“All of us know a great deal about their music and the culture and the fashion and the films. But I didn’t realize how really groundbreaking they were in terms of their careers,” explains Dr. Mehret Mandefro, who is Emmy-nominated for Best Documentary or Nonfiction Series for the “American Masters” documentary “How it Feels to Be Free”; she produced it along with Michael Kantor, Lacey Schwartz Delgado, Elliott Halpern, Elizabeth Trojian, Julie Sacks and Grammy winner Alicia Keys. Based on the book of the same name by Ruth Feldstein, the film chronicles the art and activism of Lena Horne, Nina Simone, Pam Grier, Abbey Lincoln, Diahann Carroll and Cicely Tyson. Watch our exclusive video interview with Mandefro above.
SEESee chats with 5 Emmy-nominated TV showrunners: ‘The Boys,’ ‘Black-ish,’ ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked,’ ‘Mahalia,’ ‘Black Lady Sketch Show’
The six artists profiled in the film represent the progress made by...
SEESee chats with 5 Emmy-nominated TV showrunners: ‘The Boys,’ ‘Black-ish,’ ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked,’ ‘Mahalia,’ ‘Black Lady Sketch Show’
The six artists profiled in the film represent the progress made by...
- 8/13/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
PBS’ American Masters documentary “How It Feels to Be Free” – which counts Alicia Keys among its roster of exec producers – salutes the careers of six Black female entertainers who used their celebrity to promote civil rights and challenge racists stereotypes.
The documentary – which premieres today on PBS and is set to become a market priority for its distributor Fremantle at NATPE this week – is directed by Yoruba Richen.
A Yap Films production in association with Itvs, Chicken & Egg pictures and Documentary Channel in Canada, it celebrates the careers of Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier.
While its premiere may seem timely in the wake of the Time’s Up and Black Lives Matters movements, PBS and Itvs first came on board five years ago – it just took years to raise the necessary finance, according to Richen.
It was only when two of the film...
The documentary – which premieres today on PBS and is set to become a market priority for its distributor Fremantle at NATPE this week – is directed by Yoruba Richen.
A Yap Films production in association with Itvs, Chicken & Egg pictures and Documentary Channel in Canada, it celebrates the careers of Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier.
While its premiere may seem timely in the wake of the Time’s Up and Black Lives Matters movements, PBS and Itvs first came on board five years ago – it just took years to raise the necessary finance, according to Richen.
It was only when two of the film...
- 1/18/2021
- by Ann-Marie Corvin
- Variety Film + TV
Popstar Alicia Keys is to exec produce a feature-length documentary about six iconic African American female entertainers for PBS.
American Masters: How It Feels To Be Free will tell the story of Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier and how they challenged an entertainment industry deeply complicit in perpetuating racist stereotypes, and transformed themselves and their audiences in the process.
The doc, which will air in early 2021 on PBS and the Documentary Channel in Canada, features interviews and archival performances with all six women, as well as original conversations with artists influenced by them, including Keys, Halle Berry, Lena Waithe, Meagan Good, Latanya Richardson Jackson and Samuel L. Jackson, as well as family members, including Horne’s daughter Gail Lumet Buckley.
It is based on the book How It Feels To Be Free: Black Women Entertainers and the Civil Rights Movement by Ruth Feldstein.
American Masters: How It Feels To Be Free will tell the story of Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier and how they challenged an entertainment industry deeply complicit in perpetuating racist stereotypes, and transformed themselves and their audiences in the process.
The doc, which will air in early 2021 on PBS and the Documentary Channel in Canada, features interviews and archival performances with all six women, as well as original conversations with artists influenced by them, including Keys, Halle Berry, Lena Waithe, Meagan Good, Latanya Richardson Jackson and Samuel L. Jackson, as well as family members, including Horne’s daughter Gail Lumet Buckley.
It is based on the book How It Feels To Be Free: Black Women Entertainers and the Civil Rights Movement by Ruth Feldstein.
- 7/28/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
The Smithsonian Channel is commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Star Trek TV show, with a new two-hour special, "Building Star Trek," which debuts Sunday, September 4, 2016 at 8:00pm Et/Pt. After the jump find out how to enter Smithsonian Channel's "Building Star Trek Sweepstakes," for a chance to win a trip to Star Trek: Mission New York.Star Trek: The Original Series premiered September 8, 1966. The cast includes: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, James Doohan, Eddie Paskey, George Takei, Walter Koenig, and Majel Barret. "Building Star Trek" hails from Yap Films for Smithsonian Channel and Discovery Canada with Elliott Halpern and Elizabeth Trojian executive producing. Writer Mick Grogan directs. Executive produceing for Smithsonian are David Royle, Charles Poe and Tim Evans.Read More…...
- 7/8/2016
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
William Shatner is set to headline an all-star Star Trek panel at San Diego Comic-Con this year, and it will be moderated by Bryan Fuller, the man behind the upcoming new Star Trek series.
The panel will take place in Hall H on Saturday, July 23rd at 2 Pm, and some of the other Star Trek stars that will be in attendance will include Michael Dorn (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Brent Spiner (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Jeri Ryan (Star Trek: Voyager), and Scott Bakula (Star Trek: Enterprise).
CBS is also using the opportunity to heavily promote their upcoming Star Trek series, which Fuller is an executive producer on. The series doesn’t have an official title yet, but it’s slated to run on the CBS All Access streaming service following its premiere on the CBS broadcast network in January of 2017.
This is just...
The panel will take place in Hall H on Saturday, July 23rd at 2 Pm, and some of the other Star Trek stars that will be in attendance will include Michael Dorn (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Brent Spiner (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Jeri Ryan (Star Trek: Voyager), and Scott Bakula (Star Trek: Enterprise).
CBS is also using the opportunity to heavily promote their upcoming Star Trek series, which Fuller is an executive producer on. The series doesn’t have an official title yet, but it’s slated to run on the CBS All Access streaming service following its premiere on the CBS broadcast network in January of 2017.
This is just...
- 7/6/2016
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
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