Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project

Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project
Official poster
Directed by
Produced by
Cinematography
  • Greg Harriott
  • Alfredo Alcántara
  • Derek Wiesehahn
  • Shawn Peters
Edited by
  • Terra Jean Long
  • Lawrence Jackman
Music by
  • Samora Pinderhudges
  • Christopher Pattishall
Production
companies
Distributed byHBO Documentary Films
Release dates
  • January 20, 2023 (2023-01-20) (Sundance)
  • November 3, 2023 (2023-11-03)
Running time
102 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project is a 2023 documentary film directed by Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson. It explores the life and career of American poet Nikki Giovanni.

It had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on January 20, and was released in a limited release on November 3 by HBO Documentary Films prior to its broadcast on HBO on January 8, 2024.

Summary

The film covers American poet Nikki Giovanni's life and the historical periods she lived through from the civil rights movement and Black Arts Movement to Black Lives Matter.[1][2] It was narrated by actress Taraji P. Henson.[3]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on January 20.[4] It received the Grand Jury Prize award for U.S. Documentary Competition.[5][6] The film was also screened at the 2023 True/False Film Festival.[7] In August, HBO Documentary Films acquired U.S. and Canada television and streaming rights to the film.[8] It was released in a limited release on November 3 of the same year.[9][10] The documentary was broadcast on HBO on January 8, 2024.[11]

Critical reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 97% of 31 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project takes a suitably inventive -- and very enjoyable -- approach to documenting a brilliant artist's life and times."[12] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 73 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[13] The film was Oscar short-listed in the 96th Oscar Awards and won the prestigious Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Exceptional Merit In Documentary Filmmaking (2024).

References

  1. ^ "Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project". Fork Films. January 15, 2019.
  2. ^ Flam, Charna (March 7, 2023). "Sundance Winners Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson Sign with Range Media Partners". Variety. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  3. ^ Galuppo, Mia (January 19, 2023). "Sundance: Taraji P. Henson to Narrate Nikki Giovanni Doc 'Going to Mars' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  4. ^ Reynolds, Robin (January 12, 2023). "Sundance 2023: Movies in the U.S. Documentary Competition Program". MovieWeb. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  5. ^ Donnelly, Matt; Debruge, Peter (January 27, 2023). "Sundance Winners: 'A Thousand and One' Takes U.S. Dramatic Jury Prize (Complete List)". Variety. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  6. ^ In 2023, Golden Age of Documentary Films Seemed Like Distant Memory - IndieWire
  7. ^ "True/False Announces 2023 Festival Lineup". Filmmaker. February 8, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  8. ^ Carey, Matthew (August 29, 2023). "HBO Documentary Films Acquires Sundance Winner 'Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project' About Famed Poet, Activist". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  9. ^ Carey, Matthew (September 29, 2023). "'Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project' First Look: In Teaser-Trailer For Prize-Winning Film, Renowned Poet Prepares For Blast Off". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  10. ^ "Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project". Film Forum. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  11. ^ "Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project". Warner Bros. Discovery. December 7, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  12. ^ "Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  13. ^ "Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project". Metacritic. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
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