- Press Releases
Jay Z, Peal Jam, Kanye West & More Are ‘Made in America’
Last year, Grammy® Award-winning music icon Shawn “JAY Z” Carter united the biggest names in music (with a few notable locals) to perform at a star-studded, multi-genre, two-day Budweiser “Made in America” festival in Philadelphia. He then approached Oscar®-winning filmmakers Brian Grazer and Ron Howard of Imagine Entertainment to join forces and produce a film chronicling the inspirational event. The result is the highly anticipated documentary MADE IN AMERICA, world premiering on television exclusively on SHOWTIME on Friday, October 11th at 9:00 pm ET/PT. Headlined, envisioned and curated by JAY Z, directed by Howard, and produced by award-winning producers RadicalMedia and Participant Media, the film features performances and interviews with a diverse roster of chart-topping musicians, including Gary Clark Jr., D’Angelo, Dirty Projectors, The Hives, Janelle Monáe, Odd Future, Rita Ora, Passion Pit, Pearl Jam, Run-D.M.C., Santigold, Jill Scott, Skrillex, Mike Snow and Kanye West. It will debut at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival Saturday, September 7th.
“As soon as we saw this film we knew it was a perfect fit for SHOWTIME,” says David Nevins, President of Entertainment, SHOWTIME Networks Inc. “Ron Howard and JAY Z have crafted an inspirational portrayal of American resilience, drive and creativity, interwoven with an incredible showcase of musical talent. We are proud to bring MADE IN AMERICA to SHOWTIME where it joins our impressive roster of provocative and compelling documentaries helmed by award-winning filmmakers.”
MADE IN AMERICA is a one-of-a-kind, all-access backstage pass to the festival of the same name and to the “making it in America” success stories of the chart-topping artists fans, vendors, stage hands and neighbors whose lives were impacted by the event. From Reverend Run sharing the unlikely genesis of Run-DMC’s Billboard chart-busting hit “Walk this Way,” to a single mother banking on the concert to boost her struggling food truck business, MADE IN AMERICA is a celebration of the unifying power of music and the relentless pursuit of the American dream.
Imagine Entertainment and JAY Z present in association with Participant Media, A Brian Grazer, Marcy Media and RadicalMedia Production of A Ron Howard Film. Executive Producers are JAY Z, Paul Chibe, Diane Weyermann, Jeff Skoll, Erica Huggins, Jon Kamen, and Sidney Beaumont. Produced by Brian Grazer, Steve Stoute, Justin Wilkes, Jonathan Silberberg. Produced and Directed by Ron Howard. Cinematographer is Salvatore Totino. The editor is Joshua L. Pearson. Sound is by Dan Flosdorf. The deal was negotiated by CAA on behalf of the production.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, FLIX ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.