a man using a bullhorn to speak

Over the course of eight episodes, the Philly D.A. docu-series explores the most pressing social issues of our time—police brutality, the opioid crisis, gun violence, and mass incarceration—through the lens of an idealistic team attempting fundamental overhaul from within the system.

In 2017, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania had one of the highest incarceration rates of any major city in the United States. And it's become the epicenter of a historic experiment that could shape the future of prosecution in America for decades to come. When civil rights attorney Larry Krasner mounted a long-shot campaign to become District Attorney, he ran on a bold pledge: to end mass incarceration by changing the culture of the criminal justice system from within. He shocked the establishment by winning in a landslide.

Now, the bureaucrats he spent his campaign denigrating are his co-workers; the police he alienated are his rank-and-file law enforcers. Pressure comes from all sides of a system resistant to reform. Krasner's unapologetic promise to use the power of the D.A.'s office for sweeping change is what got him elected; now that he's in office, that same stubbornness threatens to alienate those he needs to work with the most.

From the eye of this political storm, filmmakers Ted Passon, Yoni Brook, and Nicole Salazar gained unprecedented access into Krasner's office and behind the scenes of the criminal justice system.

Grants Awarded to Philly D.A.

$100,000 - Awarded December 2020

Focus areas
Movement Media
Description

This one-year grant will support "Philly D.A." an in-depth documentary series that examines criminal justice reform in the era of Larry Krasner's tenure as Philadelphia's District Attorney.

$60,500 - Awarded July 2021

Focus areas
Movement Media
Description

This one-year grant will support an impact campaign featuring a series of targeted screenings and discussions to educate the public on the D.A.'s role in the criminal legal system. These events will explore: systemic inequalities and who has access or barriers to power; media narratives about public safety and the criminal legal system; accountability for elected officials; and pathways forward.

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