Film
Maya Angelou Won A Peabody!
The documentary, which was unanimously nominated for the award, is the first feature documentary on the singer, dancer, activist, poet and writer who inspired generations with modern African-American thought that pushed boundaries.
As part of the Peabody 30, the program was considered “the best of the best” out of 1,200 entries in television, radio, podcast, and web programming broadcast in 2017.
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You can now watch Maya Angelou’s “And Still I Rise” from the comfort of your home on:
This is the first film to be made about the incomparable Maya Angelou. The film presents her incredible journey, shedding light on the untold aspects of her life with remarkable unmatched access. This intimate and personal portrait of Dr. Maya Angelou’s life is a touching and moving tribute to her legacy.
Distinctly referred to as “a redwood tree, with deep roots in American culture,” Maya Angelou gave people the freedom to think about their history in a way they never had before. Dr. Angelou’s was a prolific life; as a singer, dancer, activist, poet, and writer she inspired generations with lyrical modern African-American thought that pushed boundaries.
This unprecedented film weaves her words with rare and intimate archival photographs and videos, which paint hidden moments of her exuberant life during some of America’s most defining moments. From her upbringing in the Depression-era South to her work with Malcolm X in Ghana to her inaugural poem for President Bill Clinton, the film takes us on an incredible journey through the life of a true American icon.
The film also features a remarkable series of interviews with friends and family including President Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Common, Alfre Woodard, Cicely Tyson, Quincy Jones, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, John Singleton and Dr. Angelou’s son, Guy Johnson.
The film premiered to critical acclaim at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. It won the Audience Award at AFI Docs and was featured at notable fests worldwide including Full Frame, Sheffield Docs, Boulder Film Fest, and Riverrun, winning 9 awards on 3 continents. The exclusive U.S. broadcast premiere of MAYA ANGELOU: AND STILL I RISE will be on the American Masters series this winter on PBS.
The film is a co-production of The People Poet Media Group, LLC, American Masters Pictures, and ITVS in association with Artemis Rising.
Funding for MAYA ANGELOU: AND STILL I RISE provided by:
Ford Foundation/JUST FILMS • IDP Foundation • National Endowment for the Arts • National Black Programming Consortium • Corporation for Public Broadcasting • Loida & Leslie Lewis • Michael Metelits
Go Behind the Scenes with Common, Rita Coburn-Whack & Maya Angelou – Click Here
The Directors
Co-Director Bob Hercules is an independent filmmaker whose recent films include Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance and Bill T. Jones: A Good Man. The Joffrey film, narrated by Mandy Patinkin, tells the full story of the groundbreaking ballet company and their many rises and falls. It premiered in January, 2012 at the Dance on Camera Film Festival at Lincoln Center and aired on PBS’ American Masters December, 2012. A Good Man aired on American Masters in 2011 and played at many film festivals including IDFA, Silverdocs, Full Frame, DOXA and the Southern Circuit. Hercules acclaimed Forgiving Dr. Mengele (2005) won the Special Jury Prize at the Slamdance Film Festival and has been seen in film festivals around the world.
Co-Director Rita Coburn Whack is an independent filmmaker with Emmy-Award winning documentaries for Curators of Culture, Remembering 47th Street and African Roots American Soil. Other documentaries have aired on C-Span and the History Channel. Under her direction Maya Angelou’s Radio Show for Oprah Radio was awarded the Women in Radio and Television Gracie Awards, “BEST RADIO PROGRAM” 2008, “BEST RADIO HOST” 2009 and the “SILVER WORLD MEDAL” IN RADIO NEW YORK FESTIVAL 2009. Author of the novel Meant to Be (Random House Strivers Row 2002) her company RCW Media Productions, Inc. produced Maya Angelou’s Black History Month Specials distributed by Public Radio International 2011, 2012 and 2013.
The Team
Co-Executive Producer Reuben Cannon was Producer of Down in the Delta directed by Maya Angelou, The Women of Brewster Place (with Oprah Winfrey), and Get on the Bus (Spike Lee). He was also Producer, with Tyler Perry, of Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Madea’s Family Reunion, Why Did I Get Married, Daddy’s Little Girls, Meet The Browns, The Family That Preys, Madea Goes To Jail, and Madea’s Big Happy Family. Reuben was also Executive Producer for the comedy series Tyler Perry’s House of Payne.
