Magnolia Pictures in association with M+M Films Present A MAGNOLIA PICTURES RELEASE VENUS AND SERENA A film by Maiken Baird & Michelle Major Specs: 99 min OFFICIAL SELECTION: 2012 Toronto International Film Festival 2013 Miami International Film Festival 2012 DOC NYC 2012 Tribeca Film Festival 2012 Bermuda Docs Film Festival Distributor Contact: Matt Cowal Arianne Ayers Magnolia Pictures (212) 924-6701 phone publicity@magpictures.com Press Contact NY/Nat’l: Donna Daniels Donna Daniels PR 77 Park Ave., 12th Fl. New York, NY 10016 (347) 254-7054 phone dd@ddanielspr.net Press Contact LA/Nat’l: Marina Bailey Marina Bailey Film PR 6569 De Longpre Avenue Hollywood, CA 90028 (323) 650-3627 phone marina@marinabailey.com 49 west 27th street 7th floor new york, ny 10001 tel 212 924 6701 fax 212 924 6742 www.magpictures.com SYNOPSIS Venus and Serena takes an unfiltered look into the remarkable lives of the greatest sisteract professional tennis has ever seen. In a sport where they were not welcomed, the indomitable Williams sisters faced the opposition with grace and courage not only breaking new ground for female and African American athletes everywhere, but dominating the women’s game for over a decade. The film tells the inspiring story of how these two women, against all odds, but with the help of visionary parents, made it to the top. Venus and Serena also explores the struggle of these two aging superstars during the 2011 tennis season as they battle life and career-threatening health problems. In Venus and Serena we gain unprecedented access into the sisters’ lives - both in the spotlight and behind closed doors – and we watch as they draw their greatest strengths from one another to overcome countless adversities. Magnolia Pictures will release Venus and Serena … 2 DIRECTORS’ STATEMENT – MAIKEN BAIRD AND MICHELLE MAJOR The amazing story of the Williams sisters needed to be told as it is a shining example of what the human spirit can achieve with belief, hard work and blind determination. Ever since Venus and Serena burst onto the scene - as two rising tennis stars in the early 90s the world has been captivated by them. What was it about these two African-American sisters and their incredible bond that made them so special? The story of how they were able to rise above their humble beginnings to confidently take on an exclusive sport which had no place for two black girls from the ghetto, has meaning for anyone who's ever dreamed of beating the odds. Their journey is an education and inspiration for us all. 3 ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS Michelle Major (Director/ Producer) Michelle Major has worked in television and film for more than 15 years. Michelle got her start on the Barbara Walters film verité documentary Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus: But We Have to Live on Earth. Later, she became a member of the producing team for Peter Jennings critically acclaimed and groundbreaking documentary project The Century. She was also one of the original producers to bring the ABC News show Lifetime Live to the Lifetime channel. Additionally, she contributed to ABCs World News Weekend, finding her niche producing features about race, religion and the urban experience. In 2003 Michelle began working with Diane Sawyer producing celebrity interviews as well as stories on hot-button issues across the nation and oversees. At ABCs Good Morning America, she was part of an award winning team and was personally responsible for producing several shows dealing with national topics ranging from the 2008 Presidential election to Hurricane Katrina. She also produced top profiles on international leaders and their nations such as; Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Iran), Felipe Calderon (Mexico), Hamid Karzai (Afghanistan), Bashar al-Assad (Syria) and President Obama. Michelle has a BA in Psychology and Film Studies from Columbia University. She also holds a Masters in General Psychology from The New School for Social Research. She is a proud native of Harlem, NY and currently lives in Bedford-Stuyvesant Brooklyn. 