Nancy Kates
Encyclopedia
Nancy Kates is an independent filmmaker based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is currently in production on Regarding Susan Sontag, a feature documentary about the late essayist, novelist, director and activist. Through archival footage, interviews, still photographs and images from popular culture, the film reflects the boldness of Sontag’s work and the cultural importance of her thought, and has received funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Foundation for Jewish Culture and the Sundance Documentary Film Program.
Kates is best known for her film Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin, a full-length documentary
she made with co-producer Bennett Singer about Bayard Rustin
, the gay
civil rights
leader. The film premiered on the PBS series POV
and at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival
, and received numerous awards, including the 2004 GLAAD Media Award and audience awards at the major American gay and lesbian film festivals. It also received the award for best feature film at New York’s New Festival and a number of jury prizes. "In the struggle for African-American dignity, Rustin was perhaps the most critical figure that many people have never heard of," says a review in TIME Magazine, "but neither mainstream society nor even the civil rights leadership could cope with his honesty." Hailed as "marvelous" by The Wall Street Journal, "packed with information" by The New York Times, and "beautifully crafted" by The Boston Globe, the Village Voice commends the film for "vividly bring[ing] back to life a man who deeply and brilliantly influenced the course of the civil rights and peace movements."
In 1995, Kates' master's thesis for Stanford University
's film program, Their Own Vietnam, won a Student Academy Award in documentary. The film tells the stories of five American women who served in the Vietnam War, including a couple who met while serving. It presents a complex picture of their identities as women, using archival footage, home movies and snapshots. The film screened at the Sundance Film Festival
, South by Southwest Film Festival, the Boston International Festival of Women’s Cinema, and the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival
among others, aired on public television, and received an award of merit from the International Documentary Association / David Wolper Awards
. The Journal of American History praised the film, saying that the "complex melding of images from the Vietnam conflict culled from newsreel footage, snapshots, and military recruiting films with the jarringly honest recollections of fie female veterans makes this an extremely compelling film," and LA Weekly praised it for its "transformations fraught with anger, pain, unimaginable guilt and sometimes joy - and the honesty with which they're brought to light."
Her previous films include Castro Cowboy, a short film about the late Marlboro model Christen Haren who died of AIDS in 1996, Joining the Tribe, Married People, and Going to Extremes. A 1984 honors graduate of Harvard University
, Kates worked for several years at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government
writing public policy case-studies. She is a former producer of the PBS series Computer Chronicles
, and has worked as a producer, writer, and story consultant on various documentary projects. She also speaks frequently at schools, colleges and universities.
Their Own Vietnam
Castro Cowboy
In August 2008 Kates made headlines when the under wire of her bra set off metal detectors in Oakland International Airport. She eventually removed her bra in an airport bathroom to get through the security check. The incident took a total of 40 minutes and caused Kates to miss her flight. Although she was accommodated with another flight, she arrived at her destination four hours late. As a result, Kates has stated that she plans to consult with an attorney as well as the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Organization for Women.
Kates is best known for her film Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin, a full-length documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
she made with co-producer Bennett Singer about Bayard Rustin
Bayard Rustin
Bayard Rustin was an American leader in social movements for civil rights, socialism, pacifism and non-violence, and gay rights.In the pacifist Fellowship of Reconciliation , Rustin practiced nonviolence...
, the gay
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
leader. The film premiered on the PBS series POV
POV
POV may refer to:* Parliament of Victoria, Australia* Persistence of vision, a theory addressing the visual phenomenon of image retention** POV toy or device, a device that displays an image to a viewer by displaying one piece at a time in rapid succession and in varied locations* Point of view **...
and at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
, and received numerous awards, including the 2004 GLAAD Media Award and audience awards at the major American gay and lesbian film festivals. It also received the award for best feature film at New York’s New Festival and a number of jury prizes. "In the struggle for African-American dignity, Rustin was perhaps the most critical figure that many people have never heard of," says a review in TIME Magazine, "but neither mainstream society nor even the civil rights leadership could cope with his honesty." Hailed as "marvelous" by The Wall Street Journal, "packed with information" by The New York Times, and "beautifully crafted" by The Boston Globe, the Village Voice commends the film for "vividly bring[ing] back to life a man who deeply and brilliantly influenced the course of the civil rights and peace movements."
