Non-Violence Project - USA

NVP USA is proud to support the production of OUR KNOTTED GUN , the first ever docuseries of its scope about gun violence in America. Focused on the growing number of everyday people fighting to end this epidemic—the number one killer of youth in the United States—the five-part series unfolds in real time over a span of three years. Created by a pair of Michigan State professors who were inspired to tell this story in the wake of a mass shooting that took place on their campus on February 13, 2023, the series takes a broad, multicultural view of gun violence in the U.S. It examines not only the phenomenon of mass shootings but the traumatic dimensions of community violence and suicide by firearm from a wide range of perspectives in locations across the country. A character-driven story that features survivors, activists, artists, lawmakers, gun owners, and parents who have lost their children to gun violence, OUR KNOTTED GUN highlights grassroots initiatives led by passionate individuals that are replicable in communities across the country. Through this focus, the series seeks to inspire cultural change. With an anticipated release in 2027 on a national network or a major streaming platform, production of OUR KNOTTED GUN will wrap in summer 2026. While the first two years of production were largely supported by a $100,000 grant from MSU, those funds are not enough to complete production and to cover the projected post-production costs. Please consider joining NVP USA in supporting this inspiring and exciting project through a tax-deductible donation, which will serve to fuel the gun violence prevention movement through the creation of socially conscious art in the spirit of “the knotted gun” sculpture from which it takes its title. A $50 donation guarantees your name will be listed in the credits. A $500 donation will get your name listed in the credits under “Special Thanks.” Contributions of $5,000+ will ensure you receive a producing credit. For more information about the project or to get in touch with the filmmakers, visit the series website: https://ourknottedgun.com About The Filmmakers Scott Boehm (Writer, Director & Executive Producer) is a Fulbright Scholar and Associate Professor of Spanish and Global Studies and Affiliated Faculty in the Film Studies Program at Michigan State University He is also the Founder and Director of the MSU Latinx Film Festival. https://www.scottboehm.net/ Pete Johnston (Director of Photography and Executive Producer) is a Michigan Emmy-nominated filmmaker, as well as an Academic Specialist and the Digital Media/Film Production Manager in the Film Studies Program at MSU. He is also the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Filmetry, a Festival of Poetry and Film. https://pizzageni.us/ Together Scott and Pete have co-produced two short documentary films on immigration issues, WHAT HAPPENS TO A DREAM DEFERRED: A SHORT FILM ABOUT DACA (2018) and WALKING FOR DED: A SHORT FILM ABOUT SANCTUARY (2019) . Both films were official selections at a variety of film festivals across the country and each film won numerous film festival awards. WHAT HAPPENS TO A DREAM DEFERRED is available on PRAGDA Stream , the leading educational platform for the newest Latin American, Spanish and Latinx cinema.