4 MAIKEN BAIRD (Director/ Producer) Maiken Baird is an independent documentary filmmaker who specializes in international and political affairs. She produced Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer, with Academy Award winning director and producer Alex Gibney. In 2011, Client 9 was nominated for best documentary feature by the Producers and the Directors Guild of America and was also nominated for three Emmy Awards. Maiken co-produced Chicago 10, a documentary feature on the Chicago Seven and the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Chicago 10 was directed by Brett Morgan and produced by Graydon Carter. Maiken began her documentary career at ABC News as a researcher for Peter Jennings News Specials. She went on to produce documentaries for New York Times Television and National Geographic on a wide range of topics including: Women of the Holy Kingdom on the lives of women in Saudi Arabia, Nuclear Nightmare: Understanding North Korea, TB: Time Bomb on Russia's tuberculosis epidemic and The Smallpox Curse on the eradication of small pox. She produced A&Es Biography of the Millennium, on the 100 most influential people of the last one thousand years and associate produced Biographies of Joseph Stalin and Eva Peron. She segment produced MTVs True Life: Fatal Dose, on heroin abuse by affluent teens in Plano, Texas. Prior to becoming a documentary filmmaker Maiken worked at the United Nations in New York, the European Union in Brussels and the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London. She obtained a Master’s degree in International Relations and Political Science from Stanford University in 1992 and a BA in Political Science from Columbia University in 1989. Maiken is trilingual in English, French and Danish and lives in London with her husband and three children. 5 CREDITS M+M FILMS PRESENTS A FILM BY MAIKEN BAIRD VENUS and SERENA PRODUCED BY MAIKEN BAIRD AND MICHELLE MAJOR EDITED BY SAM POLLARD EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ALEX GIBNEY MUSIC BY WYCLEF JEAN DIRECTED BY MAIKEN BAIRD AND MICHELLE MAJOR Directors of Photography Cliff Charles Rashidi Harper Stephanie Johnes Associate Producer Aimée deSimone Associate Editor Alex Keipper Special Thanks Elizabeth and Jim Wiatt Distribution Advisory Services Cinetic Media Additional Directors of Photography Henry Adebonojo Maryse Alberti Jeff Burson Chris Dapkins Kerwin Detracy Devonish AJ Fielder Wolfgang Held Ronan Killeen Stephen Kazmierski 6 Salvador Bolivar Madera Will Miller Slane Roman Directors of Photography - UK Mark Carey James Clenaghan Director of Photography - Australia Brent Crockett Sound Mixers David Hocs Andre Logan Eric Moorman Caleb Mose Paul Reed Mark Roy Sound Mixer - Australia Bart Bee Additional Sound John Hatcher Juan Nunez Mike Primmer Jim Rebraca Daniel Brooks Assistant Camera Daniel Carter Steve Ciffone Daniel Fernandez Megan Frazer Brett Frey Chris Frierson Alvah Holmes Jason Mason William O'Marra Trashon Shallowhorn Keith Sikora Carla Sosa Tim Trotman Rene Vargas 7 Assistant Camera - UK Chris Dodds Assistant Camera - Australia Cara Hurley Production Assistants Erica Bernal Nick Bodkin Steve Brewster Brian Fernandez Kevin Kearns Jon Lee Charles Phillips Marco Vidalis Archival Researcher Sheila Maniar Rights & Clearances Roberta Helling Main Titles & Design by Bigstar Post Production Consultant Kelley Cribben Music Director Sedeck Jean Music Editor Sally Swisher Music Coordinator John McCullough Online Facility Post Factory NY Digital Colorist Mishel Hassidim Color Correction Facility Post Factory NY 8 Supervising Sound Editor Allan Zaleski Dialogue Editor Branka Mrkic-Tana Transfer Assistant Chris Fielder Audio Post-Production Facilities C5 Editorial Re-Recording Mixer Tom Fleischman, C.A.S. Recordist Bret Johnson Re-Recorded at Soundtrack F/T Production Photographers Brian Butnick Production Accountant Mara Connolly Production Insurance AON/Albert G. Ruben Company of NY Inc. Production Counsel Frankfurt, Kurnit, Klein and Seltz, PC E&O Counsel Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. Copyright Holder VSW Productions, LLC Transcription Richard Dworkin Interns Joseph Burden Nino Chichua 9 Dylan Dempsey Nicolas Donnolli Cindy Gamboa