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J. P. Johnston
OBERLIN
Written by J. P. Johnston
Based on a True Story
Set in 1858, three years before the U.S. Civil War.
When two U.S. Marshals kidnap runaway slave John Price from the streets of Oberlin, Ohio, Price’s friend Charles Langston, the first black man admitted to college in the U.S., rallies the townspeople to take up arms and free Price by force.
"Oberlin" is the town in northwest Ohio which is the home of Oberlin College and the location of the heroes of "the Oberlin-Wellington rescue" of John Price in 1858.
Think "Twelve Years a Slave" meets "Django Unchained." In talks with John Boyega ("Finn" in the Star Wars Trilogy), and Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy; Jurassic World) for Agent McCall, and Marisa Hampton (Lifemark, The Reliant) as Adeline.
The Producers of "OBERLIN" will soon reach out to crowdfunders with promises of DVDs and perks, and to Accredited Investors for funding in exchange for a percentage of profit (Accredited investors are investors who sign a legal document).
Pray for us as we bring this amazing true story to theaters! Help us honor the heroes of the "Oberlin-Wellington rescue" of 1858; specifically, Charles Langston, the first black man admitted to college in the U.S., who spearheaded the courageous rescue of John Price and the other captives. This story has so much relevance for the racism our culture struggles with today. Help us make "OBERLIN" a powerful cinematic contribution to the cultural conversation on racism, redemption, the doctrine of the lesser magistrate and interposition, and sacrificial love.
The Lord Jesus informed a crowd that one of the greatest commandments was to love your neighbor as yourself. A religious critic objected, "But who is my neighbor?" Then Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan. He picked a race of people that were largely despised by the Jews at the time, and He silenced every objection. Learn the meaning of life-changing love in the story of the heroic rescuers of John Price.
Some of the rescuers of John Price in the "Oberlin-Wellington Rescue of 1858." Charles Langston, the first black man admitted to college in the United States, spearheaded the rescue of John Price. He is pictured above holding his hat over his chest.
OBERLIN...
How Have We Not Heard This Story?
Some of these images are taken during the concept trailer filmed in Atlanta, Georgia, in February of 2023. Below is an old photograph of the inconic Peters Hall and Tappan Square in Oberlin, where we hope to film in 2024.
To the right and below are several noteworthy awards we have won so far. Most of these awards were First Place awards, Finalists, or Semi-Finalists, and most of these were at secular film festivals, not faith-based festivals, in spite of the fact that the screenplay is not bashful about the Christian motives and devotion of the rescuers. This indicates the winsomeness of this story and its potential to broadly impact the culture. Two of these festivals are Academy-Award qualifying film festivals!
* Those desiring to invest as Accredited Investors, fill out this form and email it as an email attachment to OberlinTheMovie@yahoo.com
* Investors, to see our projections, check out our Advertisement Deck. This is also applicable to business owners seeking Product Integration or who would like to support the film by way of their business budget. A Private Placement Memorandum is available upon request.
* To keep up to date on the Screenplay Awards, check out our facebook page.
Photograph: the famous Finney Chapel on the campus of Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, where our story's protagonists were kindled with the fire of abolition and rescue under the influence of America's greatest revivalist, Charles Grandison Finney. Also, this is one of the set locations on Oberlin's campus where we hope to film.
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