“Marcel’s Promise,” a 22-minute dramatic short film inspired by the life of Panama Al Brown, boxing’s first Latin American world champion, will screen on Friday, June 26, at the Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan. According to organizers, doors open at 6 p.m., with the screening beginning just before 7 p.m.

Written and executive produced by José Corpas and directed by Neil Pellone, the film draws on Corpas’s biography “Black Ink: A Story of Boxing, Betrayal, Homophobia, and the First Latino World Champion.” Organizers describe it as a Harlem-centered story that blends fact and fiction, connecting figures from sports, literature, and music. It was shot in New York City and Ozone Park.

Former two-division world champion Junior Jones portrays Brown. The cast also includes former world champion Iran Barkley as Kid Norfolk, podcast host Broadway Joel as author Piri Thomas, and singer Samantha Echo as folk artist Connie Converse.

How the film came together

Corpas said the project began after independent filmmakers told him a low-budget production was feasible. “I asked them, ‘Really?’ They said yes,” Corpas recalled. He approached Jones at a neighborhood barbecue about playing Brown. “He said yes,” Corpas said. “From there, we started.”

What was pitched as a no-cost effort ultimately ran about $13,000, Corpas said, with support from sponsors and friends across the boxing community. He framed the production as a way to give retired fighters a second act. “We wanted to create opportunities for former fighters to portray the legends who came before them and continue inspiring people in a different way,” Corpas said.

Contributors listed by the production include the WBC, IBF, the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame, Ring 8, Brown’s Boxing Cards, the VBA, the Broadway Joel Podcast, NeoRome Clothing, and individual donors.

Who was Panama Al Brown

Alfonso Teófilo Brown, known as Panama Al Brown, was born in Colón, Panama, in 1902. He won the vacant New York State Athletic Commission world bantamweight title on June 18, 1929, with a decision over Vidal Gregorio, becoming the first Latin American fighter to hold a world championship. He stood 5 feet 11 inches with a 76-inch reach, uncommon dimensions for the 118-pound division, and was recognized as world bantamweight champion for roughly six years before losing the title to Baltasar Sangchili in 1935.

Brown spent much of his career in Paris, where he moved through the city’s artistic circles and was later guided back to the ring by the poet Jean Cocteau, who steered his 1938 title reclamation. He died in New York in 1951, penniless, of tuberculosis. His full record is available via BoxRec’s career file.

Jones, a Brooklyn native nicknamed “Poison,” held the WBA bantamweight title from 1993 to 1994 and the WBO super bantamweight title from 1996 to 1997. He is best known for two wins over Marco Antonio Barrera.

Screening details

Organizers said the event is expected to draw representatives of the Panamanian Consulate, local elected officials, boxing historians, and former champions, along with WBC and IBF representatives. The evening includes a live question-and-answer session with Jones and a bonus screening of the documentary “The Life and Times of Tough Tony Pellone.” A portion of proceeds will benefit Ring 8, the New York veteran boxers association.

The filmmakers said they plan a fall festival run and have been invited to submit to the Miami International Film Festival.

Tickets are $25 and available through Eventbrite, and include a complimentary e-book of Corpas’s “Black Ink.” The Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center is located at 530 West 166th Street.