CITIZEN ASHE Documentaries Virtual Screenings

CITIZEN ASHE

Following the virtual and theatrical screenings, watch a special conversation with director-producer Rex Miller and director Sam Pollard moderated by AFI FEST Programmer Julia Kipnis.

Born and raised in a segregated Virginia, Arthur Ashe rose to the top of the overwhelmingly white world of tennis in the 1960s to achieve many firsts as the most prevalent Black man in the sport. Reticent early in his career to address racial strife in America until the events of 1968, Ashe became an outspoken civil rights activist in the fight against racial discrimination, South African apartheid and later the stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS. This insightful documentary includes exclusive interviews with Ashe’s family, Black activists and tennis cohorts Billie Jean King and John McEnroe. With striking archival footage and previously unheard audiotapes, FEST alum Sam Pollard (SAMMY DAVIS, JR.: I’VE GOTTA BE ME) and Rex Miller’s latest film celebrates the inspirational life of this groundbreaking tennis champion and humanitarian. –Julia Kipnis

Sam Pollard is an Emmy Award®-winning and Academy Award®-nominated director and producer. His films for HBO, PBS and the Discovery Channel include the documentaries FOUR LITTLE GIRLS (1997), WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE (2006) and MLK/FBI (2020).

Rex Miller’s work has been featured in New York Magazine, The New York Times, Rolling Stone Magazine and Time. For the last 15 years, he has been directing, producing and shooting for HBO and collaborating with Nanfu Wang, Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady, Sam Pollard and Steven Cantor.

Luke Brawley
Dogwoof
luke@dogwoof.com

Details

Country: USA, UK

Year: 2021

Directors: Rex Miller, Sam Pollard

Producers: Rex Miller, Beth Hubbard, Anna Godas, Steven Cantor, Jamie Schutz

Executive Producers: Alex Gibney, Mike Jackson, John Legend, Ty Styklorious, Amy Entelis, Courtney Sexton, William Ackman, Oliver Harbottle, Tony Tabatznik, John Arnhold, Regina K. Skully, David Ulich, Michael Cascio, Dr. Steven Ungerleider, Nina and David Fialkow, Patty Quillin, Rick Rosenthal, Geralyn Dreyfous, David Ellis Acker, David Barden

Director of Photography: Rex Miller

Editors: Ben Sozanski, R.A Fedde

Music: Jongnic Bontemps

Cast/Featuring: Arthur Ashe

Running Time (minutes): 94

Language: English

SPONSORED BY

SUPPORTED BY

The Blackhouse Foundation

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