knight Ramirez as Eric, in We Grown Now. Courtesy of Participant. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

In a touching portrait of childhood friendship, the child-focused We Grown Now captures the magic and innocence of childhood, even one where the two inseparable friends, elementary-school age boys, are growing up in poverty in a housing project that later became infamous for violence and a symbol of urban decay, Chicago’s Cabrini-Green. But in the early 1990s, when this story is set, all that is still in the future although very much on the horizon. Like Florida Project, the story is told from a child point-of-view, as the boys play and explore their world with all the joy and curiosity of childhood.

The real appeal of this moving drama is in performances of the two young actors playing these friends, performances filled with believability and an inescapable appeal and charm.

Nathan Zellner and David Zellner’s Sasquatch Sunset is stomping into circa 850 theaters this weekend after debuting in 9 with a solid opening for a film many could find weird. A tribe of Sasquatch, possibly the last of their kind, live and love in the woods of northern California, where it was shot.

“We are taking Bigfoot to America. We have high hopes that the broader market will embrace the movie,” says Kyle Davies of distributor Bleecker Street, calling it “a very different” kind of movie and “a bit of an unknown.”

“It’s a wildcard.”

Marketing was mainly through social activations. “I wouldn’t call it traditional marketing. It doesn’t really fit in that box,” Davies adds. The Sasquatch standees in theaters are fun. And Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar is displaying a baby Sasquatch sitting in a glass case with umbilical cord and placenta.

This is “a polarizing film.

Chicago – There was once a Chicago housing project called Cabrini Green, and its legacy was a damning testament to Chicago’s mismanagement of housing for the poor in general. It’s gone now, the victim of gentrification, but its memory lives on in “We Grown Now,” a new release from writer and director Minhal Baig.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

The film is set in 1992, rightly called the beginning of the end for the massive high-rise Chicago Housing Authority complex. Malik and Eric (Blake Cameron James and Gian Knight Ramirez) are best friends and neighbors at Cabrini, idling between school and imaginative play. Malik’s mother Dolores (Jurnee Smolett) and his grandmother Anita (S. Epatha Merkerson) keep body and soul together for their family, along with Eric’s father Jason (Lil Rei Howery). When a fellow child 7-year-old resident Dantrell Davis is killed in a gang related shooting, Dolores takes steps to move out,...

Blake Cameron James in We Grown Now Image: Sony Pictures Classics From its very first shot, Minhal Baig’s masterful We Grown Now grabs you. A still shot of an empty hallway beckons you to discover it, to let the many lives it houses drift through you. We hear scraping.

Blake Cameron James in We Grown NowImage: Sony Pictures Classics

From its very first shot, Minhal Baig’s masterful We Grown Now grabs you. A still shot of an empty hallway beckons you to discover it, to let the many lives it houses drift through you. We hear scraping. We hear sneakers squeaking.

Set in and around Chicago’s Cabrini-Green housing complex in 1992, writer-director Minhal Baig’s We Grown Now follows best friends Malik (Blake Cameron James) and Eric (Gian Knight Ramirez), who were born and raised in the low-income housing project most people associate with its high crime and poverty rates. For the two boys, though, Cabrini-Green is neither abhorrent nor an aberration, but rather a self-contained world containing all their hopes and dreams, and which they leave only to walk to elementary school.

Told primarily from Malik’s point of view, the film delicately captures both the wonder and tunnel vision of adolescence, particularly through its depiction of the built-in defense mechanism that is his imagination. In the opening scene, Malik and Eric take an old mattress from an abandoned apartment and, after realizing the elevator is broken, drag it down several flights of stairs and outside, where they use it...

"Don't be afraid to fly." Sony Pictures Classics has revealed the main official trailer for an acclaimed film titled We Grown Now, set in Chicago in the 1990s. This is the third feature film created and directed by filmmaker Minhal Baig, best known for her Sundance gem Hala from 2019. We Grown Now premiered at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival last year, and it also stopped by AFI Fest in the fall. Two young boys, best friends Malik and Eric, discover the joys and hardships of growing up in the sprawling Cabrini-Green public housing complex in 1992 Chicago. Starring Blake Cameron James, Gian Knight Ramirez, S. Epatha Merkerson, Avery Holliday, and Ora Jones, along with Lil Rel Howery and Jurnee Smollett. This received rave reviews from TIFF, with critics saying it's a "unassuming character study set to poetic rhythms makes for an empathetic study of Black life, full of resolve." Watch out for...

Sony Pictures Classics and Stage 6 Films have unveiled the release date and trailer for We Grown Now, a coming-of-age drama from writer-director Minhal Baig (Hala) that’s currently up for three three Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing.

