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Nolan's new civic anthem commemorates the 60th anniversary of Freedom Summer. This award-winning short film was released this year as a call to action for the 2024 national election cycle.
Williams’s “Rise Up and Fight” is written in the voices of James Earle Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael “Mickey” Schwerner, three civil rights workers who were murdered by the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi during “Freedom Summer.”
In the song, Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner return 60 years later to evaluate progress made since their untimely deaths. They are disheartened to discover that not much has changed on the civil rights front. In fact, in some ways, things are worse. They issue a call-to-action to their audience: “Now is the time to rise and fight, fight for what is right!”
WINNER OF 15 FILM PRIZES
· Award of Excellence – Music Video, 2024 Best Shorts Competition (International)
· Award of Excellence – Animation, 2024 Best Shorts Competition (International)
· Award of Excellence – African American Theme, 2024 Best Shorts Competition (International)
· Award of Excellence – Music Video, 2024 IndieFEST Film Awards (International)
· Award of Excellence – Animation, 2024 IndieFEST Film Awards (International)
· Award of Excellence – Original Song, 2024 IndieFEST Film Awards (International)
· Award of Excellence – African American Theme, 2024 IndieFEST Film Awards (International)
· Award of Excellence – Liberation/Social Justice/Protest, 2024 IndieFEST Film Awards (International)
· Best Lyrics Video – 2024 International Music Video Competition
· Best Animation Short – 2024 Indie Short Fest (Los Angeles International Short Film Festival)
· Outstanding Achievement Award (Music Video) – 2024 Indie Short Fest (Los Angeles International Short Film Festival)
· Best Animation Music Video – 2024 Los Angeles Movie & Music Video Awards
· Best Animation Music Video – 2024 Europe Music Video Awards
· Best Music Video – 2024 London Global Film Awards
· Best Music Video – 2024 Los Angels Film Awards
WINNER OF 7 MEDIA PRIZES
· 2024 Davey Awards Gold Prize for Best Social Video
· 2024 Davey Awards Gold Prize for Best Animation
· 2024 Davey Awards Gold Prize for Best Use of Music
· 2024 Davey Awards Silver Prize for Best Music Video
· 2024 Davey Awards Silver Prize for Best Art Direction
· 2024 Davey Awards Silver Prize for Best Use of Animation
· 2024 Anthem Awards Silver Prize for Best Human & Civil Rights Special Project
RECIPIENT OF 12 FILM HONORS
· Finalist, Best Producer – 2024 Indie Short Fest (Los Angeles International Short Film Festival)
· Finalist, Best Original Song – 2024 Indie Short Fest (Los Angeles International Short Film Festival)
· Finalist, Best Audience Impact – 2024 Music Video Awards
· Nominee, Best Song – Cannes World Film Festival 2024
· Nominee, Best Social Justice Short – Cannes World Film Festival 2024
· Semifinalist – 2024 Paris International Short Festival
· Semifinalist – 2024 Sunday Shorts Film Festival (UK)
· Semifinalist – 2024 Seattle Filmmaker Awards
· Semifinalist – 2024 Robinson Film Awards (International Film Festival)
· Honorable Mention – Best Music Video, 2024 Apex Film Awards
· Honorable Mention – Best Animated Short Film, 2024 Apex Film Awards
· Special Mention – 2025 UK Animation & Music Video Festival
A NEWorks Productions documentary presented by the Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser | Produced, directed, co-written by Nolan Williams, Jr.
This one-hour documentary chronicles the long and complicated journey towards Washington, District of Columbia becoming our 51st state, Douglass Commonwealth. To date, "Becoming Douglass Commonwealth' has aired in five CBS markets and on DCTV.
WINNER OF TEN MEDIA PRIZES...
Produced, directed and co-written by Nolan Williams, Jr.
Associate produced by Michael DuBose
Co-written by Chris Myers Asch & George Derek Musgrove
Hosted by Andrea Roane & Bruce Johnson
Narrated by Ralph Wesley
Featuring:
· José Andrés, Chef/Restauranteur
· Chris Myers Asch, Visiting Instructor, History, Colby College; Co-Author of Chocolate City
· Denise Rolark Barnes, Publisher, The Washington Informer
· The Honorable Muriel Bowser, Mayor of Washington, D.C. (2015 to present)
· Rep. James Clyburn, D-SC 6th District
· Robert J. Contee, III, Acting Chief, Metropolitan Police Department
· Linda Cropp, Former Chairwoman, Council of the District of Columbia
· John J. DeGioia, President, Georgetown University
· C.R. Gibbs, Historian
· The Honorable Vincent Gray, Mayor of Washington, D.C. (2011-2015)
· The Honorable Eric Holder, Jr., Former Attorney General of the United States
· Jamal Holtz, Co-founder, Statehood 51 for 51
· Harry Holzer, John LaFarge Professor of Public Policy, Georgetown University and Nonresident Senior Fellow-Economic Studies, Brookings Institution
· Rep. Steny Hoyer, House Majority Leader, D-MD 5th District
· Ted Leonsis, founder, Chairman, and CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment
· Jane Levey, Historian, DC History Center
· Ezra Levin, Co-founder, Indivisible
· William P. Lightfoot, Former Member, Council of the District of Columbia
· Abbe Lowell, D.C. statehood advocate
· Gregory McCarthy, Trustee, Federal City Council; SVP, Washington Nationals Baseball Club
· Phil Mendelson, Chairman, Council of the District of Columbia
· George Derek Musgrove, Professor of History, University of Maryland, Baltimore; Co-Author of Chocolate City
· Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton D-DC
· Philip Pannell, DC statehood advocate
· Robert Patterson, Professor of African American Studies, Georgetown University
· Beverly Perry, Senior Advisor to the Mayor
· The Honorable Sharon Pratt, Mayor of Washington, DC. (1991-1995)
· Rep. Jaime Raskin, D-MD 8th District
· Paul Strauss, U.S. Shadow Senator, D.C. (1997 to present)
· George Vradenburg, Vice President, AOL and AOL Time Warner (retired)
· The Honorable Anthony A. Williams, Mayor of Washington, D.C. (1999-2007)
#DCStatehoodNow
A Star-studded Voting Rights Anthem composed, produced and directed by Nolan Williams, Jr. | Over 2,000,000 global views
Produced by Nolan Williams, Jr.
Filmed by Xavier Mack
Edited by Kevin Parisi
Music Arranged by Nolan WIlliams, Jr.
Music Produced by NEWorks Productions
Lead vocals by Nova Y Payton and Monique Steele-Griffiths
Featuring Xavier Mack, Bianca Melidor, Terrell Rogers, Jr. and Isabel Wallace-Green
Film locations: Griggs Park and Klyde Warren Park in Dallas, TX
Nolan leads the cast of his new musical, GRACE, in a performance of the finale song, "When Gran'Me Cooked." The music video, with a special introduction by Celebrity Chef and GRACE culinary ambassador Carla Hall, has garnered over 100K views!
With over 1.3 million views, this two-part video series, conceived and directed by Nolan and featuring American theatre performer Kevin McAllister and inspirational artist Monique Steele Griffiths, honors the American tradition of #PeacefulTransition. Click here for more information.
Check out Nolan's first national commercial gig, appearing alongside celebrity chef Carla Hall.
Copyright © 2021, Nolan Williams, Jr.
All Rights Reserved.
COVER PHOTO CREDIT: Marvin Joseph
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