A free outdoor screening of “Water Brother: The Sid Abbruzzi Story” scheduled for Wednesday at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center has been postponed following the deaths of executive producer Jerry Kirby’s sister and brother-in-law.
Tom Perkins, 68, and his wife Agatha Perkins, 66, of Middletown died Monday morning when a small plane crashed onto Interstate 195 in Dartmouth, Massachusetts.
“Our hearts are with Jerry, the Kirby and Perkins families, and the Kirby Perkins Construction family during this profoundly difficult time,” said Anna K. Downes, marketing and communications coordinator for the screening event.
The film screening will be rescheduled at a later date. Downes said organizers appreciate “the understanding and support of our community as we come together with compassion and respect.”
The 90-minute documentary, directed by Charles and Daniel Kinnane, tells the story of Abbruzzi, a Newport surf and skate legend. The film premiered at Fort Adams State Park in August 2023 through newportFILM and subsequently sold out multiple screenings at the JPT Film & Event Center. It is currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.
The event was to be presented in partnership with Water Bros. and newportFILM at the basketball courts behind the center at 20 Dr. Marcus Wheatland Blvd.
