Marc Fogel, an international teacher who is being detained in a Russian prison, is a graduate of Butler High School. His graduation photo is displayed in his mother Malphine's home in Butler Township. Submitted photo

A documentary about Butler native Marc Fogel, who is imprisoned in Russia, will be screened at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 25, at the Penn Theater.

The documentary, “Did you forget Mr. Fogel?” will be screened at 6 p.m. at Penn Theater, 149 N. Main St., downtown Butler. The film by Max Karpman documents the battle to get assistance to help Fogel return home after being arrested and jailed in Russia.

Karpman met with Marc Fogel’s mother, Malphine Fogel, in 2023 to work on the documentary short.

Marc Fogel, a teacher, was detained at a Russian airport in 2021 and still is fighting to secure his release. He was arrested for carrying a half ounce of marijuana in his luggage, which was prescribed for chronic pain due to a back injury.

The documentary was created by student filmmakers Kaylee Smith, Seth Karall and Francesca Hill, along with Karpman, on a budget of $21,000. Karpman made the documentary as part of a Community Voices class at Chapman University in California.

Karpman’s pitch for Marc Fogel’s story was one of six projects selected. A donor to the school provided $13,000, and Karpman crowdfunded another $8,000 to complete the project.

“It wasn’t my first time making a documentary,” Karpman said. “But there were a lot of challenges. A lot of it was the emotional weight the story had. It affected us watching the interview footage every day.”

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for the screening. The event will begin with remarks from Karpman at 6 p.m., followed by a viewing of the film, which is 15 minutes long.

Both a panel featuring Malphine Fogel and others and a Q & A with Karpman are planned for after the film’s conclusion.

An open cash bar and concessions will be available.