In 1995, Kates' master's thesis for Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
's film program, Their Own Vietnam, won a Student Academy Award in documentary. The film tells the stories of five American women who served in the Vietnam War, including a couple who met while serving. It presents a complex picture of their identities as women, using archival footage, home movies and snapshots. The film screened at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
, South by Southwest Film Festival, the Boston International Festival of Women’s Cinema, and the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival
The Minneapolis–St. Paul International Film Festival is a springtime film festival in the U.S. state of Minnesota that has been held since the early 1980s. Known as the largest film event in the Upper Midwest, the festival invites numerous films from all corners of the globe, and attracts a large...
among others, aired on public television, and received an award of merit from the International Documentary Association / David Wolper Awards
International Documentary Association
International Documentary Association , founded in 1982, is a non-profit organization promoting documentary film, video and new media, to support the efforts of documentary filmmaking and video production makers around the world and to increase public appreciation and demand for the art of the...
. The Journal of American History praised the film, saying that the "complex melding of images from the Vietnam conflict culled from newsreel footage, snapshots, and military recruiting films with the jarringly honest recollections of fie female veterans makes this an extremely compelling film," and LA Weekly praised it for its "transformations fraught with anger, pain, unimaginable guilt and sometimes joy - and the honesty with which they're brought to light."
Her previous films include Castro Cowboy, a short film about the late Marlboro model Christen Haren who died of AIDS in 1996, Joining the Tribe, Married People, and Going to Extremes. A 1984 honors graduate of Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Kates worked for several years at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
writing public policy case-studies. She is a former producer of the PBS series Computer Chronicles
Computer Chronicles
The Computer Chronicles was a US television series, broadcast during 1981-2002 on Public Broadcasting Service public television, which documented the rise of the personal computer from its infancy to the immense market at the turn of the century...
, and has worked as a producer, writer, and story consultant on various documentary projects. She also speaks frequently at schools, colleges and universities.
Awards
Brother Outsider- Outstanding Documentary. GLAAD Media AwardsGLAAD Media AwardsThe GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives...
, 2004 - Silver Hugo Award. Chicago International Television Competition, 2004
- American Library Association Notable Videos for Adults, 2004
- Jury Award for Best Documentary. Icelandic Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, 2004
- CINE Golden Eagle, 2003
- Audience Award for Best Documentary. 27th San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, 2003
- Best Documentary. Cinequest San Jose Film Festival, 2003
- Outstanding Documentary Feature (tie). Outfest: Los Angeles Lesbian and Gay Film FestivalOutfestOutfest is an LGBT-oriented film showcase and festival in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1982 as the "Gay and Lesbian Media Festival and Conference", the name was changed to Outfest in 1994.-Programs:...
, 2003 - Audience Award for Best Feature. New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, 2003
- Best Documentary Award. Turin International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, 2003
- Jury Award for Best Documentary. Chicago Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, 2003
- Audience Award for Best Documentary. Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, 2003
- First Prize in Documentary. Rhode Island Film Festival, 2003
- Jury Award for Best Documentary. Athens International Film Festival, 2003
- Audience Award for Best Documentary. Pittsburgh Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, 2003
- Audience Award for Best Documentary. Indianapolis Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, 2003
Their Own Vietnam
- Student Academy Award, Documentary. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 1995
- Certificate of Merit. David Wolper/International Documentary AssociationInternational Documentary AssociationInternational Documentary Association , founded in 1982, is a non-profit organization promoting documentary film, video and new media, to support the efforts of documentary filmmaking and video production makers around the world and to increase public appreciation and demand for the art of the...
, 1995 - Merit Award. South by Southwest Film Festival, 1996
- Emerging Artists Award. Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival, 1996
- Second Prize, Documentary. UFVA Film and Video Festival, 1996
- Athena Award (for achievement in Lesbian Film), Documentary, 1996
- Women’s Programming Award. Humboldt International Film Festival, 1996
- Award of Merit. Sinking Creek Film FestivalNashville Film FestivalThe Nashville Film Festival , held annually in Nashville, Tennessee, is the oldest running film festival in the South and one of the oldest in the United States. In 2009, Nashville Film Festival received close to 2000 submissions from 86 countries, programmed nearly 260 films and had an attendance...
, Nashville, 1996
Castro Cowboy
- Director's Choice Award. Black Maria Film Festival, 1993
- Judge’s Special Merit Award. New England Film and Video Festival, 1993
- Bronze Apple Award. National Educational Film and Video Festival, 1993
Works
- Joining the Tribe
- Married People
- Going to Extremes
- Castro Cowboy (1992). 7 minutes
- Their Own Vietnam (1995). 23 minutes
- Vale of Tears (2002). 4 minutes
- Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin (2003) 84 minutes
Airport Incident
In August 2008 Kates made headlines when the under wire of her bra set off metal detectors in Oakland International Airport. She eventually removed her bra in an airport bathroom to get through the security check. The incident took a total of 40 minutes and caused Kates to miss her flight. Although she was accommodated with another flight, she arrived at her destination four hours late. As a result, Kates has stated that she plans to consult with an attorney as well as the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Organization for Women.