Howard Bowler, the Founder/President of Green Point Creative, the marijuana advocacy branding agency, and HOBO, the award-winning creative audio studio known for its work in features, television and advertising; has announced the launch of HOBO Films, a long-form original content development company. In conjunction with the launch of the company, and the annual 420 day, they have released the first five-minutes of episode 1 of “The System,” a scripted, dramatic coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of the war on drugs. The show was created by Bowler and features actress Lolita Foster from the Netflix show “Orange Is The New Black.” HOBO Films is currently pursuing distribution options with both traditional broadcast networks and streaming services.
“This series is based on my personal experience raising mixed race children and how the war on drugs affects them differently than it affected my own life,” Bowler says. “When I learned how in the 1970s the federal government came to classify marijuana as a schedule 1 drug, I found the key to a much larger story -- one that hasn’t been told.”
In 2016, Bowler took his first steps towards drug law reform by launching Green Point Creative, the agency he created along with HOBO Vice President Chris Stangroom. The mission was to educate the public on the origin of the “war on drugs.” In 2017, Green Point Creative scored a huge viral hit with the PSA, “Your Brain On Drug Policy.” In this recreation of the classic 1997 anti-drug spot, “Your Brain On Drugs” actress Rachael Leigh Cook, reprised her iconic role but with a twist. The Green Point produced PSA was seen over 7 million times and received wide media coverage in publications including Rolling Stone, Slate, Glamour, Essence, Playboy, NY Daily News, CNBC, New York and others.
“The System” pilot was directed by award winning, commercial director Michael Cruz; and edited by Oliver Parker, who just wrapped two seasons of the critically acclaimed BBC series, “London Kills.”
“Now that the pilot is complete, our hope is that the audience will relate to the characters in our story and come to understand the hidden dynamics of the war on drugs,” Bowler notes. “Releasing it for 4/20 will hopefully serve as a reminder that not everyone gets to party.”
Bowler adds, “This show exposes how through traffic stops, tickets, searches and multiple court dates the ‘war on drugs’ has expanded from its origins into today’s massive catastrophe. Like alcohol prohibition from the 1930’s, 'The System' illustrates what happens when society outlaws a relatively benign and popular substance. Marijuana in particular captures the imagination. It impacts everything from history, politics, race, science, health, criminal justice and the arts. All these topics will be woven into the series’ storylines. Given the current climate, we believe the public is ready for this kind of show.”
About HOBO Films:
HOBO Films is the latest venture from award-winning creative audio studio HOBO and Green Point Creative, the marijuana advocacy agency whose 2017 PSA “This Is Your Brain On Drug Policy,” starring actor Rachael Leigh Cooke, went viral with over 7 million views on social media. The first project from HOBO Pictures is “The System,” a dramatic series about the real world effects of the drug war on one New Jersey middle class family.
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