Prom Night in Mississippi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prom Night in Mississippi |
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| Directed by | Paul Saltzman |
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| Written by | Paul Saltzman |
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| Studio | Return to Mississippi Productions |
| Release date(s) | December 11, 2009 |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $750,000 |
Prom Night in Mississippi is a 2009 documentary film. A documentary is a movie that shows real events and people. This film was written and directed by Paul Saltzman. It follows a group of high school students in Charleston, Mississippi. They are getting ready for their senior prom in 2008. This prom was special because it was the first one in Charleston history to be racially integrated. This means students of all races could attend together.
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What is Prom Night in Mississippi About?
The film focuses on the senior prom in Charleston, Mississippi. Charleston is a small town with about 2,100 people. Its high school has around 80 graduates each year. For many years, the school had separate proms. There was one prom for black students and another for white students. This was true even though schools in Mississippi officially ended segregation in 1970. Segregation means keeping people of different races apart.
How Did the Integrated Prom Happen?
In 1997, the famous actor Morgan Freeman made an offer. He lives in Charleston and wanted to help. He offered to pay for the prom if it was open to all students. The school did not accept his offer at that time. But in 2008, Morgan Freeman offered again. This time, the school agreed to have an integrated prom.
Making the Movie
The director, Paul Saltzman, filmed the students for four months. He wanted to show their journey to the prom. He filmed in Mississippi, where the story takes place. Paul Saltzman is from Canada. His wife, Patricia Aquino, helped produce the film. They spent about $750,000 of their own money to make it. They filmed over 165 hours of video. The final movie is 89 minutes long.
The film was shown on HBO. It first premiered in Toronto on November 12, 2009. It then came out in movie theaters on December 11, 2009.
What Happened at the Prom?
The documentary shows how students, both black and white, felt about the prom. They talked about segregation in their town. The film also looked at how parents felt about an integrated prom. Some parents were worried about "tradition." Despite some concerns, the integrated prom was a success. It was a big step forward for the community.
Awards and Recognition
Prom Night in Mississippi received several awards. These awards showed how important and impactful the film was.
- In 2009, it won the Target Filmmaker Award for Best Documentary. This was at the AFI Dallas International Film Festival.
- It also won the Audience Choice Award at the Jackson Crossroads Film Festival in 2009.
- The film won another Audience Choice Award in 2009. This was at the Oxford Film Festival in Mississippi.
- In 2009, it was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize. This was for World Cinema – Documentary at the famous Sundance Film Festival.
