Coverthemovie

“I must be allowed to tell everything…before I was accused of murder, before my family was ripped apart…”

With these words, Valerie Maas (AUNJANUE ELLIS) begins to relate the story of her dream life that slowly darkened into a nightmare. Held in a police interrogation room, facing off against a jaded, veteran detective (LOUIS GOSSETT, JR.) and a slick D.A. (CLIFTON DAVIS) itching for a collar, Valerie recounts the recent events of her life: the relocation of her family from Atlanta to Philadelphia, enabling her husband, Dutch (RAZ ADOTI), to take a better job as a hospital psychiatrist; her role as a co-breadwinner and commercial photographer now reduced to that of full-time housewife and part-time portraitist for her friend, Zahara Milton (VIVICA A. FOX); her reunion with Dutch's old college buddies Kevin and Monica Wilson (ROGER GUENVEUR SMITH and PAULA JAI PARKER) and Ryan Chambers (LEON), providing instant entrée into Philadelphia's upper echelon African-American community; and the welcome reception she receives at Mercy Baptist Church from Reverend and Mrs. Dunn (JOHNNIE HOBBS, JR. and KAREN VICKS).

Quickly, Dutch, Valerie and their daughter, Nicole (TOMORROW MONTGOMERY), settle into life in their newly adopted city. When Kevin Wilson provides Dutch with the down payment on a Chestnut Hill mansion, no questions are raised. Their dreams are indeed starting to become reality. It all seems almost too good to be true…

Then, Valerie's unflappable trust in Dutch begins to waiver—why is he having to work longer hours? Why is he suddenly unavailable during random times of the day? Zahara raises concerns in Valerie, who isn't calmed at all by the Monday night discussions of her Women's Faith Fellowship: dealing with infidelity in marriage. Zahara takes matters into her own hands and follows Dutch, later producing compromising photographs of him with another woman, and Valerie's mind becomes clouded with suspicion. Soon, an unexpected tip-off results in a shattering discovery that threatens to destroy Valerie and everything that she holds dear. With a New Year's Eve shooting resulting in murder, Valerie now finds herself as the prime suspect, with only her strength of character and her stalwart faith to help her escape alive from this unthinkable ordeal.

A taut thriller with a social conscience, “Cover” also stars RICHARD GANT as Robert Maas, MYA HARRISON as Cynda, VICTORIA PLATT TILFORD as Charlotte, PATTI LaBELLE as Mrs. Persons and CLAYTON PRINCE as Greg, as well as others.

The film is directed by BILL DUKE, with a screenplay by AARON RAHSAAN THOMAS (based on a screenplay by ALIYA JACKSON). The film is produced by COREY REDMOND, WARREN KOHLER and BILL DUKE, and executive-produced by MICHAEL A. DiMANNO and R. SCOTT REID.