PARK CITY, Utah – A documentary about the 2012 shooting death of teenager Jordan Davis and the two trials for his killer, Michael Dunn, is getting international attention. It's called "3½ Minutes," named after the amount of time it took for for the argument over loud music that ended in Dunn shooting and killing the unarmed 17-year-old in Jacksonville in 2012.
Sundance is the largest independent film festival in the United States, packed with celebrities, movie executives and famous filmmakers. Jordan's parents, Ron Davis and Lucy McBath, along with the makers of "3½ Minutes," invited News4Jax along for the first showing of film. News4Jax was the only local station to accompany the family to the premiere.
The 98-minute documentary takes viewers through the fatal shooting and the two so-called "loud music trials" for Michael Dunn. After his second trial, Dunn was convicted of first-degree murder, three counts of first-degree attempted murder and shooting into an occupied vehicle. He is now serving a life-sentence in state prison.
Jordan's parents tell us the film has been therapeutic for them because they are trying to make a difference and make sure that something like this never happens again.
The filmmakers started following Jordan's parents in 2013 -- before Dunn's first trial, which ended with a hung jury. They they learned about the case after reading an article in Rolling Stone Magazine. The film highlights the fateful night on black Friday, the argument over loud music and later the fight over Florida's self-defense laws. The screening ended with a standing ovation.
"(It was) gut wrenching, ambitious, beautiful, heart-felt," said Michael Nichols, who screened the film.
IMAGES: Jordan Davis' parents, attorney attend premiere in Park City
"What the film so clearly shows is when race, fear and weapons combine, bad things can happen," added Gloria Kennedy, who was also in the audience.
Even A-list actor Alec Baldwin attended with his wife. Baldwin said has kept up with the case and found "3½ Minutes" to be well done.
"This poor white man was raised to believe that loud, noisy, black kids might have a weapon. And even if they don't, his suspicion, and his super imposing a weapon into the hand of one of those people, that's reasonable. And that seems to define a lot of the standard around law, particularly in Florida," Baldwin said.
Director Marc Silver says that's why the filmmakers took interest in Jordan's story.
"When I first heard about the case I felt that it was this perfect storm of racial profiling, access to guns, and the laws that give people confidence to use those guns. And it just so happened to be that that was Jacksonville, Florida," said Silver, who lives in London. "I think all these films make a difference and I think if people watch it and reflect on their own biases then that's the kind of difference that we're looking for."
Jordan's mother says this was a special platform for her son's story to be told.
"It's a story that has to be told, because it's a story not just about Jordan but about all young black males, and people of color that are losing heir lives," said McBath and Ron Davis said their journey for justice is far from over, but they say they're trying to change the world one person at a time.
"You have to change the hearts and minds of individuals. It's not the guns that kill people, it's the hearts and minds of people that kills people," said Ron Davis.
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Just before the premiere, the film was purchased by Participant Media, a company that promotes and markets documentaries.
Judges at the Sundance Film Festival honored "3½ Minutes" with the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Social Impact. Also, HBO has acquired television rights to the film and is expected to air "3½ Minutes" late this fall.
The filmmakers say they're still working out details for a possible nationwide theatrical release. They said there will definitely be screening in Jacksonville, but they're still working out the details.