2019 Sundance Film Festival Predictions: #94. Untitled Roger Ross Williams – Apollo Theater Docu

A celebrated docu filmmaker (his 2010 short Music by Prudence won Oscar) outside of the festival, Roger Ross Williams‘ second home is indeed Park City as the former TV producer presented God Loves Uganda (2013) and Life, Animated (2016) there. He is getting his narrative fiction game on having participated in the labs for The Life and Death of Cassandro, but we’ll squeeze out more docu from him with the currently untitled Apollo Theater documentary – a project that went into production at the beginning of 2018.

Gist: Written by Williams and Cassidy Hartmann, this will detail the lifespan of the Apollo Theater through the stories of the present-day Apollo and the challenges of those who run it, the film will illuminate the theater’s musical and cultural history, and explore how it has managed to stay at the center of America’s conversation about race and social progress since 1934. The film will look to explore the legendary music, dance, and comedy performances that graced the Apollo’s stage.

Production Co./Producers: Lisa Cortes (Precious), White Horse’s Nigel Sinclair, Jeanne Elfant Festa, Cassidy Hartmann, Roger Ross Williams.

Prediction: Docu Premieres.

U.S. Distributor: Rights Available. Endeavor Content (domestic/international).