DOC Spotlights African-American Documentary Filmmakers

NASHVILLE: Documentary Channel (DOC) is to launch a new strand starting in 2011 to showcase the works of African-American documentary filmmakers, Black Documentary Cinema, which will air on the last Tuesday of every month in prime time.

The new initiative is done in collaboration with The Black Documentary Collective (BDC) and the Black Association of Documentary Filmmakers-West (BAD-West). The strand kicks off with the U.S. television premiere of S. Pearl Sharp’s The Healing Passage: Voices from the Water on February 22 at 8 p.m. Further highlights to be featured include Chisholm ’72: Unbought & Unbossed and Beyond the Steps: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

“It has been a great experience coordinating this effort with The Black Documentary Collective and BAD-West,” said James Ackerman, Documentary Channel’s president and CEO. “We are excited to provide a platform for both up-and-coming and well-established African-American filmmakers to showcase their work. S. Pearl Sharp’s film is the perfect example of the documentaries we look forward to premiering every month in our new Black Documentary Cinema programming block.”

“Since the early 1940’s Black documentary filmmakers have used their craft to bring truth to history, to expose the accomplishments of the African Diaspora and to celebrate the global, unique qualities of our culture,” added filmmaker Sharp. “It’s inspiring to have this new home at Documentary Channel.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Documentary Channel,” commented Laurens Grant, producer of Freedom Riders and Board Member of BDC. “It is great news in the documentary world that there is a channel dedicated to showcasing documentaries and including films made by filmmakers of color. The increased interest in documentaries has gone global and it is terrific that Documentary Channel is making the beautiful and captivating world of documentaries available to a wider audience."

“Having a platform to view the perspectives of Black documentarians is extremely valuable, particularly since docs, like Michael Moore’s work, are becoming more influential in shaping public opinion,” remarked Denise Hamilton, co-chairperson at BAD-West.

“Kudos to Documentary Channel for being inclusive, and having the vision to offer their viewers documentary stories that shine a light on the African American experience,” added David Massey, fellow co-chairperson of BAD-West.