TITLE: Crime & Parody DIRECTOR: Will Thwaites TRT: 87:00 COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United States SYNOPSIS: Nearly a decade before Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert came under attack for their political humor, an unknown comedian from Ohio finds himself in even more serious trouble for making fun of the government. Crime & Parody opens with the story of Anthony Novak, an amateur comedian who creates a parody Facebook page mocking his local police department. The page is satire, but the police take it very seriously. They raid Anthony’s home with guns drawn, throw him in county jail, and charge him with a felony punishable by up to 18 months in prison. In the years that follow, Anthony fights in court to defend his First Amendment right to criticize the government. With support from The Onion, his case is appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, just as debates around free speech and political expression are reaching a boiling point in America. Anthony’s case helps raise two questions that continue to grow more urgent: how do you hold the government accountable when they violate your rights, and what responsibility does law enforcement have to its citizens? RATINGS: Strong Language, Adult Situations
Saturday August 22, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm EDT Theatre Macon438 Cherry Street, Macon, GA 31201
