In The Public, an unusually bitter Arctic blast has made its way to downtown Cincinnati and the front doors of the public library where the action of the film takes place. The story revolves around the library patrons, many of whom are homeless, mentally ill and marginalised, as well as an exhausted and overwhelmed staff of librarians who often built emotional connections and a sense of obligation to care for those regular patrons. At offs with library officials over how to handle the extreme weather event, the Patrons turn the building into a homeless shelter for the night by staging an ‘Occupy’ sit in. What begins as an act of civil disobedience becomes a stand off with police and a rush-to-judgement media constantly speculating about what’s really happening. This David versus Goliath story tackles some of our nation’s most challenging issues, homelessness and mental illness and sets the drama inside one of the last bastions of democracy-in-action: your public library.

Starring Emilio Estevez, Jena Malone, Michael Kenneth Williams, Taylor Schilling, Gabrielle Union, Christian Slater and Alec Baldwin, The Public is a welcome return to the director’s chair for Estevez (The Way, Bobby, Men at Work (!!!)), who also wrote the original script.

For a chance to win a double pass to The Public, tell us what your favourite original scripted movie is and why you love it. Email your entry to competitions@filmink.com.au, and don’t forget to include your postal address. Most creative entries win.