The award-winning short film “Sparkle” by local documentarians Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert has been picked up by PBS for viewing across the nation. Premiering February 7 at 9 PM, you can see the short as part of a new show on PBS.
“Sparkle” was created as part of the pilot for “Lifecasters”. From the Web site: “The goal of Lifecasters is to inspire, engage and motivate national PBS audiences to share their underdog journeys of overcoming the odds. In today’s climate, this series is designed to bring hope and models for achieving goals to viewers.”
Each episode pairs a filmmaking team with a “lifecaster” – someone who is overcoming great odds to accomplish something special. Dayton’s own Sheri “Sparkle” Williams is a featured lifecaster on the first episode due to her great determination and talent in overcoming what could have been a career-ending injury. The filmmaking team of Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar tells the story in a heartfelt and truthful way. Their efforts garnered them the audience choice award for shorts at the prestigious SilverDocs Film Festival.
At the conclusion of A Premiere Evening (a benefit for DCDC), Jennifer Lawson, Senior Vice President of Television and Digital Video Content for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, announced the big news. Lawson spoke with great enthusiasm about how Bognar and Reichert are great ambassadors for our community. Even in all their travels, Lawson shared, “wherever they are, they are talking about Dayton!”
Tune in to PBS (locally – ThinkTV / CET) this February to catch the first episode of “Lifecasters” and see a powerful Dayton story told to the world!
It’s well-documented that the Dayton community is one of extraordinary innovation, arts and collaboration. That synergy will be on display at tonight’s sold-out November 2 (and newly added second performance November 4) with A Premiere Evening – a benefit for the world-renowned Dayton Contemporary Dance Company.
she recovers from the first major injury in her 38-year career. Reichert and Bognar followed Williams through her months-long recovery process and offers the project to answer the question “Will she ever dance again?” The film offers audiences a rare behind-the-scenes look at DCDC’s rehearsals and performances. A Q&A with the filmmakers follows the screening.
If I told you there is a touching documentary that tells the story of the exodus of a family of Ethiopian Jews to Israel – would you think it’s a Dayton film? Well – it is! 
his siblings and be welcomed into a more full experience with his Jewish faith. We see the rest of his family get the go-ahead for the trip, but Fekadu, his wife and their six children must stay behind. They learn their emigration is in jeopardy because of their adopted son, Worku. They must leave him behind or be forced to stay in Ethiopia under religious persecution. The audience watches the challenging decisions between faith, family and freedom. We watch how the events unfold in Ethiopia and Israel. Even returning ‘home’ to their Israel is not easy as the Ethiopian Jews are outcasts; they are overwhelmed by life in the high-tech, Hebrew-speaking country and their Jewish-ness is doubted among their new countrymen.
