International Sweethearts of RhythmInternational Sweethearts of Rhythm

From the Piney Woods School in the Mississippi Delta to the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York City, this toe-tapping music film tells the story of the swinging, multi-racial all-women jazz band of the 1940s. A 16 piece band with a strong brass section, heavy percussion, and a deep rhythmic sense, the Sweethearts were not just a novelty but featured many of the best female musicians of the day. Starring Anna Mae Winburn, Ernestine "Tiny" Davis, Vi Burnside, Roz Cron, Evelyn McGee Stone, Helen Jones, Helen Saine, and Pauline Brady, of whom drummer Panama Francis says, "She played drums like a man!" Produced and directed by Greta Schiller and Andrea Weiss. Produced in association with Channel 4 (UK) "Makes you glad documentaries were invented!"-; Atlanta Journal and Constitution "Each film is excellent in its own way. They serve as powerful testaments to survival and affirmation."-; American Historical Review. "Using cool classic photographs and vintage newsreel footage, these films are deep, informative, and highly entertaining."-; L.A. Weekly "A delightful thirty minute trip down memory lane." -- The New York Times Awards and Screenings First Prize, Festival de Films de Femmes, Paris Prize of International Jury, Oberhausen Short Film Festival, Germany Jury Prize, Leipzig International Documentary Festival, Germany 1986 New York Film Festival, USA Blue Ribbon, American Film Festival, USA Silver Award, Philadelphia Film Festival