In 1957, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment, but segregationists in the Texas Legislature deemed it legal to threaten to withhold state funding from a public university for casting an African-American female opposite a fellow Caucasian male student. The 1950s was a decade that opened the door to equal and fair education for all Americans, but continued to be slammed in the faces of some, like University of Texas at Austin distinguished alumna Barbara Smith Conrad, the subject of the 2010 film When I Rise.
Conrad, a mezzo-soprano from Center Point, Texas, was cast as Dido in Henry Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas. However, she was soon replaced by a Caucasian student. The casting move made headlines nationwide, gaining the attention of the King of Calypso himself, Harry Belafonte, who offered Conrad a deal she did refuse: He would pay for her...
Conrad, a mezzo-soprano from Center Point, Texas, was cast as Dido in Henry Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas. However, she was soon replaced by a Caucasian student. The casting move made headlines nationwide, gaining the attention of the King of Calypso himself, Harry Belafonte, who offered Conrad a deal she did refuse: He would pay for her...
- 2/8/2013
- by Jordan Gass-Poore'
- Slackerwood
hollywoodnews.com: Tune-in tonight, February 8th, to watch the broadcast premiere of a documentary directed by Mat Hames and produced by James Moll and Michael Rosen called “When I Rise” on PBS. It’s airing as part of the award-winning series Independent Lens. Most PBS stations are airing it at 10pm, but please check local listings for times in your area at PBS website.
A gifted black music student at the University of Texas is thrust into a civil rights storm that changes her life forever. Barbara Smith Conrad is cast in an opera to co-star with a white male classmate, fueling a racist backlash from members of the Texas legislature. When Barbara is expelled from the cast, the incident escalates to national news, prompting unexpected support from a pop superstar.
This small-town girl, whose voice and spirit stem from her roots in East Texas, emerges as an internationally celebrated...
A gifted black music student at the University of Texas is thrust into a civil rights storm that changes her life forever. Barbara Smith Conrad is cast in an opera to co-star with a white male classmate, fueling a racist backlash from members of the Texas legislature. When Barbara is expelled from the cast, the incident escalates to national news, prompting unexpected support from a pop superstar.
This small-town girl, whose voice and spirit stem from her roots in East Texas, emerges as an internationally celebrated...
- 2/9/2011
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
Tonight at 10pm Cst, PBS’s Independent Lens will turn focus to mezzo-soprano opera singer Barbara Smith Conrad in the documentary When I Rise. The documentary focuses on young Conrad’s transfer to Prairie View A&M University in 1956 where her distinguishable talents landed her the role as ‘Dido’ in Dido and Aeneas. Controversy soon spread when it was learned that her co-star was a white male and the two would share romantic scenes. After the Texas Legislature got involved, the university succumbed to social pressures and replaced Conrad with a white actress. The documentary details the after math and Conrad’s eventual perseverance. Check out the preview below.
Watch the full episode. See more Independent Lens.
Watch the full episode. See more Independent Lens.
- 2/8/2011
- by Obsidienne
- ShadowAndAct
Sigrid Thornton in Michael Rymer's Face to Face Troubadours Wins Santa Barbara Film Festival Audiece Award Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema: Michael Rymer's Face to Face Best International Film Award: Nathan Collett's Togetherness Supreme Special Jury Mention: Alicia Vikander for Pure The Nueva Vision Award: Nostalgia for the Light, Patricio Guzmán Best East Meets West Cinema Award: Patisserie (Coin de rue) by Yoshihiro Fukagawa Best Eastern Bloc Award: If I Want To Whistle, I Whistle by Florin Serban Best Documentary Film Award: The Boy Mir: Ten Years in Afghanistan by Phil Grabsky Bruce Corwin Award for Best Live Action Short Film: West of the Moon Brent Bonacorso Bruce Corwin Award for Best Animation Short Film:The Lost Thing by Andrew Ruhemann and Shaun Tan The Fund for Santa Barbara Social Justice Award: When I Rise by Mat Hames and Nostalgia for the Light by Patricio Guzmán...
- 2/8/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Morgan Neville’s “Troubadours,” a documentary about the Los Angeles music scene from the late 1960s to the early ‘70s, was audience favorite when the 26th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival handed out its awards over the weekend at Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort.
“This year in particular, I have been incredibly impressed by our film lineup. Each of the films possessed their own unique quality, creating one of the most diverse and interesting programs yet,” said Sbiff executive director Roger Durling in a statement.
The following is a list of this year’s winners.
The Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema
“Face to Face” (Australia)
Michael Rymer, director
Winner received a camera package worth $60,000.
