HBO DOCUMENTARY FILMS CURRENTLY IN PRODUCTION ON A SERIES TAKING AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE 1979-1981 MISSING AND MURDERED CHILDREN OF ATLANTA
HBO Documentary Films, Show of Force, Roc Nation and Get Lifted Film Co. are currently in production on a new documentary series reexamining the Atlanta Child Murders of the late-'70s and early-'80s. It offers a never-before-seen look at the murder of at least 30 African American children and young adults that occurred over a two-year period in Atlanta, from the initial disappearance and discovery of two murdered teenage boys and the fear that gripped the city, to the prosecution and indictment of 23-year-old Atlanta native Wayne Williams and the rush to officially shut down the case.
With unprecedented access, this timely documentary series brings new evidence to light, providing a powerful understanding of one of America's darkest chapters. Investigating the racial tensions and cultural clashes that brought Atlanta to a boiling point and caught the nation in a moment of transition, the series examines the original trial materials and court documents, raising new questions for further investigation.
The series is produced and directed by the Emmy(R)-award winning team at Show of Force, including Joshua Bennett, Maro Chermayeff and Jeff Dupre (Emmy(R)-and Peabody award-winner for HBO's "Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present"), and Sam Pollard (Oscar(R)-nominee for HBO's "4 Little Girls" and Emmy(R)-winner for "When the Levees Broke") and executive produced by Patrick Reardon of Roc Nation and by the Emmy(R)-award winning team at Get Lifted Film Co., Mike Jackson, Ty Stiklorius and John Legend.
In March 2019, forty years after the murders began, evidence has come into question and decades of pressure from the community has prompted Atlanta's Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to order a large-scale re-investigation, demanding the evidence be retested using the latest DNA technology.
Revealing a community that desperately sought justice from the city and law enforcement officials during the crisis and found it heartbreakingly lacking, the series features fresh insights and interviews with key figures and experts, including the victims' families, law enforcement officials, Williams' defense attorney and Williams himself.
ABOUT HBO DOCUMENTARY FILMS
HBO Documentary Films offers a full spectrum of stellar, non-fiction programming by acclaimed documentary filmmakers. Recent films include such critically praised documentaries as "Leaving Neverland," "The Inventor: Out For Blood In Silicon Valley," "The Case Against Adnan Syed," "I Love You, Now Die," "Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland," "Jane Fonda In Five Acts," "The Sentence" and "Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind," among others. Upcoming projects include "The Apollo," "Who Killed Garrett Phillips," and "Liberty: Mother of Exiles." HBO's powerful, uncompromising documentary programming has won virtually every award within the genre including 59 Primetime Emmy(R) Awards, 73 News & Documentary Emmy(R) Awards, 52 George Foster Peabody Awards and 30 Academy Awards(R).
ABOUT SHOW OF FORCE
Founded in 2006 by veteran producer and directors Maro Chermayeff and Jeff Dupre, the NY based production company creates award-winning feature documentaries, event television series, and social impact campaigns. Select projects include: Soundbreaking: Stories From the Cutting Edge of Recorded Music, the Emmy(R) and Grammy-nominated eight-part series created in partnership with the legendary Beatles' producer Sir George Martin, Soundtracks: Songs That Made History, an 8-part music series for CNN, and in 2008 the Emmy(R) Award winning 10-part series Carrier. Their HBO work includes Emmy(R) and Peabody winner Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present, The Kindness of Strangers, and Mann v. Ford. Their short docs include Academy Shortlisted films: Kehinde Wiley: An Economy of Grace and Los Comandos (2018). Social impact projects include the multi-part series, A Path Appears and Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, based on the work of Pulitzer Prize winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn and Humanity on the Move looking at the global refugee crisis including the IDA nominated feature documentary Sky and Ground.
ABOUT ROC NATION
Since its founding in 2008, Roc Nation has grown into the world's preeminent entertainment company. We work in every aspect of modern entertainment - with recording artists and producers, songwriters and athletes. Our client list includes some of the world's most recognizable names: from Rihanna, Shakira, J. Cole, and Big Sean to Kyrie Irving, Yoenis Cespedes and Robinson Cano. We are a full-service organization, supporting our diverse roster of talent via artist management, music publishing, touring, production, strategic brand development and beyond. Roc Nation houses a TV/Film Division, which won a 2018 Peabody for the docu-series "Time: The Kalief Browder Story" and the critically acclaimed "Rest In Power: The Trayvon Martin Story." Roc Nation has partnerships with the world's leading experts in artist management, technology, fashion, and philanthropy, redefining the business of entertainment.
ABOUT GET LIFTED FILM CO.
Get Lifted Film Co., a Los Angeles based film and television company, was launched by Emmy(R) and Tony Award-winning producer Mike Jackson, founder and CEO of the entertainment management and social-impact company Friends At Work, Ty Stiklorius, and EGOT recipient and award-winning producer John Legend. The company executive produced Damien Chazelle's Oscar(R)-winning musical "La La Land," the Emmy(R)-winning Live Special "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert," Richard Tanne's Obama romance, "Southside With You" as well as the HBO documentaries "Southern Rites" and "United Skates." Upcoming projects include the comedy series "Sherman's Showcase," launching on July 31, 2019, the feature film "All Rise," releasing on September 27, 2019, the dance competition show "Rhythm + Flow," launching fall 2019, the holiday film "Jingle Jangle," launching in 2020 and a 1980s dramedy series inspired by Sandra Bullock's college years alongside Bullock and Akiva Goldsman.
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