ATLANTA – Over 50 years after the death of Louis Armstrong, the American icon’s only child, Sharon Preston-Folta, comes forward in the acclaimed PBS documentary, Little Satchmo. After living closely in the shadows of her father, Armstrong’s secret daughter reveals a family and their relationship that was kept entirely invisible – until now.
The feature documentary is the Season Premiere of PBS Reel South Season 7, running nationally on television in the USA, in theaters and at film festivals in North America, Europe, and Asia. The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Southeast Chapter, has named Little Satchmo as one of five titles nominated for the Best Historical Documentary EMMY. The winner of the EMMY will be announced at the 49th Annual Emmy Awards Gala in Atlanta on Sat June 17th.
Little Satchmo is based on Preston-Folta’s memoir of the same title, detailing how Sharon, the product of a two-decade love affair between Satchmo and Harlem dancer Lucille ‘Sweets’ Preston, had no option but to harbor and conceal her identity for decades before making it public.
Little Satchmo made a sold-out world premiere at Oscar-qualifying Thessaloniki Documentary Festival in Greece followed by critically acclaimed debuts at the American Black Film Festival, Toronto’s Hot Docs’ Doc Soup Film Series, the Oscar-qualifying Krakow Film Festival and via AARP’s “Movies for Grownups” series, in addition to dozens of international festivals worldwide, picking up top prizes in France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Japan, and the USA. PBS International handles the film’s global release, with a UK national television broadcast debut set for May 26th 7:25pm GMT on PBS America, with releases to follow in New Zealand, Italy, and other territories.
The film, a sponsored project of the Southern Documentary Fund, is directed by John Alexander, who previously made record-breaking and multi award-winning Rudy Love documentary This Is Love. Little Satchmo is produced by JC Guest and the late Lea Umberger, and executive produced by Sharon Preston-Folta, Emily Bonavia and Susan Houston. Ann Garvey, Muriel Minot, Terrence Beasor, Lindsey Hall, Jenn & Tom Cotter and Michael & Suzy Valentino are co- and associate producers with two-time Emmy nominee Shawn Rhodes. The film features narration by John Boutté and original music with Wycliffe Gordon from Emmy/Grammy winner and nominee, composer Eddie Korvin.
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