ABOUT THE FILM

In 2016, amateur comedian Anthony Novak created a parody Facebook page mocking his local police department. The page was satire, but the police took it VERY seriously. They raided Anthony’s home, jailed him for four days, and charged him with a felony punishable by up to 18 months in prison… all for a joke. His ensuing legal battle, which reached the U.S. Supreme Court, would underscore the importance of free speech and police accountability—two pillars essential to upholding democracy in America. But just fifteen miles from Anthony’s arrest, another police encounter would reveal the most devastating consequence when constitutional protections break down—ending not in jail, but in a man’s death.

Crime & Parody is a feature documentary directed and produced by Will Thwaites in association with Kartemquin Films (producers of Hoop Dreams and Minding the Gap). The film will premiere in 2026.

THE ISSUES

FREE SPEECH - When Anthony Novak was arrested for his parody Facebook page, everyone from civil rights attorneys to The Onion stepped up to defend his First Amendment right to free speech. “The right we have as Americans to mock government officials is incredibly important,” says Anthony’s lawyer. “His rights being in jeopardy puts us all in jeopardy.” Through Anthony’s story, Crime & Parody explores the history of political satire and the fundamental importance of the First Amendment in America’s democracy.

POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY - Anthony Novak’s lawyers have argued that the police blatantly violated his constitutional rights when they prosecuted him for what should have been protected speech. But instead of being held accountable, the police were granted what’s called “qualified immunity” and cleared of any wrongdoing. Crime & Parody takes an in-depth look at this controversial legal doctrine of qualified immunity, and more broadly, the film unpacks serious questions about police accountability in cases with higher stakes than Anthony’s. “I don’t want to be remiss in not acknowledging the lives that are lost at the hand of police officers,” a lawyer named Ayesha Bell Hardaway says in the film. She then goes on to tell the story of her high school classmate (Omar Arrington-Bey) who was killed by police, and how the officers couldn’t be held accountable because of qualified immunity.

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IMAGES FROM THE FILM

THE TEAM

WILL THWAITES - DIRECTOR / PRODUCER
Will Thwaites is a documentary filmmaker based in Brooklyn, New York. He's worked on projects for Netflix, Amazon, National Geographic, and PBS. Will was a producer on two acclaimed Netflix series: Full Swing and My Next Guest with David Letterman. He started his career at Kartemquin Films (Oscar-nominated producers of Abacus: Small Enough to Jail and Hoop Dreams) where he worked on the Emmy Award-winning film, The Homestretch.

DIANE QUON - CONSULTING PRODUCER
Academy Award-nominated Diane Quon worked as a marketing executive at NBC and Paramount Pictures in LA before moving back to her hometown of Chicago. Since 2016, Diane has produced multiple documentaries including the Oscar-nominated and Peabody award-winning film, Minding the Gap (Hulu); Aka Mr. Chow (HBO); Breaking the News (Indie Lens); Oscar-shortlisted Bad Axe (IFCFilms); and Emmy-nominated Wuhan Wuhan.

LIZ HODES - CONSULTING PRODUCER
Liz Hodes is an Emmy-Award-winning producer who has worked on some of the most celebrated documentary television series of the past decade: The New York Times Presents (FX), The Vow (HBO), The Circus (Showtime), and Conversations with a Killer (Netflix). Liz produced the Emmy-nominated film Framing Britney Spears and the Emmy-winning film Malfunction: The Dressing Down of Janet Jackson.

For more information, email William.L.Thwaites@gmail.com