“Jenifer McShane’s solution-focused documentary offers proof of an enlightened way forward. Zeroing in on a unit of the San Antonio Police Department, the disarmingly titled Ernie & Joe is a candid, mostly vérité portrait of two cops in a small but paradigm-shifting program — one that breaks down the us-vs.-them mind-set that views people in crisis as offenders and too often, as in the news footage that opens the film, turns them into victims of police gunfire.” – THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
ACT Human Rights Film Festival and The Lyric present an exclusive, one-night screening of Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops. The film follows two police officers with the San Antonio Texas Police Department who are diverting people away from jail and into mental health treatment, one 911 call at a time. The film screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring local Northern Colorado experts working in mental health emergency response.
Ernie & Joe is an intimate portrait of two Texas police officers who are helping change the way police respond to mental health calls. The film takes audiences on a personal journey, weaving together their experiences during their daily encounters with people in crisis. Guns tucked away, Ernie and Joe de-escalate confrontations, divert people to desperately needed mental health services, and save lives.
Panelists include:
Officer Chris Bland, Fort Collins Police Department, Mental Health Response Team
Stephanie Booco, University of Colorado Health, Community Programs, Co-responder
Judge Julie Field, Eighth Judicial District Court Judge – Wellness Court
Moderator: Erin O’Toole, Host of KUNC’s Colorado Edition
February 6, 2020 | 6:30 p.m. | The Lyric | Tickets $10 general admission & $8 students/seniors
Plus, all attendees will have a chance to win tickets or a festival pass to attend the 5th ACT Human Rights Film Festival, April 3-11, 2020 in Fort Collins, CO.