About Nellie Mae Rowe & Judith Alexander:
This World is Not My Own (TWINMO) Documentary
Exterior of Nellie’s Playhouse set (Photo by Judith Alexander Augustine, 2021)
As a means of preserving and expanding the legacy of Nellie Mae Rowe, the Judith Alexander Foundation partnered with Opendox, a documentary film company out of New York, beginning in 2017. The challenges of creating a compelling film telling the story of the remarkable artist and her relationship with Judith Alexander were numerous; there is very little film footage or audio recording of either of them, and just a small number of photographs in existence. But there are many stories to tell, and thankfully still people around to tell them.
Directors Petter Ringbom and Marquise Stillwell, Producer Ruchi Mital, Executive Producers Marquise Stillwell and dream hampton, and film Editor Princess Hairston, with assistance from Associate Producers Geneva Peshka, Lynn Thomas, Elie Aufseesser, and Juan Mateo Menendez took on the project with devotion and enthusiasm for the subject, coming up with a plan for an experimental hybrid feature-length film, a formidable and exciting approach.
They collaborated with artists to create reimaginings of Nellie Mae Rowe’s home, aka her “Playhouse”, both inside and out. Working with Kaktus Film to design and animate 3D characters in Nellie’s and Judith's likenesses. Actresses, Uzo Aduba and Amy Warren, perform scripted scenes based on Nellie Mae Rowe quotes. Their recorded voices and movements make the animated Nellie and Judith come to life.
Petter, Ruchi and Uzo Aduba, the voice of Nellie Mae Rowe (Photo courtesy of Opendox)
FESTIVALS & SPECIAL SCREENINGS
SXSW Film Festival - Official Selection - World Premier - March 11, 2023 Austin, TX
Smithsonian Art Museum - Special Screening - March 21, 2023 Washington, DC
MKE Film Festival - Offical Selection - Midwestern Premier - April 23, 2023, Milwaukee, WI
Atlanta Film Festival,- Offical Selection - High Museum of Art - April 25, 2023 - Atlanta GA - 2023 Best Cinematography Winner, Petter Ringbom
Hot Docs Festival - Offical Selection - International Premier - May 5-9, 2023, Toronto, ON, Canada
Southern Fried Film Festival - June 10, 2023 - Huntville, AL
Intuit Art Center - Chicago Premier - July 15, 2023 - Chicago, IL
Cincinnati Art Museum - Cincinnati Premier - August 31, 2023 - Cincinnati, OH
Nashville Film Festival - 2023 Winner Nashville Public Television Human Spirit Award - Nashville Premier - September 29, 2023 - Nashville, TN
Swedish Theatrical Release - European and Swedish Premier - Presented with Moderna Museet - October 6, 2023, Stockholm, Göteborg, Malmö, Lund, Västerås, Uppsala, Luleå, Umeå & Östersund, Sweden
Hamptons International Film Festival - Offical Selection - New York Premier - October 7, Sag Harbor, NY
Twin Cities Film Festival - Oct 19-28, 2023 - Streaming Online
Virginia Film Festival - Virginia Premier - Oct 27, 2023
Palm Springs International Film Festival - January 15, 2024, Palm Springs, CA - Best Documentary Award, Special Mention
Miami Jewish Film Festival - Florida Premier - Jan 12, 2024, Miami, FL
St. Petersburg Film Festival - Jan 18, 2024 - St. Petersburg, FL
The Pan African Film Festival - Official Selection - Los Angeles Premier - Feb 11 & 15, 2024 - Los Angeles, CA
Atlanta Jewish Film Festival - Official Selection - Feb 21, 2024, Atlanta, GA
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival - Northwestern Premier - Feb 24, 2024 - Missoula, MT
Space Gallery / Maine College of Art & Design - Mar 27, 2024 - Portland, ME
Annapolis Film Festival - Apr 6 - Annapolis, MD
DOC NYC Selects - New York City Premier - Apr 30, 2024 - New York, NY
