Number 1, which I posted yesterday, was Andrew Dosunmu's sophomore effort, Ma'George; read that entry HERE if you missed it.

2012 new projects we're excited about Number 2 is… Shola Lynch's feature documentary on Angela Davis, titled Free Angela.

Why are we excited about it? 

Is that a serious question?

Most of you should be familiar with Lynch's 2005 documentary, Chisholm '72: Unbought And Unbossed, which chronicled (the first black woman to be elected to Congress in 1968) Shirley Chisolm's historic 1972 run for the White House.

A HIGHLY-recommended doc if you haven't seen it yet; especially if you're not at all familiar with Chisolm's story; educational, engaging, even entertaining!

The film won a Peabody Award in 2006.

And given the wonderful job she did with Chisolm '72, I expect Free Angela to be just as spirited, comprehensive and impactful; this is a film I'm looking forward to seeing when it eventually debuts.

Not what you'd call a birth-to-death biopic doc, the synopsis for Free Angela reads…

… a feature-length documentary about Angela Davis and the high stakes crime, political movement, and trial that catapults the 26 year-old newly appointed philosophy professor at the University of California at Los Angeles into a seventies revolutionary political icon. Nearly forty years later, and for the first time, Angela Davis speaks frankly about the actions that branded her as a terrorist and simultaneously spurred a worldwide political movement for her freedom.

Most recently, that specific trial was covered briefly in last year's acclaimed doc The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975; although it was only a portion of that film's focus. I certainly expect Lynch's project, given that Angela Davis will be its primary concentration, will be far more extensive in scope.

Lynch is near completion on Free Angela, and per the film's Facebook page (HERE), the last post, dated April 14, reveals a Paris trip to complete post-production.

Earlier in the year, in February, was this entry saying that a cut of the film was being screened for feedback:

"We got some great feedback – close but not there yet. We're back to the edit today renewed and refocused."

The Facebook page also boldly announces: Coming In 2012!

So it's officially on my watch list, and one of the film's I'm excited about this year. I suspect it'll premiere on the fall film festival circuit