Also previously landing the Toronto Film Festival’s Changemaker Award, the film is set to open in theaters in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago on April 19 before expanding nationwide on May 10.

Pic takes place in 1992 Chicago, as Michael Jordan solidifies himself as a champion, watching as a story of two young legends in their own right begins. As wide-eyed and imaginative best friends, Malik (Blake Cameron James) and Eric (Gian Knight Ramirez) traverse the city, looking to escape the mundaneness of school and the hardships of growing up in public housing. Their unbreakable bond is challenged when tragedy shakes their community just as they are learning to fly.

Writer-director Minhal Baig shares coming-of-age stories from all walks of life, and this time, she’s returning home to Chicago.

Baig’s third feature, “We Grown Now,” centers on the housing project Cabrini-Green Homes in Chicagoin 1992. “We Grown Now” follows two young boys who are best friends and neighbors, with first-time actors Blake Cameron James and Gian Knight Ramirez playing respective characters Malik and Eric. Jurnee Smollett and Lil Rel Howery also star.

The official synopsis reads: “In 1992 Chicago, as Michael Jordan solidifies himself as a champion, a story of two young legends in their own right begins. As wide-eyed and imaginative best friends Malik and Eric traverse the city, looking to escape the mundaneness of school and the hardships of growing up in public housing, their unbreakable bond is challenged when tragedy shakes their community just as they are learning to fly.”

“We Grown Now” is Baig’s...

Found fans, we’ve got a fresh off the press preview for the new Season 1 Episode 4 episode titled Missing While a Pawn!

Find out everything you need to know about the Missing While a Pawn episode of Found, including a full preview, videos, release date, cast information and how to watch!

Found Missing While a Pawn Season 1 Episode 4 Preview

Prepare for a riveting episode of “Found” as it returns to your screens on October 24, 2023, at 10:00 Pm on NBC. In “Missing While a Pawn,” the team takes on a heart-wrenching case that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

In this episode, the spotlight falls on a heart-wrenching disappearance. When 13-year-old Matthew vanishes from the church, the “Found” team springs into action, leaving no stone unturned in their quest to bring him home safely.

As the search for Matthew intensifies, Gabi, a pivotal member of the team, faces...

On Tuesday, October 24, 2023, at 10:00 Pm, NBC will air Season 1, Episode 4 of “Found.” This episode is titled “Missing While a Pawn” and tells a compelling story.

In this episode, a 13-year-old named Matthew disappears from church, prompting a rapid response from the dedicated team. Gabi, a key member of the team, takes on the challenging task of keeping the boy’s divorced parents focused on the search. Along the way, she faces a heart-wrenching decision.

As the investigation unfolds, Lacey, another team member, makes an insightful observation about Gabi. The episode is filled with suspense as the team works tirelessly to find Matthew and uncover the truth about his disappearance.

“Found” is a series that delves into captivating and emotional stories of missing individuals and the efforts to reunite them with their loved ones. It highlights the complexities of search and rescue missions and the determination of those involved.

For...

Award-winning feature documentary “Mom & Dad’s Nipple Factory” has inked a deal with Sonder Entertainment for a national theatrical tour beginning in October to coincide with National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. “Mom & Dad’s Nipple Factory,” a Jubilee Production, will screen in theaters nationwide and into next year ahead of its digital release in February.

Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker Justin Johnson, the feature documentary tells the story of Johnson’s parents’ resilience in the face of a breast cancer diagnosis and unilateral mastectomy — which unexpectedly leads them to launch a novel homespun prosthetic nipple business. They hide this endeavor from their five children, church and small community.

“Mom and Dad’s journey, filled with love, humor, and ingenuity amidst adversity, has blossomed into a project that has already touched thousands of hearts in our festival run. I’m excited to partner with Sonder Entertainment to share this poignant yet humorous film with audiences nationwide,...

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired North American rights to Stage 6 Films, Participant and Symbolic Exchange’s We Grown Now, which had its world premiere in the Centerpiece and Next Wave Selects section at this year’s TIFF. The movie’s writer, director, producer Minhal Baig received TIFF’s Changemaker Award which explores issues relevant to young people and is focused on themes of social change and youth empowerment.

In 1992 Chicago, as Michael Jordan solidifies himself as a champion, a story of two young legends in their own right begins. As wide-eyed and imaginative best friends Malik and Eric traverse the city, looking to escape the mundaneness of school and the hardships of growing up in public housing, their unbreakable bond is challenged when tragedy shakes their community just as they are learning to fly.

The film stars Blake Cameron James, Gian Knight Ramirez, S. Epatha Merkerson, Avery Holliday and Ora Jones,...

