Making the River World Primeire

San Francisco, CA- MakingtheRiver is about two Indian brothers who were charged with murdering a prison guard. One was innocent and one was guilty. The state had raised them and now the state wanted to kill them…both. MakingtheRiver, a feature-length documentary, is an official selection of the American Indian Film Festival.

MakingtheRiver focuses on the life of Jimi Dexter Simmons, who was charged with first-degree murder and faced the death penalty. Jimi was appointed an attorney who had never defended a felony case. Faced with almost insurmountable odds that Jimi would be convicted and executed, the Simmons Brothers Defense was formed. Jimi Simmons fought for the right to be unshackled in the courtroom. Surviving over two years of brutal solitary confinement, he finally faced an all-white Walla Walla jury. MakingtheRiver is the story of Jimi Simmons' quest for freedom. The film includes interviews with the people whose lives were changed by the trial: prison guards, a juror, prisoners, Indian leaders, attorneys and Jimi's wife.

"It all starts with the person who is on trial. If there is integrity there, if there is honesty there, then it filters down to everyone else who is working on the case. It doesn't happen unless you have Jimi Simmons." Lenny Weinglass, defense attorney

MakingtheRiver, directed by Sarah Del Seronde, shot on film by cinematographer Paul Stoll, music by Larry Groupe'

This is the first feature length documentary produced by Aboriginal Lens Productions with Two Rivers Circle and Fluffy Bear Productions.

The world premiere of MakingtheRiver will take place at the 32nd Annual American Indian Film Festival on Friday, November 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Palace of Fine Arts; located at 3301 Lyon St. @ Bay St. San Francisco, CA. Ticket Prices are $7-8. Advance Tickets available with Visa & MasterCard through the American Indian Film Institute http://www.aifisf.com or by calling 415-554-0525. On-site tickets available at the Palace of Fine Arts, starting at 6:30 P.M. on the day of show.

For more information visit: http://www.makingtheriver.com
High resolution photos available upon request.