A powerful and personal story of family and separation, that starts and ends in south Louisiana. World Premiere.
In 1984 Louisiana, filmmaker Tommy Franklin was separated from his mother at birth in prison and entered the foster system. In this astonishing, uncompromising feature debut, Tommy embarks on a fearless quest in search of his mom, as he confronts generational trauma and interrogates the fractures of state-enforced separation. "You Don't Know My Name" is formally inventive, fusing intimate verité, narrative sequences and performance art to bring deep symbolism to the filmmaker’s stirring journey of self discovery and collective healing. -AT
Director bio:
Tommy Franklin is a filmmaker, writer, and producer. He has received support from Sundance Institute, Film Independent, ITVS, Firelight Media, Ford Foundation/JustFilms, Catapult Film Fund, Perspective Fund, The Just Trust, BAVC Media, and many others. Franklin’s one hour drama pilot Intrepid was a finalist for 2021’s Sundance Episodic Lab. He was a 2022 Sundance BIPOC Mentorship Program Mentee.
- Year2026
- Runtime115 minutes
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
- PremiereSouthern US
- DirectorTommy Franklin
- ProducerRajal Pitroda, Samantha Steele, Tommy Franklin
- CinematographerZuri Obi, Tommy Franklin, Jacob Kelso, Bron Moyi
- EditorSimone LeClaire
A powerful and personal story of family and separation, that starts and ends in south Louisiana. World Premiere.
In 1984 Louisiana, filmmaker Tommy Franklin was separated from his mother at birth in prison and entered the foster system. In this astonishing, uncompromising feature debut, Tommy embarks on a fearless quest in search of his mom, as he confronts generational trauma and interrogates the fractures of state-enforced separation. "You Don't Know My Name" is formally inventive, fusing intimate verité, narrative sequences and performance art to bring deep symbolism to the filmmaker’s stirring journey of self discovery and collective healing. -AT
Director bio:
Tommy Franklin is a filmmaker, writer, and producer. He has received support from Sundance Institute, Film Independent, ITVS, Firelight Media, Ford Foundation/JustFilms, Catapult Film Fund, Perspective Fund, The Just Trust, BAVC Media, and many others. Franklin’s one hour drama pilot Intrepid was a finalist for 2021’s Sundance Episodic Lab. He was a 2022 Sundance BIPOC Mentorship Program Mentee.
- Year2026
- Runtime115 minutes
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
- PremiereSouthern US
- DirectorTommy Franklin
- ProducerRajal Pitroda, Samantha Steele, Tommy Franklin
- CinematographerZuri Obi, Tommy Franklin, Jacob Kelso, Bron Moyi
- EditorSimone LeClaire