Whether it is exploring one man's struggle for civil rights, or capturing the spirit of a woman who intellectually and socially thrives despite a lifetime spent in an iron lung, the DFP faculty are passionate about telling the stories of those who make a difference in the lives of others. The award-winning films below are a representative sample of the work of the DFP faculty. In addition to national PBS broadcasts and numerous film festival screenings, the films produced by the four faculty members have been the focus of approximately 200 articles in major publications, including: The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Public Radio, and Time magazine.
Sandy Dickson and Churchill Roberts, Directors
Cynthia Hill and Cara Pilson, Associate Directors
NEGROES WITH GUNS: Rob Williams and Black Power tells the dramatic story of the often-forgotten civil rights leader who urged African Americans to arm themselves against violent racists. In doing so, Williams not only challenged the Klan-dominated establishment of his hometown of Monroe, North Carolina, he alienated the mainstream Civil Rights Movement, which advocated peaceful resistance. Negroes With Guns is not only an incisive look at a truly fascinating man but also a thought-provoking examination of our notions of patriotism and the acceptable limits of dissent.
Official Selection:
Los Angeles Film Festival, Black Harvest International Film Festival, San Diego Film Festival, Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, Milwaukee International Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival, Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Longbaugh Film Festival, Florida Film Festival, RiverRun International Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, Revelation Perth International Film Festival, DocNZ International Film Festival, Black Diaspora Film Festival, East Palo Alto Black History Film Festival, 5th Annual African Diaspora Film Festival, New Orleans International Human Rights Film Festival.
Distributed by California Newsreel
Mary Dalton, Director
The first thing you notice when meeting Martha Mason is the bright yellow iron lung that encases her body and helps her breathe just as it has since 1948 when, at age 11, she contracted polio. She has lived in this life-saving machine longer than anyone else in the world, and she has lived most of those days in Lattimore, a small town located in southwestern North Carolina. This film tells her story in the context of Lattimore, the little town that has nurtured Martha throughout her life. View or download this film »
Sandy Dickson and Churchill Roberts, Directors
Cynthia Hill and Cara Pilson, Associate Directors
Freedom Never Dies: The Legacy of Harry T. Moore explores the life and times of this enigmatic leader, a distinguished school teacher whose passionate crusade for equal rights could not be discouraged by either the white power structure or the more cautious factions of his own movement. Although Moore's assassination was an international cause celebre in 1951, it was overshadowed by following events and eventually almost forgotten. Freedom Never Dies: The Legacy of Harry T. Moore restores Moore to his rightful place in the Civil Rights saga.
The Documentary Film Program @ Wake Forest University
Box 7347, Reynolda Station | Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27109 | 336.758.3367
documentary@wfu.edu