Ryan Kupchik Maria Lanzilotti Julian Mercuri Greg Ryan Athena Zammit Very Special Thanks to Tim Luke Euan and Angelica Baird Nikos and Grace Makris Sade Baderinwa Gretchen Beidl and Michael Wilner Special Thanks to Peter Bodo Bill Clinton Carlos Fleming Leland Hardy Billie Jean King Rick Macci John McEnroe Arnon Milchan Isha Price Lyndrea Price Oracene Price Arnold Rampersad Dave Rineberg Jill Smoller Gay Talese Jon Wertheim Anna Wintour Venus and Serena Williams Archival Footage Provided Courtesy of Associated Press Audio Clips Courtesy of Tennis Channel © The Tennis Channel, Inc. CNN The Conus Archive ESPN Enterprises, Inc HBO Archives IMG Sport Video Archive institut national de l'audiovisuel 10 Tennis. Internationaux de France : Roland Garros. Simple finale dames Director, Boulain, Françoise ; Director, Godard, Fred ; Director, Machu, Jean Louis ; Director, Gervais, Pascal ; Director, Père Champagne, Renée ; Director, Leroux, Jean Pierre ; Journalist, Monfort, Nelson ; Presenter, Luyat, Laurent ; Presenter, Golovin, Tatiana ; Narrator, Chamoulaud, Lionel ; Narrator, Brabant, François ; Narrator, Boetsch, Arnaud ; Narrator, Dominguez, Patrice ; Narrator, Pitkowski, Sarah ; Narrator, Monfort, Nelson ; Narrator, Lauclair, Daniel ; Narrator, Romera, Arnaud ; Narrator, Mauresmo, Amélie ; Narrator, Simon, Gilles (Tennis player, consultant) ; Narrator, Coffin, Richard Tennis. Internationaux de France : Roland Garros . Demi finale dames Director, Godard, Fred ; Journalist, Chamoulaud, Lionel ; Journalist, Monfort, Nelson ; Participant, Henin, Justine ; Participant, Monfort, Nelson ; Illustrator, Chenez, Bernard ; Narrator, Chamoulaud, Lionel ; Narrator, Forget, Guy ; Narrator, Tauziat, Nathalie Finale dames à roland Garros. Victoire Serena Williams. Director, Boulain, Françoise ; Director, Godard, Fred ; Journalist, Holtz, Gérard ; Journalist, Drhey, Michel ; Journalist, Monfort, Nelson ; Journalist, Perez, Valérie ; Participant, Perez, Valérie ; Participant, Monfort, Nelson ; Participant, Delon, Anthony ; Participant, Williams, Venus ; Participant, Williams, Serena ; Participant, Killy, Jean Claude ; Participant, Baffie, Laurent ; Participant, Russo, Daniel ; Presenter, Holtz, Gérard ; Narrator, Drhey, Michel ; Narrator, Loth, Jean Paul ; Narrator, Leconte, Henri Tennis. Internationaux de France : Roland Garros . Finale dames Director, Boulain, Françoise ; Director, Godard, Fred ; Narrator, Drhey, Michel ; Narrator, Loth, Jean Paul ; Participant, Monfort, Nelson ; Participant, Williams, Serena ; Participant, Williams, Venus Tennis. Internationaux de France : Roland Garros. Interview des soeurs Williams Journalist, Monfort, Nelson ; Participant, Monfort, Nelson ; Participant, Williams, Venus ; Participant, Williams, Serena ITN Source NBC Sports NBC Universal Archives Oddball Films Seven Network T3 Media Archival Photographs Provided Courtesy of ABC.es The Asahi Shimubun Photoarchives Associated Press BEI Images 11 Corbis Der Spiegel Disney Enterprises, Inc. Gamma-Rapho Getty Images The Image Works Koto Bolofo Landov Media People Magazine Photograph of Venus and Serena Williams and Serena in Swimsuit © By Annie Leibovitz (Contact Press Images) Originally Photographed for Vogue Poster From 'FIGHT CLUB' Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Monarchy Enterprises S.a.r.l. and Regency Entertainment (USA), Inc. All rights reserved Splash News & Picture Agency Sports Illustrated Sports Illustrated/Getty Stills of Pretty Woman and Fight Club Posters Provided by The Everett Collection Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Regency Enterprises Williams Family Photo Library Music ““STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON” WRITTEN BY O’SHEA JACKSON, LORENZO PATTERSON, ERIC WRIGHT AND ANDRE YOUNG PERFORMED BY N.W.A. COURTESY OF PRIORITY RECORDS LLC UNDER LICENSE FROM EMI FILM & TELEVISION MUSIC “I’M READY” WRITTEN BY DEREK LAMONT COLEMAN, JERRY DUPLESSIS, NEL WYCLEF JEAN AND CLARENCE ANTHONY LEGGETT PERFORMED BY WYCLEF JEAN COURTESY OF COLUMBIA RECORDS BY ARRANGEMENT WITH SONY MUSIC LICENSING “HOLE HEARTED” WORDS AND MUSIC BY NUNO BETTENCOURT AND GARY F. CHERONE COURTESY OF STINGRAY MUSIC 12