The Best International Film Award
“Togetherness Supreme” (Kenya)
Nathan Collett, director
Special Jury Mention
Alicia Vikander, actress, “Pure” (Sweden)
The Nueva Vision Award
“Nostalgia for the Light” (“Nostalgia de la Luc”) (U.S.)
Patricio Guzmán,...
“This year in particular, I have been incredibly impressed by our film lineup. Each of the films possessed their own unique quality, creating one of the most diverse and interesting programs yet,” said Sbiff executive director Roger Durling in a statement.
The following is a list of this year’s winners.
The Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema
“Face to Face” (Australia)
Michael Rymer, director
Winner received a camera package worth $60,000.
The Best International Film Award
“Togetherness Supreme” (Kenya)
Nathan Collett, director
Special Jury Mention
Alicia Vikander, actress, “Pure” (Sweden)
The Nueva Vision Award
“Nostalgia for the Light” (“Nostalgia de la Luc”) (U.S.)
Patricio Guzmán,...
- 2/7/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Morgan Neville’s “Troubadours,” a documentary about the Los Angeles music scene from the late 1960s to the early ‘70s, was audience favorite when the 26th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival handed out its awards over the weekend at Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort.
“This year in particular, I have been incredibly impressed by our film lineup. Each of the films possessed their own unique quality, creating one of the most diverse and interesting programs yet,” said Sbiff executive director Roger Durling in a statement.
The following is a list of this year’s winners.
The Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema
“Face to Face” (Australia)
Michael Rymer, director
Winner received a camera package worth $60,000.
The Best International Film Award
“Togetherness Supreme” (Kenya)
Nathan Collett, director
Special Jury Mention
Alicia Vikander, actress, “Pure” (Sweden)
The Nueva Vision Award
“Nostalgia for the Light” (“Nostalgia de la Luc”) (U.S.)
Patricio Guzmán,...
“This year in particular, I have been incredibly impressed by our film lineup. Each of the films possessed their own unique quality, creating one of the most diverse and interesting programs yet,” said Sbiff executive director Roger Durling in a statement.
The following is a list of this year’s winners.
The Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema
“Face to Face” (Australia)
Michael Rymer, director
Winner received a camera package worth $60,000.
The Best International Film Award
“Togetherness Supreme” (Kenya)
Nathan Collett, director
Special Jury Mention
Alicia Vikander, actress, “Pure” (Sweden)
The Nueva Vision Award
“Nostalgia for the Light” (“Nostalgia de la Luc”) (U.S.)
Patricio Guzmán,...
- 2/7/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival announced its 2011 prize winners earlier today.
The highly-coveted Audience Award went to Morgan Neville’s “Troubadours,” an engaging doc about the rise of singer-songwriters — most notably Carole King and James Taylor, who feature prominently in the film alongside other headliners of the period — in Los Angeles, generally, and at the Troubadour Club, specifically, in the late 1960s and early 1970s. (The film premiered at last month’s Sundance Film Festival and will air nationally on PBS on March 2 at 8pm Est.)
The other top honors were determined by a jury that included actor Billy Baldwin (“Gossip Girl”), writer/director Paul Brickman (“Risky Business”), director Andy Davis (“The Fugitive”), producer Frank Donner (“Deliver Us from Evil”), actor Christopher Lloyd (“Back to the Future”), and actor Anthony Zerbe (“The Matrix”), among others, and went to the following films…
The Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema (given...
The highly-coveted Audience Award went to Morgan Neville’s “Troubadours,” an engaging doc about the rise of singer-songwriters — most notably Carole King and James Taylor, who feature prominently in the film alongside other headliners of the period — in Los Angeles, generally, and at the Troubadour Club, specifically, in the late 1960s and early 1970s. (The film premiered at last month’s Sundance Film Festival and will air nationally on PBS on March 2 at 8pm Est.)
The other top honors were determined by a jury that included actor Billy Baldwin (“Gossip Girl”), writer/director Paul Brickman (“Risky Business”), director Andy Davis (“The Fugitive”), producer Frank Donner (“Deliver Us from Evil”), actor Christopher Lloyd (“Back to the Future”), and actor Anthony Zerbe (“The Matrix”), among others, and went to the following films…
The Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Cinema (given...
- 2/7/2011
- by Scott Feinberg
- Scott Feinberg
A look at what's new on DVD today:
"Tesis" (1996)
Directed by Alejandro Amenabar
Released by Widowmaker Films
Long out of print, "The Others" director Alejandro Amenabar's debut about a grad student's discovery of a snuff film is being remastered and rereleased by Widowmaker Films.
