Since the launch of public television, AVDF has supported programs that educate the public and serve as exemplars of exceptional broadcast content. AVDF funds public broadcast television and film programs that increase understanding and awareness of historical subjects of major cultural significance in the United States. These projects examine the importance of past events, people, places and ideas.
In 2020 AVDF awarded a $1 million grant to WETA and Florentine Films to support two major productions by award-winning filmmaker Ken Burns: Muhammad Ali and The U.S. and the Holocaust. Ken Burns has been producing critically acclaimed historical documentaries for decades while the broadcasting station WETA distributes compelling programs alongside educational resources to a national audience.
Both AVDF-funded projects are now complete and have been extremely successful. Each film delivered an exceptional program that reached a wide audience through broadcast, digital assets and community engagement activities. Moreover, both films received national media attention including an Emmy for U.S. and the Holocaust in 2023.
The U.S. and the Holocaust premiered nationally on PBS in September 2022. The film’s premiere reached more than 16.5 million viewers in the U.S. and received wide critical acclaim. Due to strong demand, PBS launched a nationwide rebroadcast for the film series in January 2023. The U.S. and the Holocaust was awarded the 2023 Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program. The film was also nominated in two other categories: Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series, and Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program.
The three-part series tells the story of how Americans grappled with one of the greatest humanitarian crises of the 20th century. The film was produced in conjunction with a groundbreaking exhibit at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The documentary explores complex challenges that emerged from widespread isolationism, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism in the period between the two World Wars. By examining the events of this period and the difficult choices they presented, The U.S. and the Holocaust raises questions that are as relevant today as they were in the 1930s and 1940s.
Muhammad Ali premiered nationally on PBS in September 2021. The four-part documentary provided viewers with a comprehensive portrait of one of the most remarkable figures of the 20th century, a man who is known as much for his advocacy for equality and social justice as he is for his accomplishments in the boxing ring. Muhammad Ali reached approximately 13.7 million viewers on broadcast in the first seven days it aired.
Muhammad Ali documents the life and times of the three-time heavyweight boxing champion. Born Cassius Clay, he won an Olympic gold medal at only 18 years old and quickly rose up the professional ranks. Ali was not only known for his athleticism, but also contributed significantly to public discussions of faith, racial discrimination and politics.
To promote the two films, WETA organized a large number of events for each. For Muhammad Ali, 75 in-person and virtual station events took place across the country, resulting in a total of 30,000 attendees. PBS also collaborated with ESPN’s The Undefeated program to host four virtual events (Ali the Man; Ali on the World’s Stage; Ali, Race, and Religion; Ali, Activism, and the Modern Athlete). PBS Books partnered with USA Today, the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, and others for a national virtual program to honor Ali’s legacy as a humanitarian.
For The U.S. and the Holocaust, WETA supported 22 in-person and virtual station events, drawing a total of over 170,000 attendees. In addition to the station outreach, the filmmakers traveled across the country and abroad to promote the documentary. For instance, on September 7, 2022, a screening was held at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. And at the special invitation of the U.S. Ambassador to Germany, the film’s directors hosted an international screening in Berlin. Furthermore, PBS Books hosted a national and virtual three-part series around the film.
Both films received significant national media attention. Muhammad Ali was featured in 25 national broadcast appearances, 235 national print pieces and earned 5.9 billion impressions across all media platforms. Similarly, The U.S. and the Holocaust garnered attention in outlets like The New Yorker, NPR Weekend Edition, CNN, and many more, earning 4.4 billion impressions across all platforms. It also received several prominent award nominations: in addition to the Emmy nods, The U.S. and the Holocaust was nominated for a Critics Choice Documentary Award, a Writers Guild Award, and a Gabriel Award, and was a recipient of the 16th Television Academy Honors.
Each of the two films also produced educational content to further engage viewers, students, and teachers, which are available through PBS LearningMedia here and here.
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