Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down tells the extraordinary story of former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords; her relentless fight to recover following an assassination attempt in 2011, and her new life as one of the most effective activists in the battle against gun violence. Featuring extensive verite filming of Gabby and her husband, astronaut-turned-Senator Mark Kelly, interviews with Barack Obama and other friends and colleagues, and exclusive access to stunning videos taken in the weeks following her near-death, this film is the story of a rising star transformed by gun violence, and a close-up portrait of the marriage that sustains her.
NYWIFT is offering a virtual screening of Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down, available from Friday 2 December to Monday 5 December (EST), followed by a virtual conversation with the directors Julie Cohen and Betsy Weston on 5 December.
Cohen and West are something of a powerhouse in film and journalism: they're Academy Award-nominated, Emmy winning filmmakers who directed and produced the theatrical documentary RBG. Their film Julia was released theatrically by Sony Pictures Classics in 2021 and was shortlisted for an Academy Award.
Before they began their filmmaking partnership in 2015, Betsy and Julie both had careers in broadcast journalism and independent documentaries. Julie was a producer at Court TV and Dateline NBC and directed The Sturgeon Queens (Berlinale 2015) and I Live to Sing (PBS; New York Emmy for Best Arts Program) among others. Betsy was a network television news producer and executive, first at ABC where she won 21 Emmy Awards, and then at CBS where she was the executive in charge of 60 Minutes. She is the Fred W Friendly Professor Emerita at Columbia Journalism School.
Screening Dates: Film available from Friday 2 December to Monday 5 December (EST). The Link will be provided in confirmation email.
Q&A Date: Monday, December 5, 2022
Time: 4pm ET
Location: Virtual (Zoom link will be included in confirmation email after registering)
Price: NYWIFT Members: $5 / Non-Members: $7