POWERFUL ADDICTION DRAMA 'LIQUOR BANK' BEGINS LIMITED THEATRICAL RUN AT LAEMMLE MONICA FILM CENTER

Antwone Barnes as Eddie in the bathroom. Photo Credit Fabian Tehrani

Baker and the knife with Sean Alexander James as Baker. Photo Credit Fabian Tehrani

Sean Alexander James and Antwone Barnes as Baker and Eddie together. Photo Credit Fabian Tehrani

Based on a true story, Marcellus Cox’s acclaimed short film explores relapse, accountability and the life-changing power of refusing to give up on someone.

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, September 16, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- "Liquor Bank", the emotionally gripping short film written and directed by Marcellus Cox, will begin a limited theatrical engagement September 25 through October 1, 2026, at the Laemmle Monica Film Center, 1332 Second Street in Santa Monica screening at 3:25 PM daily.

Based on a true story, LIQUOR BANK follows a pivotal day in the life of Eddie Mohler, a U.S. Marine who relapses one day before reaching his first anniversary of sobriety. When Baker, his Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor, confronts him, Eddie must face an ultimatum that could forever change the course of his life.

Starring Antwone Barnes as Eddie and Sean Alexander James as Baker, the 15-minute film enters the private and painful space between relapse and recovery—where one person is losing his footing and another must decide how far love, loyalty and responsibility require him to go.

While addiction is at the center of the story, LIQUOR BANK gives equal weight to the person standing beside the individual in crisis. Baker’s intervention reflects the patience, strength and difficult honesty required of sponsors, relatives, friends, caregivers and recovery communities. His support is neither passive nor easy. It demands compassion without denial and accountability without abandonment.

A Must-See Story About Addiction and Support
Liquor Bank is essential viewing for anyone struggling with addiction, living with or loving someone affected by addiction, supporting a person through recovery, or carrying the hard-earned experience of having survived addiction.

The film acknowledges a truth too often overlooked: addiction rarely affects only one person. It reaches into families, friendships, workplaces and communities. Those who offer support may experience fear, disappointment, anger, exhaustion and helplessness, even as they continue hoping recovery is possible.

Rather than offering an easy answer, LIQUOR BANK opens an urgent conversation about meaningful support—the difference between helping and enabling, the courage required to tell someone the truth and the importance of remaining present without assuming responsibility for another person’s recovery. In Baker, audiences see the quiet heroism of someone who shows up, tells the truth and refuses to treat relapse as the end of the story.

Critical Praise
Critics have praised the film’s emotional honesty, compassionate storytelling and memorable performances.
“LIQUOR BANK is a sincere portrayal of commitment, patience, and selflessness,” wrote Dom Fisher of Geek Vibes Nation, calling the film “a fantastic reminder that good people still exist.”

Richard Propes of The Independent Critic described Cox as “a filmmaker to watch” and “a remarkable storyteller grounded in the richness of universal experiences.”

Kristy Strouse of Film Inquiry wrote that the film “feels lived in, comfortable in its discomfort,” adding that Cox handles the subject “with care” and creates an emotional journey that stays with the viewer.

From the Festival Circuit to the Theatrical Screen
Before its Santa Monica engagement, Liquor Bank reached audiences through a strong festival run that included:
• Cleveland International Film Festival
• Julien Dubuque International Film Festival
• Cordillera International Film Festival
• Exit 6 Film Festival
• Ashland Independent Film Festival
• Reel Black Men Short Film Showcase
• S.E. Manly African American Short Film Showcase
• Portland Film Festival
• Queens World Film Festival
• Capital City Film Festival
These appearances have introduced the film and its message to audiences across the country, establishing LIQUOR BANK as an intimate story with broad social relevance.

About the Filmmaker, Cast and Executive Producers
Writer-director Marcellus Cox creates character-driven stories grounded in universal human experiences. In LIQUOR BANK, Cox uses one consequential encounter to explore relapse, military experience, friendship, responsibility and the fragile possibility of another chance.

Los Angeles-born actor Antwone Barnes, who began acting at age 12 with the Amazing Grace Conservatory, portrays Eddie with vulnerability and emotional force.

Sean Alexander James brings firmness, compassion and restraint to the role of Baker. His television credits include The Morning Show, CSI: Vegas and 9-1-1. Together, Barnes and James create a confrontation that feels less like a performance and more like a private moment audiences have been permitted to witness.

Executive producers Adam Freed and Sandra J. Evers-Manly helped bring this timely story to the screen. Evers-Manly is an award-winning producer and founder and president of the Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center (BHERC). For more than three decades, she has supported independent filmmakers and stories that illuminate social issues, strengthen communities and inspire meaningful dialogue.

More Than a Film—A Conversation That Could Change a Life
For those in recovery, LIQUOR BANK offers recognition without judgment. For those who love them, it affirms that support can be powerful even when it is difficult. For survivors of addiction, it honors the daily courage behind every milestone.

No one can walk another person’s road to recovery. Yet one person’s decision to remain present, set a boundary, speak honestly or extend a hand may help keep hope alive.

See LIQUOR BANK. Bring someone who needs its message. Then stay for the conversation it begins.

THEATRICAL ENGAGEMENT -
Film: LIQUOR BANK
Dates: September 25–October 1, 2026
Screening Times: 3:25 PM Daily
Theater: Laemmle Monica Film Center │Address: 1332 Second Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Tickets and Screening Information
Visit the Laemmle Monica Film Center.

Interviews, Review Access and Additional Information
To request interviews with writer-director Marcellus Cox, executive producers Adam Freed or Sandra J. Evers-Manly, or members of the cast—or to request press materials and review access—

contact:
Sandra J. Evers-Manly
Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center (BHERC) │Email: sandra@bherc.org │Phone: (310) 284-3170 │Website: www.bherc.org

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Sandra Evers-Manly
Films With A Purpose/BHERC
+1 310-284-3170
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