Premieres Friday, March 24, 2023 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV / PBS App
AMERICAN MASTERS and Firelight Media present Season 2 of the documentary short series "In the Making." The new season focuses on nine artists across a variety of disciplines, whose work explores and influences American culture today. Tony Award–winning actress and singer Audra McDonald hosts the broadcast premiere which features two films focused on two barrier–breaking musicians: opera singer J’Nai Bridges and country artist Rissi Palmer.
In “J’Nai Bridges Unamplified,” directed by Christine Turner, the Grammy–winning mezzo-soprano takes the stage in “A Knee on the Neck,” a choral tribute to George Floyd.
In “Rissi Palmer: Still Here,” directed by Dilsey Davis, country music artist Rissi Palmer redefines success as she works on her latest album while uplifting other artists of color in the Americana genres.
The digital–first episodes of "In the Making" include:
- “Lily Gladstone: Far Out There” (filmmaker: Brooke Pepion Swaney)
- “Sydney G. James: How They See Us” (filmmaker: Juanita Anderson)
- “Senghor Reid: Making Way for Tomorrow” (filmmakers: Desmond Love, Eden Sabolboro)
- “Alejandro Jimenez: The Ground I Stand On” (filmmakers: Raúl O. Paz-Pastrana, Alan Domínguez)
- “Walshy Fire: Pull Up” (filmmaker: Alicia G. Edwards)
- “Ethan Lim: Cambodian Futures” (filmmaker: Dustin Nakao-Haider)
- “Jonathan Thunder: Good Mythology” (filmmaker: Sergio Rapu)
Watch On Your Schedule:
Season 2 of "In The Making" will be available for streaming concurrent with broadcast on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS App, available on iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO.
In addition to the television broadcast, seven unique short films round out the full season roster and will premiere weekly beginning Tuesday, March 14 on YouTube, pbs.org/americanmasters, and the PBS App.
Credits:
Executive Producers are Leslie Fields-Cruz, Denise Greene, Michael Kantor, Monika Navarro, Stanley Nelson and Marcia Smith. A production of Firelight Media, in association with American Masters Pictures and Black Public Media. Support for "J’Nai Bridges Unamplified" is provided by Brown Girls Doc Mafia and Future of Film is Female. A production of Firelight Media and Peralta Pictures, in association with American Masters Pictures and Black Public Media. "Rissi Palmer: Still Here" is a production of Firelight Media and Café con Leche Media, in association with American Masters Pictures and Black Public Media.
Filmmaker Quotes:
“With the second season of 'In the Making,' we’re thrilled to continue our long and fruitful relationship with our great partners at AMERICAN MASTERS,” said Firelight Media Co-Founder Stanley Nelson. “The 'In the Making' series, which centers on emerging and established artists who are reflecting, shaping, and creating culture today, beautifully advances Firelight’s mission of supporting communities of color both behind and in front of the camera.”
"As an organization that uplifts Black stories and Black storytellers, we are immensely proud to be supporters of films by Black women directors—Christine Turner and Dilsey Davis—about Black women who are emerging masters—J'Nai Bridges and Rissi Palmer,” says Denise Greene, director of program initiatives for Black Public Media.
