A dramatization of the life and untimely death of Emmett Till seems long overdue. If you’re unfamiliar with his story, it’s one of the most heartwrenching tales from the Jim Crow-era South and a watershed moment in the African American civil rights movement. The short version is that after being accused of offending a white woman in Mississippi in 1955, the 14-year-old African American boy was abducted, tortured, and lynched. The brutal nature of his death – and the fact that his murderers were acquitted – made Till a tragic icon.
Now director Chinonye Chukwu is bringing the story to life with Till, a biography of Mamie Till – Emmett’s mother and a tireless activist for justice – starring Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall, Frankie Faison, Haley Bennett, and Whoopi Goldberg (who also produces).
Here’s the official TILL synopsis:
Till is a profoundly emotional and cinematic film about the true story of Mamie Till-Mobley’s relentless pursuit of justice for her 14 year old son, Emmett Till, who, in 1955, was lynched while visiting his cousins in Mississippi. In Mamie’s poignant journey of grief turned to action, we see the universal power of a mother’s ability to change the world.
Till is set to open October 21 and That Shelf wants to send you and a friend to advance screenings on October 20 in Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal, courtesy of Universal Pictures Canada.
Check out the trailer and then read up on the contest details below!
To enter for your chance to win our Till contest:
- Follow That Shelf on Instagram.
- Like our Till post on Instagram.
- Then tag a friend you’d like to see Till with in the comments to the Instagram post.
One entry per person. Multiple entries will be disqualified. Contestants must be residents of Canada. No purchase necessary. Winners will be notified via direct message. The contest closes at 11:59am EST on Wednesday, October 12.
Till opens in theatres on October 21.
