Posted November 21, 2017

10 years later, alumnus’ film about North Philly family to debut

Jonathan Olshefski’s film Quest will premiere in Philadelphia and beyond in December.

A decade after a Temple student began chronicling the story of one North Philadelphia family, his feature-length film will debut in theaters across the country.

Jonathan Olshefski’s Quest, a documentary that follows Christopher “Quest” Rainey and his family, will be released at the Landmark Theatres’ Ritz at the Bourse Dec. 1. Olshefski, KLN ’04, TFM ’11, and the film’s subjects will appear at the theater for several screenings.

The film is slated to open in New York, Los Angeles and beyond after its Philadelphia release.

Olshefski began filming Quest, his family and their home recording studio at the same time that Barack Obama inched closer to becoming the nation’s first black president. The movie follows one family’s story, including their resilience in the face of unthinkable hardships, during a pivotal time in U.S. history.

Last year, the project received a $100,000 grant from the MacArthur Foundation, which helped the two-time alumnus move the film into post-production. The film premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and has received numerous awards.

A “living, breathing, stunning documentary,” is how a Variety magazine review referred to the film.

Learn more about the film at quest-documentary.com.