Trial of the Chicago 7: Winner of LA Press Club’s Veritas Award for Best Film Based on Real People/Events

March 9, 2021 by

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020) - Riot scenes -EMBED 2021

Niko Tavernise/NETFLIX

 

The general membership of the Los Angeles Press Club has voted to award its sixth annual Veritas Award to The Trial of the Chicago 7.
The Veritas Award was created to honor films based on or inspired by real events and people. Voting for it is open to all 1,000 members of the LAPC.In addition to Trial, this year’s ballot included Hillbilly Elegy, Judas and the Black Messiah, Mank, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Nomadland, One Night in Miami, The Mauritanian, The Outpost and The United States vs. Billie Holiday.

According to LAPC executive director Diana Ljungaeus, the “clear winner” was Trial, which chronicles the experiences of seven — actually eight — activists against the Vietnam War before, at and after the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

“On behalf of the producers, cast and crew of The Trial of the Chicago 7, as well as Dreamworks, Cross Creek and Netflix, we’re honored to receive the LA Press Club’s Veritas Award,” writer/director Aaron Sorkin said in a statement. “The Chicago 7 showed enormous courage in their efforts to hasten the end of the Vietnam War. We’re proud to have told their story and to accept this award on their behalf as well.”

Added LAPC president Lisa Richwine, “The Trial of the Chicago 7 provided historical context to many of the issues that our members have been covering in the past year, from political divisions to mass public protests, racial injustice and violence by police.”

Past winners of the Veritas Award include Spotlight and Green Book, both of which went on to win the best picture Oscar, as well as Hidden Figures, The Post and Bombshell.

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