Co-Executive Producer Marquetta Glass was a Co-Exective Producer of the Hallmark series Spirit Table with Dr. Maya Angelou, Celebrate Christmas with Maya Angelou, Hallmark Hall of Fame–The Run Away, Olympics-2000, Amazement Awaits. Glass created the 2011 business alliance with BET to produce Soul Mates featuring Maya Angelou & Common.
Michael Kantor joined American Masters as the series’ executive producer in April 2014 during its 28th season on PBS. An Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker, Kantor has worked on projects for PBS, HBO, Bravo and 20th Century Fox. His PBS series include Broadway: The American Musical (hosted by Julie Andrews), Make ‘Em Laugh (hosted by Billy Crystal) and Superheroes (hosted by Liev Schreiber). He served as executive producer of Give Me the Banjo with Steve Martin, and distributes the American Film Theatre series including Edward Albee’s A Delicate Balance, starring Katharine Hepburn, and Chekhov’s Three Sisters with Laurence Olivier. Kantor has co-authored three books, served as a Tony nominator, and teaches producing at the School for Visual Arts in NYC.
Chris Gardner, CEO of Happyness!
Raymond earned writer and producer credits for the award-winning documentary film PHUNNY BUSINESS: A Black Comedy and is currently serving as a executive producer on two new documentary films, Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise and All The Queens Horses with Kartemquin Films. The founder of All Jokes Aside, he has served as a consultant on comedy and talent to producers at NBC, HBO, Comedy Central, B.E.T, Second City, and Just For Laughs Comedy Festival. Raymond recently completed his first book, All Jokes Aside: Stand Up Comedy Is A Phunny Business released by Agate Publishing.
Director of Photography Keith Walker was D.P. of Mavis! (the Mavis Staples story, HBO 2016), Bill T. Jones: A Good Man, (American Masters), Steve James’ Head Games, and No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson (ESPN 30 for 30), Alex Gibney’s Catching Hell (ESPN’s 30 for 30), and Bob Hercules’ Forgiving Dr. Mengele. Keith was also the primary D.P. for Oprah Prime (OWN) and has shot for CBS’ 60 Minutes for over 20 years.
Editor David E. Simpson edited Life Itself (the Roger Ebert documentary directed by Steve James) which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. David also edited Bob Hercules & Gordon Quinn’s Bill T. Jones: A Good Man (American Masters, 2011), Steve James’ Head Games (2012), and Bob Hercules’ Forgiving Dr. Mengele (winner of the Special Jury Prize, Slamdance 2006).
Editor Lillian Benson, ACE was one of the original editors of the landmark series Eyes on the Prize. She has gone onto to edit many award-winning documentaries including Get in the Way: The Journey of John L. Lewis, Wounded Knee (Stanley Nelson) and Great Performances: The Alvin Ailey Dance Company (PBS).
Composer Stephen James Taylor past projects include scoring the documentary Tom Bradley: Bridging the Divide (2015), Southside With You (2015), People Are The Sky, (2015), Marvel’s TV Series The Black Panther, Universal’s The Adventures of Brer Rabbit, Disney’s Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas (for which he won Best Original Score at the 2004 DVDX Awards), Teachers Pet, a Disney animated feature and many of Charles Burnett’s films including To Sleep With Anger and the blues documentary, Warming By the Devil’s Fire produced by Martin Scorsese, and the 1996 orchestral suite for Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics. He has received 4 Emmy Nominations.
The Story
At the time of Maya Angelou’s death, she was participating in the first feature documentary about her life for the American Masters series, Maya Angelou And Still I Rise. Co-directors/producers Bob Hercules and Rita Coburn Whack last interviewed Dr. Angelou (April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) this past January and production on the film continues. We look forward to her taking her rightful place in the American Masters series, albeit posthumously.
An eloquent poet, writer and performer, Maya Angelou’s life intersected with the civil rights struggle, the Harlem Writers Guild, the New Africa movement, the women’s movement, and the cultural and political realignments of the 1970s and ’80s. Her first book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, catapulted Dr. Angelou onto the literary stage and became an international best-seller. She appeared in numerous documentaries, talk shows and feature films, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, yet shockingly, has never been the subject of her own feature documentary.
Having lived such a rich, passionate life and been a witness, as well as a participant, in some of the most profound periods of the last century, her full biography is extraordinarily rich and varied. Dr. Angelou lived not one life, but half a dozen, and yet parts of her story have fallen into obscurity. Maya Angelou And Still I Rise reflects on how the events of history, culture and the arts shaped her life and how she, in turn, helped shape our own worldview through her autobiographical literature and activism.
