The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, (NATAS), announced that Wuhan Wuhan received a nomination for Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary featured in the POV series in the 44th News & Documentary Emmy® Awards. Wuhan Wuhan (dir. Ying Chang; prod. Diane Quon, Peter Luo, and Donna Gigliotti) is an observational documentary unfolding during February and March 2020 at the height of the pandemic in Wuhan city, where the coronavirus began. With unprecedented access at the peak of the pandemic lockdown, Wuhan Wuhan goes beyond the statistics and salacious headlines and puts a human experience into the early days of the mysterious virus as Chinese citizens and frontline healthcare workers grappled with an invisible, deadly killer.
“We are honored to have the academy recognize our programming and continued advocacy for the filmmakers and storytellers whose authentic voices and unique perspectives provide thought-provoking, artfully crafted and timely documentaries for audiences around the country. These nominations are a testament to the POV and America ReFramed vision, our values, and the remarkable talent of these filmmakers in the AmDoc family who are front and center to our mission and whose compelling stories connect us to some of the most pressing issues of our time,” said Erika Dilday, executive producer of POV and America ReFramed and executive director of American Documentary.
Also nominated for Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary is former Diverse Voices in Docs fellow Kevin Shaw’s (director/producer) Let the Little Light Shine, the story of a South Side Chicago neighborhood where National Teachers Academy (NTA)—a high-performing, largely Black elementary school is threatened by the forces of gentrification—a story that reflects larger struggles with the historical impacts of institutional racism and the ways demographic shifts affect education.
The film is produced by Rachel Dickson (‘63 Boycott, Hard Earned) and executive produced by Academy Award® nominee Steve James (Abacus: Small Enough to Jail, Hoop Dreams).