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American Promise (film)

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American Promise
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJoe Brewster
Michèle Stephenson
Release date
  • January 20, 2013 (2013-01-20) (Sundance)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$94,000[1]

American Promise is a documentary film spanning 13 years from directors Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson.[2] The film captures the stories of Brewster and Stephenson's 5-year-old son Idris and his best friend and classmate Seun as these families navigate their way through the rigorous prep-school process and secure admission to the Dalton School.[3][4] The film is set against the backdrop of a persistent educational achievement gap that dramatically affects African-American boys at all socioeconomic levels across the country.[citation needed] The film's focus shifted based on the experiences that Idris and Seun faced while at Dalton.[5]

American Promise premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, where it won a special jury award.[6] The filmmakers also launched a national campaign at Sundance to help raise $100,000 and 100,000 volunteer hours for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Mentoring Brothers in Action program.

Release

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The PBS documentary series POV broadcast American Promise in 2013. Random House was set to publish a companion book about the film and the issues it raises in conjunction with the American Promise Campaign.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ "American Promise (2013)". Box Office Mojo. 2013-10-18. Retrieved 2013-11-19.
  2. ^ Merry, Stephanie (2013-10-31). "'American Promise' movie review". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
  3. ^ Dargis, Manohla (2013-10-17). "Two Boys' Schooling, for 13 Years of It". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
  4. ^ "'American Promise' Probes Race Issues In NYC Private School". NPR.org. 2014-02-03. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
  5. ^ Jackson, Carol (2014-02-03). "Black Child In A Mostly White School: Story Spans 13 Years". Retrieved 2021-12-04.
  6. ^ Vlessing, Etan (2020-07-21). "'American Promise' Producer Rada Film Group Rebrands". Retrieved 2021-12-04.
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