The film is a co-production of The People Poet, LLC and ITVS in association with THIRTEEN Productions LLC’s American Masters for WNET, in association with Artemis Rising.
Film Screenings
We can’t tell you how much your vision and encouragement continues to propel this film. In March the documentary was presented in Dr. Angelou’s hometown of St.Louis on two screens with over 750 viewers and more than 2800 requests to attend. In April we visited Sarasota, Ft. Myers where we won Best Documentary and were featured at Full Frame. We then ended April in Dr. Angelou’s Winston-Salem with many of Dr. Angelou’s family, friends and academic community in attendance. Please visit our website photos and follow our Instagram to Facebook and Twitter.
Past Film Screenings
4/8/2017 |
3/30/2017 |
3/30/2017 |
3/17/2017 |
3/16/2017 |
3/15/2017 |
3/14/2017 |
3/13/2017 |
3/12/2017 |
3/10/2017 |
3/4/2017 |
2/25/2017 |
2/22/2017 |
2/18/2017 |
2/18/2017 |
2/16/2017 |
2/14/2017 |
2/10/2017 |
2/9/2017 |
2/8/2017 |
2/7/2017 |
2/4/2017 & 2/5/2017 |
1/27/2017 |
1/26/2017 |
1/13/2017-1/19/2017 |
1/15/2017 |
1/15/2017-1/19/2017 |
1/15/2017-1/26/2017 |
1/6/2017 |
11/26/2016 – 11/27/2016 |
11/16/2016-11/27/2016 |
11/25/2016 at 19:00 |
11/24/2016 at 18:45 |
11/22/2016 at 17:00 |
11/21/2016 at 11:45 |
11/19/2016 – 11/20/2016 |
11/19/2016 – 11/20/2016 |
11/17/2016 at 15:00 |
11/10/2016 – 11/17/2016 |
11/16/2016 |
11/11/2016-11/17/2016 |
11/14/2016 – 7:30pm* |
11/12/2016 – 11/13/2016 |
11/04/2016 – 11/13/2016 |
11/10/2016 – 11/13/2016 |
11/10/2016 |
11/12/2016 |
11/04/2016 – 11/12/2016 |
11/11/2016 |
11/03/2016 – 11/10/2016 |
11/12/2016 |
11/11/2016 |
11/11/2016 & 11/13/2016 |
11/05/2016 – 11/05/2016 |
11/05/2016 – 11/06/2016 |
11/03/2016 – 11/06/2016 |
10/27/2016 – 10/27/2016 |
10/20/2016 – 10/23/2016 |
10/19/2016 – 10/23/2016 |
10/19/2016 – 10/29/2016 |
10/11/16 and 10/13/16 |
10/14/16 |
10/14/16 |
10/14/16 |
10/08/2016 – 10/08/2016 |
10/07/2016 |
10/07/2016-10/16/2016 |
10/01/16 |
09/29/2016 – 10/02/2016 |
10/01/2016 |
09/25/2016 |
09/27/2016 – 10/03/2016 |
09/24/16 |
09/22/2016 – 09/26/2016 |
09/22/16 and 09/24/16 |
Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago now until Sept. 29http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/mayaangelou |
Dates and Attendance TBDAspen InstituteBlack Harvest Film Festival |
June 26th
Hay Literary Festival
|
June 12/13 June 12 @ 3:15pm June 14 @ 8:30pm both with Q&A Sheffield Doc. Festival
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June 10 @ 5:30pm deadCenter Film Festival
|
June 9 & 10
Seattle International Film FestivalBob Only |
June 7 Grand Cinema Tacoma, Washington |
June 5/11 Date & Time TBD plus Master Class Encounters Film Festival
|
June 3/12 Cinetopia International Film Festival
|
June 2 @ 6:00pmIlluminate Film Festival
|
May 31
Doc Soup Toronto
|
May 15 Bermuda Film Festival Hamilton, Bermuda |
May 8/9 & 15 May 8 @ 5:30pm (without directors May 15 3:30 p.m) DOXA Documentary Film Festival
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May 6/7 May 6 @ 5:45pm May 7 @ 11:00am Montclair Film Festival
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May 4 @ 5:30pmBentonville Film Festival
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If you would like to join us at any of these events please contact us and again, thank you for your support.
