Director Asaf Galay Wins $200,000 Cash Prize for Film About the Fleischer Brothers, the Pioneering Cartoonists Behind Betty Boop, Popeye the Sailor and Superman.
Source: Library of Congress
The Library of Congress, The Better Angels Society, Ken Burns, and the Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation today announced the winner of the sixth annual Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film: “Cartooning America.” The director Asaf Galay will be awarded a $200,000 cash prize for the multi-part film about the Fleischer Brothers, a family of animators who created innovative techniques that transformed the industry and are still in use today in an evolved form.
Most people have never heard the names Max and Dave Fleischer, but their legacy on American animation is profound, having preceded – and also inspired – Walt and Roy Disney. Unlike the polished characters produced by the Disney studio, the Fleischer characters came right off the streets of New York City: the subtly Jewish Betty Boop, the muttering, street-smart Popeye, and Superman, the first-ever superhero cartoon. The Fleischers were the first to mix live action with animation, to premiere the first sound cartoon, to pioneer the use of 3D, and to create a feature animation based on an original screenplay. “Cartooning America” uses visuals including pencil tests, storyboards, drawings, behind-the-scenes home movies, and the Fleischer’s very autobiographical cartoons, alongside interviews with family members, historians and the animators they inspired, to tell this family’s dramatic rags to riches to rags again story.
The runner-up “Magic & Monsters,” directed by Norah Shapiro, will receive a $50,000 cash prize. The film recounts the dark history of the acclaimed Minnesota Children’s Theatre Company and how a group of former child actors are seeking justice and healing after its founder was convicted of child sexual abuse.
Four finalists (listed below) will each receive a $25,000 cash prize.
The Prize for Film provides critical recognition and resources to exemplary documentary films that tell compelling stories about American history. It was established in 2019 by the Library of Congress and The Better Angels Society, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to engaging Americans with their history through documentary film. This award is bestowed annually by the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, in partnership with The Better Angels Society. Core underwriting for this prize is provided by a generous gift from Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine through the Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation.
“We’re thrilled to recognize these filmmakers whose work helps to provide us with a sense of place that is often reassuring during extraordinary times like these,” said Ken Burns. “‘Cartooning America’ reminds me why I – like the Fleischer brothers – have pursued visual storytelling, and why this medium remains so vital and affecting. We are so grateful to Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine whose generous support, through the Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation, has made this prize possible for the last six years.”
“Animation created some of the most iconic figures in American cinema. I am pleased to recognize, in first place, a documentary that so vividly portrays two early pioneers of the animation industry that has brought us so much laughter and joy,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “Our runner up documentary, in contrast, is an exploration of the search for justice and catharsis by victims of abuse – a reminder that difficult stories are as important for posterity as those we celebrate. I congratulate both of these talented filmmakers on their efforts to bring these very different stories into our national narrative.”
“We are so pleased to honor these filmmakers whose documentaries showcase an astounding range of subjects that encapsulate the depth and diversity of our history as Americans,” said Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine. “It has been hugely rewarding working with Ken, The Better Angels Society, and the Library of Congress for the last six years to support so many filmmakers in their critical mission to bring these important stories about history – some of which could have been lost in time – to wider audiences.”
“It’s a privilege for The Better Angels Society to help celebrate these two compelling films and highlight the largely unknown stories they tell,” said Katherine Malone-France, President and CEO of The Better Angels Society. “Historical documentaries are so important to our country because they allow us to discover stories, like the Fleischer Brothers’ innovations and inspirations, that expand our understanding of who we are and unite us with a shared sense of our history.”
An internal review committee comprised of filmmakers from Florentine Films and historians from the Library of Congress selected the top six submissions. These finalists were then narrowed down to the top two submissions by the National Jury, which was chaired by Hayden, composed of: historians David G. Gutiérrez, Professor Annette Gordon-Reed, and Claudio Saunt; award-winning documentarians Julianna Brannum, Sam Pollard, and Betsy West; and Jacqueline Glover, former senior vice president, HBO Documentary Films and currently the executive director of Harvard University’s Black Film Project.
Hayden, in consultation with Burns, selected the winning film. The winner will be awarded on Sept. 17, at a ceremony featuring Hayden and Burns, along with congressional speakers to be announced. Bank of America is the presenting sponsor for this year’s event. Additional sponsors are Peter and Lindsay Snell, Bain Capital, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, Meredith DeWitt, Annabelle and Jackson Dunn, FTI Consulting, and Public Strategies Washington, Inc.
On Oct. 10, during Live! at the Library, Katherine Malone-France will appear in conversation with the winning filmmaker, Asaf Galay, highlighting the importance of archival footage and the Library of Congress’ collections in making the film.
