Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power

Emmy Award-winning directors Sam Pollard and Geeta Gandbhir combine first-hand accounts with striking archival footage to tell the story of a brave group of citizens in the 1960s who put their lives on the line to change history in rural Lowndes County, Alabama. Eighty percent Black with no Black voters, the county served as a launching pad for a movement that brought together men and women, Black and White, the quiet warriors, and the crusaders of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), among others. Pollard and Gandbhir shine a light on this often overlooked chapter in American history that, in many ways, foreshadowed the Civil Rights movement to come in a film that illustrates strong parallels to events in our nation today.

Presentation of Chronicler Award to Director Sam Pollard by Glenn Williamson (VAFF Board)
Discussion with Sam Pollard, moderated by Robert Daniels (IndieWire)

SAM POLLARD
Oscar^®-nominated producer and director Sam Pollard is widely acknowledged as one of foremost documentarians focused on the African American experience—highlights include Two Trains Runnin’, MLK/FBI, and Citizen Ashe. Prior to directing, Pollard edited and co-produced several of Spike Lee’s most celebrated films, including 4 Little Girls, Jungle Fever, Clockers, and Bamboozled.