Sundance Deal: Jamila Wignot’s Alvin Ailey Doc “Ailey” Goes to Neon
Jamila Wignot’s portrait of iconic dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey has found a home. Following its world premiere at Sundance this weekend, Neon acquired “Ailey,” a documentary about the titular legend’s life and career. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed the...
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Jamila Wignot’s portrait of iconic dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey has found a home. Following its world premiere at Sundance this weekend, Neon acquired “Ailey,” a documentary about the titular legend’s life and career. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed the news.
“Told in his own words and featuring evocative archival imagery and interviews with those who knew him, the film interweaves the creation of a new dance commission inspired by his life to show the enduring power of Ailey’s vision,” Wignot synopsized in an interview with Women and Hollywood.
“In his early years as a dancer, Ailey worked on Hollywood productions including 1952’s ‘Lydia Bailey’ and 1954’s ‘Carmen Jones.’ He later appeared on Broadway shows including ‘House of Flowers,’ penned by Truman Capote, and ‘Sing, Man, Sing,’ starring Harry Belafonte, and formed the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater troupe in 1958,” the source details. “The group became known as the ‘Cultural Ambassador to the World’ due to its many overseas tours. Twenty-five years after Ailey died in 1989, he was awarded a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom by then-President Barack Obama.”
“Ailey” boasts a predominantly female creative team, including producer Lauren DeFilippo, editor Annukka Lilja, archival producer Rebecca Kent, cinematographer Naiti Gámez, and production designer Al Malonga. Regina K. Scully is among the exec producers.
“’Ailey’ is a searing and inspirational account of a visionary artistic genius who used his gift of dance and movement to express the Black American experience,” stated Darcy Heusel, Neon’s head of impact and audience engagement. “Jamila Wignot has created an indelible portrait of both the artist and his work and Neon is thrilled to be part of continuing his legacy by bringing this remarkable film to theaters across the country.”
No word on a premiere date just yet.
“I want people to be thinking about themes of self acceptance and self-love, the power of self-definition, of seeing yourself not as others see you, but as you are, and embracing that,” Wignot said of her hopes for “Ailey.” “I want people to be thinking about the boundlessness of Black joy and about beauty as a means of resistance. I want people to leave the theater thinking about freedom and what it means to get free.”
Wignot’s other directing credits include “The African-Americans: Many Rivers to Cross,” “Town Hall,” and episodes of “Finding Your Roots.”
