Film Independent recently announced that acclaimed Sundance title Radical, directed by Christopher Zalla '04 and produced by Benjamin Odell '04, received the Sloan Distribution Grant worth $50,000. The film will be released theatrically in the US on November 3, 2023 via Miercoles Entertainment on behalf of Pantelion Films.
Odell shared, “We are truly grateful to Film Independent and the Sloan Foundation for supporting Radical with this grant to amplify the marketing efforts for the film. It’s a vital story about how we educate our children and heroes who are the teachers that dedicate their lives to making a difference.”
Inspired by a Wired Magazine article by Joshua Davis, Radical follows the sixth grade students at Jose Urbina Lopez Elementary—one of the worst performing schools in Mexico. The world these students know is one of violence and hardship, and their classrooms are dominated by an atmosphere of overbearing discipline, not possibility. It might seem like a dead end, but it is also the perfect place for new teacher Sergio Juarez (played by Derbez) to try something different. There’s just one problem: Sergio has no idea what he’s doing.
Watch a trailer for Radical below.
