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Sponsored Post: ICYMI Netflix at AFI DOCS 2021
On June 22, AFI DOCS 2021 kicked off with a work-in-progress screening of NAOMI OSAKA, an upcoming documentary series by Netflix about the internationally renowned tennis phenom. Launching the inaugural DOCS Talks, a special event with Netflix and Higher Ground Productions’ WE THE PEOPLE explored the expansion of the nonfiction form of filmmaking and healing the nation through a celebration of civics and cinema. Over in the Short Film Competition section, AUDIBLE follows athletes at the Maryland School for the Deaf dealing with the loss of their friend and the pressures of the entering the hearing world, and in the Features section, PRAY AWAY examines the aftermath of the “pray away the gay” movement. Learn more about these documentaries below.
NAOMI OSAKA
An intimate look into the tough decisions and ecstatic triumphs that shape Naomi Osaka as both an elite global superstar and a young woman navigating a pressure-filled world.
Following the festival screening, director Garrett Bradley participated in a special AFI DOCS conversation moderated by NBC News Correspondent Morgan Radford. Learn more.
PRAY AWAY
Former leaders of the “pray away the gay” movement contend with the aftermath unleashed by their actions, while a survivor seeks healing and acceptance from more than a decade of trauma.
Watch director Kristine Stolakis talk about the film:
Following the festival screening, director Kristine Stolakis, producers Jessica Devaney and Anya Rous and subjects Julie Rodgers and Randy Thomas spoke with The Washington Post Religion Reporter Michelle Boorstein. Learn more.
AUDIBLE
Short Film
Athletes at the Maryland School for the Deaf defend their winning streak while dealing with the loss of a friend and the pressures of entering the hearing world. Learn more.
WE THE PEOPLE
DOCS Talk
Created by Chris Nee and executive produced by Nee, Kenya Barris, and Barack and Michelle Obama, WE THE PEOPLE covers a range of basic U.S. civic lessons in not-so-basic ways. Set to original songs performed by Janelle Monáe, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Brandi Carlile, Cordae, Bebe Rexha, Kyle and inaugural National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, each episode showcases a groundbreaking mix of animated styles. WE THE PEOPLE promises to be a vibrant call to action for everyone to rethink civics as a living and breathing thing, and to reframe their understanding of what government and citizenship mean in a modern world. Learn more.
This post is sponsored by Netflix.
