Boston2Philly (2016)

The cult classic coming-of-age epic that chronicles the life of Rome "Boston," a young Black male from Boston, struggling with his identity and his ability to form real relationships in his new city of Philadelphia after a tragic accident takes the lives of his family. Set on a college campus, Rome encounters Prof. Balan who challenges his freshmen class to develop a deeper relationship with their "inner selves," along with connecting on a more personal level with their peers. As an incentive, Balan offers the shocking monetary reward of $50,000, pushing his students to explore their own broken, violent pasts and those of their peers in a way they never thought imaginable. Through an exploration of each other's histories, the group of diverse freshman slowly becomes a cohesive group, initially bonded by the chase of the cash reward, but glued by their shared fears, hopes, and dreams. Both melodramatic and comedic, poignant and enlightening, through the personal journeys of the students, Boston to Philly reminds us all that sometimes the first step to true success comes from understanding who you were, who you are, and where you are going.