Roderick Lawrence. Photo Credit: Ben Witherwax.
March 7, 2022
For Immediate Release:
Cleveland’s own, Roderick Lawrence, brings Silent Partner to
the 46th Annual Cleveland International Film Festival
Multi-award-winning short film to screen in the Oscar qualifier
CLEVELAND — Multi-award-winning short film, Silent Partner, will be shown in the Oscar-qualifying Jury Competition at the 46th Annual Cleveland International Film Festival, Wednesday, April 6, 2022. The original story was written by Cleveland native Roderick Lawrence.
A product of Baldwin Wallace’s Conservatory of Music, Lawrence (“Simba” in Disney’s The Lion King) also stars in the film as Silas Jones, an accomplished Black trial attorney who successfully defends a white woman who murdered a Black teen. Silent Partner, which also features Emmy-award-winner Michael Park (Dear Evan Hansen) and Kara Young (Clyde’s), explores microaggressions in the workplace and the toll it takes on one’s mental health and family. Appearing in film festivals from the East to the West Coast and taking audiences through a range of emotions along the way since its premiere at the Run&Shoot Filmworks Martha’s Vineyard African-American Film Festival, Silent Partner has been highly acclaimed, winning Best Short Film and Best Director Awards. The film has earned 10 official festival selections to date, including 3 Oscar-qualifying festival selections.
Lawrence was born and raised in Greater Cleveland, where he attended Orange High School and the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music. He has performed on many Cleveland-area stages including Playhouse Square, Cain Park, Cleveland Public Theatre, Great Lakes Theater and Dobama Theatre. Upon moving to New York City in 2011, Lawrence has since starred in plays and musicals and appeared in a range of other roles from TV shows such as Comedy Central’s Broad City to voiceovers for the National Basketball Association. He returns to Cleveland often to visit his family in Orange Village.
Other Cleveland natives involved with the production include Associate Producer Ike Mbanefo (Director, Citi; graduate of University School), Associate Producer Ankur Garg (graduate of Case Western), Associate Producer and Gaffer/Drone Operator Derryl Strong (Creative Director at The Adcom Group in Cleveland), Assistant Director and Script Supervisor Tiffany Beacham (TV staff writer), and Production Assistant Marcus Martin (graduate of Baldwin Wallace).
Silent Partner is created by Roderick Lawrence, written/directed by Aristotle Torres (Story Ave) and lensed by Eric Branco (Clemency, The Forty-Year-Old Version, That Damn Michael Che). The film is produced by Salma Qarnain (That Damn Michael Che), executive produced by Dr. Celeste Watkins-Hayes (Founding Director of The Center for Racial Justice and Associate Dean at the University of Michigan's Ford School of Public Policy) and Rejji Hayes, and co-produced by Tony and Emmy winners Eric Nelsen (1883) and Sainty Nelsen, another product of Baldwin Wallace.
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Press Contact: pr@blackmanfilms.com
Links to Further Information for Silent Partner: