‘Kemba’ trailer and release date announced
Free Press staff report | 2/1/2024, 6 p.m.
On Thursday, Feb. 22, the MPI Original and BET Original feature film “Kemba” will premiere on the BET+ streaming platform and will air on BET, BETHer, and BET International.
Based on the true story of Kemba Smith, “Kemba” follows the journey of a sheltered college student who falls in love with a man, only to find out he isn’t who he seems.
When Kemba learns of her boyfriend Khalif’s true identity as a drug kingpin, he turns abusive — grooming strait-laced Kemba to overlook his illicit dealings. Though she never dealt or handled drugs, in a tragic turn of events, Kemba receives an outrageous sentence for her boyfriend’s crimes — placing her in the middle of the government’s “war on drugs.”
Never losing hope, her parents along with an attorney with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund launch a campaign for appeal and later clemency, harnessing the power of Black civic organizations, sororities, celebrities, and lawmakers to help free Kemba.
Meanwhile, Kemba Smith, the Richmond woman for whom the movie is based, will make in-person appearances alongside the film’s cast and crew in the coming weeks.
Notable events include a special presentation at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Feb. 5 and an evening with MPI Original Films in New York City on Feb. 15. The movie also is scheduled for the Virginia Black Film Festival in Hampton on Feb. 24.
For more details, please visit KembaMovie.com as we announce additional screening opportunities!
