The Better Angels Society is Proud to Support the Following Films
These documentary films in production are associated with Ken Burns’s Florentine Films and Lynn Novick’s Skiff Mountain Films. They tell the story of people and animals who have found ways to overcome adversity and have impacted our history. All previously supported films are in the Past Films section of this page. To see a full list of Ken’s work, click here. For additional information on supporting these films, please email Katherine Malone France, President & CEO, at kmalonefrance@betterangelssociety.org.
Better Angels Stories
The Better Angels Stories initiative is a partnership with PBS to support historical documentary filmmakers who are creating films about the most important untold stories of American history. We aim to ensure these vital, complex narratives can be brought to millions of PBS viewers nationwide. These films have future air dates, and The Better Angels Society is currently supporting or actively fundraising for them. To see all the aired films we’ve supported, visit the Past Films section of this page. For additional information on supporting upcoming Better Angels Stories, please email Katherine Malone-France, President & CEO, at kmalonefrance@betterangelssociety.org.
Special thanks to John and Jessica Fullerton for underwriting this initiative. Additional support has been generously provided by:
- Mercedes T. Bass
- Gilchrist & Amy Berg
- Philip I. Kent
- Fullerton Family Charitable Trust
- Rocco & Debby Landesman
- Mauree Jane & Mark Perry
- Lynda & Stewart Resnick
- The Robert F. Smith Family
- Bobby & Polly Stein
Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film
The Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film is an annual national prize designed to provide finishing funds, including outreach and marketing, for feature-length U.S. historical documentaries in the tradition of Ken Burns. The 2022 winners are below. Visit the page directly, or search the Past Films section of this page to see all winners and finalists. The Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film is made possible through a generous donation by Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine.
Better Angels Lavine Fellowship
The Better Angels Lavine Fellowship Program is a component of the Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film. The Fellowship is for promising filmmakers whose films are not selected as finalists for the Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film. With a special emphasis on projects telling the stories of America’s diversity, the filmmakers receive mentorship, guidance, and advice on their work from a panel of expert filmmakers. To see the full list of fellows’ projects, visit the Past Films section of this page. The Lavine Fellowship is made possible by The Better Angels Society and Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine through the Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation.
PAST FILMS
THE ADVENTURES OF SAUL BELLOW
Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film, 2019 Finalist. Better Angels Stories, WNET American Masters
BONNIE BLUE: JAMES COTTON’S LIFE IN THE BLUES
Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film, 2021 Finalist
CURED
Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film, 2020 Runner-Up. Better Angels Stories, ITVS
GRADUALLY, THEN SUDDENLY
Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film, 2021 Winner. Better Angels Stories
MAX ROACH: THE DRUM ALSO WALTZES
Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film, 2023 Finalist. Better Angels Stories, WNET American Masters
STORMING CAESARS PALACE
Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film, 2020 Finalist. Better Angels Stories, ITVS
A TASTE OF HEAVEN: THE ECSTATIC SONG & GOSPEL OF MAESTRO RAYMOND ANTHONY MYLES
Better Angels Lavine Fellow, 2022
“Country music, like opera, is true poetry with a brilliant tempo! No song is more beautiful than ‘Stand by Your Man’ sung by Tammy Wynette.”
“College Behind Bars is a timely and important film that speaks to one of the most pressing probelms facing our country – mass incarceration. Through nuanced and intimate storytelling we witness the impact that educational opportunities can have on incarcerated students, and we see firsthand the possiblities for learning and growth behind bars.”
