American Promise

A film by Joe Brewster & Michele Stephenson

Success is Our Only Option.

Masterfully told with pointy precision, AMERICAN PROMISE spans 12 years in the lives of two middle class black families as they navigate their family experience when they choose to send their two young sons to a prestigious Manhattan private school.

With a sharp and merciless camera, filmmakers/parents Joe and Michele intimately document the struggles as these talented boys deal with stereotypes and identity issues, while their parents juggle high expectations against the social and cultural obstacles their sons face. Convinced that education is the key to success in the 21st century, these families make enormous sacrifices for an elite education. But will the rewards be there? AMERICAN PROMISE ultimately confronts the question.

Watch trailer
Licensing Options

Director

Joe Brewster & Michele Stephenson

Producer

Joe Brewster and Michele Stephenson

Runtime

120 minutes

Rights Represented

Educational Rights, International Rights

Captions Available

English

Language

English

Press

“A Remarkable Documentary.”

- The LA Times

“…dazzling…an engrossing portrait of modern parenting.”

- The Washington Post

“An extraordinary documentary about race, family and education that’s at once epic and intimate…a monumental undertaking.”

- RogerEbert.com

“This massive undertaking, culled from more than 800 hours of footage, illuminates the mistakes, the challenges and the personal growth of not only the two boys, but of the parents as well.”

- The Hollywood Reporter
Read More
Licensing Options
Watch trailer

Festival & Awards

Official Selection – SUNDANCE Film Festival

Related Films

Far From the Tree

Parents, Children and the Search for Identity

Licensing Options

Far From the Tree

Race to Nowhere

Transforming education from the ground up

Licensing Options

Race to Nowhere

Chasing Childhood

All work and no play is no way for kids to grow up.

Licensing Options

Chasing Childhood

The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia

The Myths, The Stigmas, The Truth’s Revealed

Licensing Options

The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia

Film Licensing

We distribute films globally but we only hold the rights in particular territories in some cases.

Letting us know what type of group you are will help us get you set up with the right type of license. If you do not fall squarely into one of these categories, select “individual” or contact us at screenings@rocofilms.com.

Unsure what you need?
Here are some basic definitions to help! Please visit our FAQs for further information.

  • In-person screening: This license includes the public performance rights required to host a screening for your group and a DVD copy of the film
  • Virtual screening: A link and code that are available for a single 72 hour period
  • Streaming subscriptions: Ongoing streaming access for an institution provided by our partner, Film Platform.  Please note it takes 3-5 business days to get your streaming access set up.  Questions about your set-up – contact setup@filmplatform.net.
  • DVD for classroom use: This is a DVD with permission to share in a classroom only
  • Custom and secure link and code to provide to event participants during designated screening period.
  • Option to receive registration information.

Includes Standard Setup Plus...

  • Custom screening page with your logo and event description
  • Option to add custom video introduction
  • Ability to add custom resources and ‘Calls to Action’
  • Access to participation and attendance analytics

Don’t worry, you can always change this date if needed but if you already have a screening or license activation date in mind, it will help expedite the process. Please note it takes 1 week to get a virtual screening room set up.

Your Selection
American Promise

Success is Our Only Option.

Cost $0.00