Rita and Bob
Photos
Press
Interviews & Press Releases
- Documentary Explores Life of Legendary Writer Maya Angelou
- Ed O’Keefe; Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise; Gianfranco Rosi – (Video)
Guest host Alison Stewart discusses President Trump’s press conference with Ed O’Keefe of The Washington Post. Allison Stewart continues with a discussion about the new documentary “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise,” with the film’s directors Bob Hercules and Rita Coburn Whack, and Colin Johnson, the grandson of Maya Angelou and the co-founder of Caged Bird Legacy. A look at the documentary, “Fire at Sea,” with the film’s director Gianfranco Rosi. - ‘And Still I Rise’ – (Video)
Guest host Alison Stewart leads a discussion about the new documentary “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise,” with the film’s directors Bob Hercules and Rita Coburn Whack, and Colin Johnson, the grandson of Maya Angelou and the co-founder of Caged Bird Legacy. - ESSENCE –Review: Maya Angelou’s ‘And Still I Rise’ Documentary Is Original Black Girl Magic
- Truth Dig – Review: “‘Maya Angelou: And Still I rise’ Weaves a Rich Fabric From the Author’s Lived History”
- LA Times – Review: “‘Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise’ In praise of the poet”
- Indie Wire – Review: “Comprehensive Documentary Lacks the Spark of Its Subject”
- The Skanner – Review: “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise’ Offers intimate Look at the Life of Late Icon”
- The Fume of Sighs – Review: “Documentary – Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise; screening one week only”
- Indie Entertainment – Review: “Favorite Pic: Maya Angelou And Still I Rise”
- Crave Online – Review: This captivating look at the life of poet Maya Angelou …
- Black Matter US – Review: ‘And Still I Rise,’ Maya Angelou’s Documentary To Hit Theatres Soon
- Bustle – “The Maya Angelou Documentary Details The Life Of This Extraordinary Woman
- Shadow And Act – TRAILER + RELEASE DATE SET FOR ‘AND STILL I RISE’ (FIRST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY ON THE LIFE OF MAYA ANGELOU)
- Roger Ebert – Warm review: Maya Angelou And Still I Rise” By Nick Allen
- Chicago Reader: Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise showtimes
- Sundance: Inspirational ‘Maya Angelou And Still I Rise’ Documentary Debuts
- E! ONLINE – JANUARY 21, 2016: “Sundance 2016: 19 Movie We Can’t Wait to See” by Staff.
- EBONY- JANUARY 21, 2016: “Black Sundance: 10 Films Not to Miss” by Staff.
- HUFFINGTIN POST ENTERTAINMENT- JANUARY 21, 2016: “19 Documentaries Premiering At The Sundance Film Festival That We’ll Be Talking About In 2016” by Matthew Jacobs.
- BUZZFEED – JANUARY 19, 2016: “The 71 Most Highly Anticipated Movies At The 2016 Sundance Film Festival” by Adam B. Vary and Kate Aurthur.
- INDIEWIRE/THE PLAYLIST – JANUARY 19, 2016: “The 30 Most Anticipated Films Of The 2016 Sundance Film Festival” by Oliver Lyttelton.
- INDIEWIRE/WOMEN AND HOLLYWOOD – JANUARY 19, 2016: “Sundance 2016 Preview: Eagle Huntresses, Toddler Kidnappers, Other Festival Gems By and About Women” By Melissa Silverstein and Laura Berger.
- ESSENCE – JANUARY 19, 2016: “17 Must-See Films with Black Star Power at This Year’s Sundance Film Festival” by Lapacazo Sandoval.
- POPOPTIQ – JANUARY 14, 2016: “Sundance 2016: Most Anticipated” by Lane Scarberry.
- FILM SCHOOL REJECTS – DECEMBER 31, 2015: “40 Movies Directed By Women To Look Forward to In 2016” by Christopher Campbell.
- METAMORA FILMS – DECEMBER 19, 2015: “Metamora Films To Cover The 2016 Sundance Film Festival” by Staff.
- Hollywood Reporter: Sundance: Maya Angelou Documentary Pays Tribute to 1950s ‘Miss Calypso’ (Exclusive Video)
Contact
For all inquiries or questions, please contact us:
info@mayaangeloufilm.com
For publicity information, please contact:
PMK•BNC
Omar Gonzales
Omar.Gonzales@pmkbnc.com
&
Leigh Wolfson
Leigh.wolfson@pmkbnc.com