8:46 FILMS presented by P&G will broadcast Saturday, September 4 @ 8PM, on the CBS Television Network. Originally debuted at the Tribeca Festival, four new 8:46 Films are the latest installment of P&G’s Widen The Screen initiative, an effort to improve the portrayal of Black life on screen and expand inclusion efforts for Black creators behind the camera, to challenge expectations and remove limiting stereotypes in film, advertising, and media.
8:46 Films is a collaboration with SATURDAY MORNING, a collective of Black creative executives, Tribeca Studios, and P&G. Four inspirational stories told in the length of time it took to take George Floyd’s life – and accelerate a movement that would change the world. Filmmakers Zoey Martinson, Camrus Johnson, Gibrey Allen, and Marshall Tyler were inspired to take 8 minutes and 46 seconds instead to tell stories of joy, love, and resilience, fuel the creativity that has always upheld the Black community in the darkest times, and build a legacy of hope.
“When you are talking about the black experience in this country, there’s a lot of trauma and drama to pull from,” Zoey Martinson, director of “Cupids” said. “Oftentimes the stories that get told are speaking to that trauma. Those stories are important because they are going to force us to grow. At the same time, comedy and joy has the same ability to force us to grow in ways we didn’t even imagine. It actually can be an act of revolution. The 8:46 program experience gave me the permission to find my voice and create an environment that I would want to work in. I was able to choose equity and give opportunities to those who are often overlooked. I was able to create a set that was inclusive where people felt heard and could be their authentic selves,” Martinson said.
About the 8:46 Films:
“Cupids,” directed by Zoey Martinson and produced by Korey Jackson. In this playful comedy, three kids worry that their beloved school bus driver will be lonely this summer without them. They set out to find her a partner and imagine the perfect matches. With Melanie Nicholls-King, Toryn Isabella Coote, Scarlett London Diviney, Julius Sampson.
“She Dreams at Sunrise,” directed by Camrus Johnson and produced by Moon Jelly Pictures and Double Plus Productions. In this heartwarming animated film, a 70-year-old woman with meningitis lives between her dream world and reality while her great-nephew and caretaker help mend the past.
“Pearl and Henry,” directed by Gibrey Allen and produced by Greta Hagen-Richardson, Kenneth Reynolds, and Weenta Girmay. Pearl and Henry enjoy the simple pleasures of their daily routine. Despite the changing world around them, they find comfort and peace in a connection built on decades of joy, vulnerability, and trust. With Rhonda Johnson Dents and Lance E. Nichols.
“Slow Pulse,” directed by Marshall Tyler, produced by Moira Griffin, Efuru Flowers, and Jeremy Hartman. In this moving story of love and dedication, Bernard Brash heals and finds hope by learning how to dance. With Jimmie Fails.