Since 2019, when the Prize for Film started, more than $2 million has been distributed among filmmakers. Winning films have included “Flannery” (directed by Elizabeth Coffman and Mark Bosco, S.J.); “Hold Your Fire” (directed by Steven Forbes); “Gradually, Then Suddenly: The Bankruptcy of Detroit” (directed by Sam Katz and James McGovern); “Bella! This Woman’s Place is in the House” (directed by Jeff L. Lieberman); “Philly On Fire” (directed by Ross Hockrow and Tommy Walker); and “Drop Dead City – New York on the Brink in 1975” (directed by Peter Yost and Michael Rohatyn). These – and other finalist films – have gone on to have theatrical releases, to be included and recognized at major festivals, and to stream on PBS and other platforms.
To learn more about the sixth annual Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film, visitwww.thebetterangelssociety.org.
WINNING FILMS
Winner: “Cartooning America,” directed by Asaf Galay
The Fleischer brothers were a family of New York Jewish immigrants whose inventions helped create America’s animation industry. Their cartoons were hilarious and strange, reflecting the world they lived in. It’s a rags to riches to rags again story, of a family whose influence on animators working today was profound.
Runner-Up: “Magic & Monsters,” directed by Norah Shapiro
Founded in 1965, the Minnesota Children’s Theatre Company gained worldwide acclaim. However, in the 1980s, its founder was convicted of child sexual abuse, revealing a dark history within the theater. Now, a group of former child actors seeks justice and healing, offering a blueprint for reckoning with institutional trauma post-#MeToo.
FINALISTS
“Area 2,” directed by James Sorrels
City leaders tacitly permitted Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge and his “Midnight Crew” of detectives to torture dozens of Black detainees in his notorious “Area 2” police station between 1972 and 1991. “Area 2” chronicles the epic fight for justice through the journeys of three Midnight Crew torture survivors.
“Behind the Lines,” directed by John Benitz
Based on The New York Times bestselling books, “Behind the Lines” follows a passionate historian on his journey around the world to find and preserve letters written during times of war. This personal and often emotional exploration of the war experience uncovers our worst impulses but also the secrets to our shared humanity.
“Dory Previn: On My Way to Where,” directed by Julia Greenberg & Dianna Dilworth
Dory Previn was a successful lyricist for Hollywood films in the 50s and 60s who in the 70s transformed into an influential cult singer-songwriter and famously went public about her schizophrenic diagnosis, ultimately accepting her voices and anticipating a modern-day neurodiversity movement.
“Wednesdays in Mississippi,” directed by Marlene McCurtis
Throughout Freedom Summer of 1964, teams of activist Black and white women from northern cities risked all to fly into Mississippi, conducting undercover civil rights work to leave a lasting legacy for local empowerment and national progress. This was “Wednesdays in Mississippi,” a landmark all-women achievement too long overlooked.
About Ken Burns
Ken Burns has been making documentary films for almost 50 years. Since the Academy Award nominated “Brooklyn Bridge” in 1981, Ken has gone on to direct and produce some of the most acclaimed historical documentaries ever made, including “The Civil War;” “Baseball;” “Jazz;” “The War;” “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea;” “Prohibition;” “The Roosevelts: An Intimate History;” “The Vietnam War;” “Country Music;” “The U.S. and the Holocaust;” and, most recently, “The American Buffalo.” Future film projects include “Leonardo da Vinci,” “The American Revolution,” “Emancipation to Exodus,” and “LBJ & the Great Society,” among others. Ken’s films have been honored with dozens of major awards, including 17 Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards and two Oscar nominations. In September of 2008, at the News & Documentary Emmy Awards, Ken was honored by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences with a Lifetime Achievement Award. In November of 2022, Ken was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
About The Better Angels Society
The Better Angels Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating Americans about their history through documentary film. They are the pre-eminent organization supporting American history documentary filmmakers in ways that advance education and civic engagement. The Society works to ensure that films about American history by emerging and established filmmakers are completed, broadcast, promoted, and shared with wide audiences. The organization raises funds to support individual films in partnership with public media and provides recognition and mentoring to student filmmakers through programs like the Next Generation Angels Awards in partnership with National History Day®.
About The Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation
Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine established the Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation to focus a significant portion of their philanthropic efforts toward leveling the playing field for individuals and families. The Foundation works to address pressing social challenges in education, community and public service, health and welfare, discrimination, and poverty. The foundation supports the multi-disciplinary efforts of organizations that serve to strengthen society through research, innovation, public policy, direct service and advocacy.
About the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services, and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov, access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov, and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.