Sony Pictures Releasing International will release film internationally.

Sony Pictures Classics will release Minhal Baig’s TIFF premiere We Grown Now from Stage 6 Films, Participant, and Symbolic Exchange in North America.

‘We Grown Now’: Toronto Review

Baig received TIFF’s Changemaker Award for the coming of age drama, which stars Blake Cameron James, Gian Knight Ramirez, S. Epatha Merkerson, Avery Holliday and Ora Jones, with Lil Rel Howery and Jurnee Smollett.

We Grown Now marks the filmmaker’s follow-up to her 2019 debut Hala and screened in TIFF Centrepiece and Next Wave Selects.

Set in 1992 Chicago as Michael Jordan solidifies himself as a champion,...

Sony Pictures will release Minhal Baig’s movie “We Grown Now” after the director, writer, and producer snagged the Changemaker Award at the Toronto International Film Festival this year. Baig says, “I could not be more delighted to have found a home for ‘We Grown Now’ with Sony Pictures Classics. ‘We Grown Now’ is a film that captures the tender moments of childhood resilience and the power of human connection in the face of adversity.”

“Sony Pictures Classics and Participant recognize the significance of our story’s themes of community and the importance of bringing such a film to theaters. We are beyond grateful that they have recognized this film as part of their incredible canon,” she concluded.

Set against the backdrop of Michael Jordan’s incredible 1992 season with the Chicago Bulls, “We Grown Now” follows two best friends, Malik and Eric, as they explore the city they also call...

Sony Pictures Releasing International will release film internationally.

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired North American rights to Stage 6 Films, Participant, and Symbolic Exchange’s TIFF premiere We Grown Now directed by Minhal Baig.

‘We Grown Now’: Toronto Review

Baig received TIFF’s Changemaker Award for the coming of age drama, which stars Blake Cameron James, Gian Knight Ramirez, S. Epatha Merkerson, Avery Holliday and Ora Jones, with Lil Rel Howery and Jurnee Smollett.

We Grown Now marks the filmmaker’s follow-up to her 2019 debut Hala and screened in TIFF Centrepiece and Next Wave Selects.

Set in 1992 Chicago as Michael Jordan...

Sony Pictures Classics has nabbed the North American rights to Minhal Baig’s We Grown Now, which stars and is executive produced by Jurnee Smollett.

Baig, whose debut film Hala premiered at Sundance in 2019, brought We Grown Now to Toronto for a world debut. Domestically, Sony Pictures Classics will release the film in partnership with Stage 6 Films, while Sony Pictures Releasing International will handle the international rollout.

“I could not be more delighted to have found a home for We Grown Now with Sony Pictures Classics. We Grown Now is a film that captures the tender moments of childhood resilience and the power of human connection in the face of adversity,” said Baig in a statement.

The coming-of-age story follows Malik and Eric, best friends played by newcomers Blake Cameron James and Gian Knight Ramirez, as they face changes to their community in Chicago’s misunderstood Cabrini-Green housing complex. S. Epatha Merkerson,...

There’s a game that Malik (Blake Cameron James) and Eric (Gian Knight Ramirez), the protagonists of Minhal Baig’s poignant third feature We Grown Now, like to play. It starts with pilfering mattresses from an empty apartment in their building. They push them down the stairs because the elevators usually don’t work; then, they drag them across the street to the playground. They stack the beds in a corner of the concrete park and, once arranged to their liking, the boys prepare to fly.

Taking off is the easiest part for the two best friends living in the Cabrini-Green homes of Chicago. It’s staying the course once in the air, the seconds just before their bodies collapse into the plush, that proves to be a challenge.

In her sophomore feature Hala, Baig crafted a portrait of a young Muslim woman grappling with the constraints of her religion and teenage realities.

Minhal Baig’s “We Grown Now,” which bowed Sept. 8 at TIFF, follows Malik (Blake Cameron James) and Eric (Gian Knight Ramirez), two 10-year-old boys living in Chicago’s Cabrini Green housing project. It’s 1992 and the boys have loving homes overzealous and racist police, crime and an unthinkable tragedy burst through their childhood bubble. Malik’s hard-working mother (Jurnee Smollett) and grandmother (S. Epatha Merkerson) can’t protect Malik from the rest of the world. Baig captures the kids’ innocence, exuberance, curiosity and confusion as events unfold through their eyes and threaten to tear apart the only home they’ve known. Cabrini Green was demolished in 2011. Despite that, Baig was able to interview many people who lived in the community, and their stories fed into her film.

Chicago-based Baig talked to Variety about the film, whose executive producers are Jeff Skoll, Anikah McLaren, James Schamus, Carrie Holt de Lama and Smollett.