"Alice in Murderland" (2011)
Directed by Dennis Devine
Released by Brain Damage Films
A year after Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" scared the bejeezus out of kids in multiplexes everywhere, this horror take on Lewis Carroll's classic fairy tale aims to do so intentionally on DVD players around the country.
"America, America" (1963)
Directed by Elia Kazan
Released by Fox Home Entertainment
Elia Kazan's most personal film based on the story of his uncle's immigration to the United States from Turkey, where as a Greek his family is persecuted, was already released as part of last year's Kazan boxed set, but now will be...
"Tesis" (1996)
Directed by Alejandro Amenabar
Released by Widowmaker Films
Long out of print, "The Others" director Alejandro Amenabar's debut about a grad student's discovery of a snuff film is being remastered and rereleased by Widowmaker Films.
"Alice in Murderland" (2011)
Directed by Dennis Devine
Released by Brain Damage Films
A year after Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" scared the bejeezus out of kids in multiplexes everywhere, this horror take on Lewis Carroll's classic fairy tale aims to do so intentionally on DVD players around the country.
"America, America" (1963)
Directed by Elia Kazan
Released by Fox Home Entertainment
Elia Kazan's most personal film based on the story of his uncle's immigration to the United States from Turkey, where as a Greek his family is persecuted, was already released as part of last year's Kazan boxed set, but now will be...
- 2/6/2011
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
Best documentary at the Oscars is, like best foreign language film, the type of category that seems invented to be grumbled over, with selections and winners rarely reflecting the films everyone else in the world finds most worthy of praise. So it's much less frustrating to look to organizations like the International Documentary Association for better indicators of the docs that are the cream of 2010's crop.
The nominees for the 2010 Ida Documentary Awards were announced today, and the contenders for the top prize include Banksy's "Exit Through The Gift Shop," a personal favorite; Laura Poitras' Al-Qaeda saga "The Oath"; Joonas Berghaell and Mika Hotakainen's look at Finnish sauna culture "Steam of Life"; Ilisa Barbash and Lucien Castaing-Taylor's trailing of Montana sheepherders "Sweetgrass"; and Lucy Walker's tale of making art of trash "Waste Land," opening in New York on Friday. The awards will take place in L.
The nominees for the 2010 Ida Documentary Awards were announced today, and the contenders for the top prize include Banksy's "Exit Through The Gift Shop," a personal favorite; Laura Poitras' Al-Qaeda saga "The Oath"; Joonas Berghaell and Mika Hotakainen's look at Finnish sauna culture "Steam of Life"; Ilisa Barbash and Lucien Castaing-Taylor's trailing of Montana sheepherders "Sweetgrass"; and Lucy Walker's tale of making art of trash "Waste Land," opening in New York on Friday. The awards will take place in L.
- 10/27/2010
- by Alison Willmore
- ifc.com
When I Rise is director Mat Hames' second feature length documentary, and it's a moving film about a racially charged incident that drew national attention at the University of Texas in 1957. You can read Cinematical's review of that film here. We sat down and spoke to Hames during SXSW, and he went into great detail about the production on this film, what it was like documenting Conrad, racism in Texas during the event, and what it takes to craft a good documentary. Read on beyond the break for the full interview.
Filed under: SXSW, Festival Reports, Interviews
Continue reading SXSW Interview: Director Mat Hames of 'When I Rise'
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Filed under: SXSW, Festival Reports, Interviews
Continue reading SXSW Interview: Director Mat Hames of 'When I Rise'
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- 3/26/2010
- by Kevin Kelly
- Cinematical
Most Texans probably aren't familiar with the story of Barbara Smith Conrad, the mezzo-soprano opera singer who was famously barred from performing in a University of Texas production simply because of the color of her skin. The 1957 incident drew the attention of national press and famously attracted the attention and support of people like Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier, but was seemingly swept under the rug and forgotten about shortly thereafter. It's certainly something I never heard about when I was a student at that very school in the 1990s.
Racism and Texas are frequently paired together in the conventional wisdom, but the liberal bubble that Austin resides in seems sacrosanct in a way that surely wouldn't allow something like this to happen. Which is exactly what makes Mat Hames' beautiful film so surprising, yet it doesn't take anything away from the pure bravado and pride exhibited by Conrad both during the event,...
Racism and Texas are frequently paired together in the conventional wisdom, but the liberal bubble that Austin resides in seems sacrosanct in a way that surely wouldn't allow something like this to happen. Which is exactly what makes Mat Hames' beautiful film so surprising, yet it doesn't take anything away from the pure bravado and pride exhibited by Conrad both during the event,...
- 3/22/2010
- by Kevin Kelly
- Cinematical
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