Press Release
February 12 2019
POV to broadcast 'Roll Red Roll,' Opening PBS Doc Strand's 32nd Season in June 2019
New York, N.Y. — February 12, 2019 — POV today announced the acquisition of the U.S. broadcast rights for Roll Red Roll by Nancy Schwartzman. The film will open the public broadcasting series' 32nd season, premiering on PBS and amdoc.org on June 17, 2019.
Produced by American Documentary and broadcasting on PBS since 1988, POV is American television's longest-running documentary series.
Roll Red Roll, which premiered at last year's Tribeca and Hot Docs Film Festivals, goes beyond the headlines to explore the Steubenville, Ohio, case where members of a small town's high school football team sexually assaulted a teenage girl. As the film unearths the complex motivations of both perpetrators and bystanders in this story, Roll Red Roll reveals the “boys-will-be-boys” attitudes at the core of their behavior and the role adults played in suppressing the story.
“POV programs the thought-provoking and salient films of our time," said director Nancy Schwartzman. "We are honored to be part of another incredible season, and to have Roll Red Roll spark critical discussions on a national platform at such an important time.”
"Nancy's film will rattle you to the core," said Justine Nagan, executive producer/executive director of POV/American Documentary. "As women and young girls across the country come forward to hold their abusers to account, this film reveals how bystanders—especially adults tasked with our children's well being—can perpetuate violence against women simply by looking the other way. This story is an important lesson on the power of bystander intervention."
POV's 32nd season begins with Roll Red Roll in June 2019 on PBS television, PBS Passport as well as pov.org and amdoc.org. Roll Red Roll will premiere with other announced titles including Oscar-shortlisted On Her Shoulders by Alexandria Bombach, The Silence of Others by Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar and The Gospel of Eureka by Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher
The Roll Red Roll deal was negotiated by Justine Nagan and Chris White on behalf of POV with support from Aaron Goldberg of Holland & Knight, LLP, and Cinetic Media on behalf of Roll Red Roll.