Ask Not Snags Outstanding Doc at GLAAD Awards
ITVS-funded Ask Not by Johnny Symons was honored for Outstanding Documentary at the GLAAD Media Awards earlier this month in San Francisco. Ask Not originally aired in June 2009 on Independent Lens. Equally important is the attention such an award will draw to the national debate over Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT.) The film explores the genesis of that policy from its inception under then-President Clinton in 1993.
Ask Not sheds light on how DADT has prevented some of America’s most talented recruits from serving their country. Examples include skilled Arabic translators so desperately needed in Afghanistan and Iraq combat, ordered to be silent and celibate or else be removed from duty. "This was a fun award to receive and a great acknowledgment of the film and the issue," said Symons. The hype around Ask Not could not come at a more relevant time. At his State of the Union address this past January, President Obama vowed to repeal DADT during his first term. Soon after, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm Mike Mullen also denounced the policy before the Senate Armed Services Committee. The film also recently aired on Capitol Hill to coincide with Congressional hearings on Don't Ask Don't Tell. Congratulations to Johnny and his team!
Topics
From our blog
-
ITVS Welcomes Brandii Rice as Head of Business and Legal Affairs
August 10, 2023ITVS is pleased to welcome Brandii Rice as our new Head of Business and Legal Affairs. In her role Rice will oversee business and legal affairs across the ITVS brand portfolio. In addition, she will guide licensing and business strategies to support ITVS’ content development, production, distribution and audience development goals. She will join ITVS…
-
Carrie Lozano Will Lead ITVS as President & CEO, Succeeding Sally Jo Fifer
June 7, 2023Carrie Lozano joins ITVS from the Sundance Institute, where she served as director of Documentary Film and Artist Programs, supporting boundary-breaking filmmakers across the globe. At ITVS, she will continue to protect independent artists’ voices, editorial control and copyright while elevating nonfiction storytelling as an essential strategy…
-
Lisa Tawil Joins the International Board of INPUT
June 1, 2023Discover how Lisa Tawil's appointment to the International Board of INPUT strengthens worldwide collaboration in public media.