Quad Cinema NYC - US Theatrical Release - May 3 - 8, 2024 - New York, NY
DocLands - Bay Area Premier - May 4, 2024 - San Rafael, CA
Tara Theater Atlanta - US Theatrical Release - May 17 - Jun 6 - Atlanta, GA
Bertha Doc House: London - UK Premier - May 24 - Jun 8 - London UK
Mendocino Film Festival - Winner: Jury Award for Best Documentary! - May 31, 2024 - Mendocino, CA
Center for Contemporary Arts, Santa Fe - July 12 - 18, 2024 - Santa Fe, NM
AWARDS
Atlanta Film Festival - 2023 Winner - Cinematography Award - Best Cinematography, Petter Ringbom (cinematographer)
Hamptons International Film Festival - 2023 Nominee Golden Starfish Award Documentary Feature
Nashville Film Festival - 2023 Winner Nashville Public Television Human Spirit Award
Georgia Film Critics Association (GAFCA) - 2024 Nominee - Oglethorpe Award for Excellence in Georgia Cinema
Palm Springs International Film Festival - 2024 Winner - Best Documentary Award, Special Mention
2024 Nominee - Best Documentary
Mendocino Film Festival - Winner: Jury Award for Best Documentary! - 2024
Check back here for updates on other festivals and screenings.
Petter Ringbom and Elie Aufseesser setting up a shoot of the miniaturized Playhouse (© Judith Alexander Augustine, 2019)
The porch of the Playhouse with folding chairs made from cardboard.(© Judith Alexander Augustine, 2019)
JAF board members Cathi Perry, Xenia Zed, and Barbara Archer getting a first look at the exterior Playhouse set (© Judith Alexander Augustine, 2019)
Petter shooting in the Playhouse's living room interior set. Note organ made from cardboard. (© Judith Alexander Augustine, 2019)
Cheryl Mashack revisiting her great-great Auntie Nellie’s Playhouse, (© Judith Alexander Augustine, 2019)
Detail from Playhouse's kitchen with cardboard plates, pot, refrigerator, etc (© Judith Alexander Augustine, 2019)
Petter setting up a shoot in the interior set of the Playhouse's living room with cardboard television set. (© Judith Alexander Augustine, 2019)
Cathi Perry "revisiting" her great-great Auntie Nellie’s Playhouse, (© Judith Alexander Augustine, 2019)
Detail of kitchen table with coffee and facsimile of The Atlanta Constitution from March 11, 1967 (© Judith Alexander Augustine, 2019)
Nellie's bedroom interior set (© Judith Alexander Augustine, 2019)
Detail from Nellie's bedroom interior set (© Judith Alexander Augustine, 2019)
Living room interior set with cardboard radio, TV, books, record player, records, and organ and now iconic artwork on the cart (© Judith Alexander Augustine, 2019)
Uzo Aduba (Nellie Mae Rowe voice and motion) and Amy Warren (Judith Alexander voice and motion) on set (photo courtesy of Opendox)
Still from film capturing image of Nellie Mae Rowe, as reimagined by Kaktus Films, interacting with the set, including colorful bottles made from sugar water. (Photo courtesy of Opendox)
Cheryl Mashack, Katie Jentleson, Marquise Stillwell, Ruchi Mital, Princess Hairston, and Petter Ringbom at the High Museum's Nellie Mae Rowe exhibition (Photo courtesy of Opendox)
Katie Jentleson, Marquise Stillwell, and Ruchi Mital at High Museum's Nellie Mae Rowe exhibition (Photo courtesy of Opendox)
Marquise Stillwell and Ken Brown at High Museum's Nellie Mae Rowe exhibition. Note foliage of foreground tree made from painted popcorn. (Photo courtesy Opendox)
Film Editor Princess Hairston and Producer Ruchi Mital at High Museum's Nellie Mae Rowe exhibition (Photo courtesy of Opendox)
Opendox film crew: Marquise Stillwell, Executive Producer, Princess Hairston, Film Editor, Ruchi Mital, Producer; Petter Ringbom, Director; Etasha Head and Matt Head, Music (© CatMax Photography)