FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Courtney Fowler – 404.841.3879
cfowler@aischool.org
www.aischool.org
Atlanta International School Hosts Screening of Sundance Award-Winning Film,
American Promise, and Panel Discussion with Filmmakers on April 21 at 6:00 p.m.
AIS will host a public screening of the film, American Promise, on Tuesday, April 21, 2015, with doors opening
at 5:30 p.m. for refreshments. The film will be followed by a panel discussion featuring filmmaker Michele
Stephenson and her son Idris, one of the students chronicled in the documentary. The screening is free and
open to the public.
American Promise spans 13 years as Joe Brewster and Michele Stephenson, middle-class African-American
parents in Brooklyn, NY, film their son, Idris, and best friend, Seun, as they make their way through one of the
country’s most prestigious private schools. Chronicling the boys’ divergent paths from K-12 at The Dalton
School, this intimate film depicts America’s struggle to come of age on issues of race, class and opportunity.
Today, African-American students across all income levels score an average of twenty-five points lower than
their white counterparts on standardized tests: the “racial achievement gap.” American Promise asks
audiences to consider what the “American Promise” really means, for these boys and for each of us.
“This wonderful documentary is the latest in a series of events around inclusivity and diversity for AIS this
year,” said Kevin Glass, Headmaster. “Our community includes over 90 different nationalities, so we think it’s
vitally important to have constant conversation about inclusion. We’re grateful for our local context – Atlanta
as the center of the Civil Rights Movement – as we strive to make sure that every member of our community
feels important and included.”
American Promise premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Grand Jury Award for
Achievement in Filmmaking. Noted Harvard Medical School psychiatrist, Dr. Alvin Poussaint, called it, “An
outstanding, honest portrayal of the complexities involved in steering black boys to success where cultural
barriers and environmental obstacles still remain.”
About Atlanta International School
Atlanta International School (AIS) offers all three International Baccalaureate (IB) programs to 1,160
U.S. and international students from three-year-old kindergarten to grade 12. Rigorous academics are
enriched by a world-class language acquisition program, which begins with a full-immersion preschool
program in Spanish, French and German. The school offers STEM-and STEAM-endorsed and bilingual
diplomas in addition to the prestigious IB diploma. Beyond the classroom, AIS students participate in
award-winning performing and fine arts opportunities, competitive athletics and global experiential
learning. The AIS community comprises over 90 nationalities. AIS is accredited by SAIS and the Council
of International Schools. For more information, please visit www.aischool.org.