NBC News Studios, BET Studios and Westbrook Studios have partnered with Comcast’s Black Experience on Xfinity to premiere the new documentary, “The Debutantes,” directed by award-winning filmmaker and Emmy-nominated producer Contessa Gayles, and executive produced by Emmy-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph.
Filmed at the 2022 Debutante Cotillion, this coming-of-age documentary follows Canton, Ohio’s first group of Black debutantes in a decade as they prepare for their formal introduction to society.
The documentary film premieres today Thursday, May 1st, on Comcast’s Black Experience on Xfinity channel and the Xumo Play free streaming app.
The Debutantes tells the compelling story of an intergenerational group of Black women and girls in Canton, Ohio, as they work to revive the long-lost tradition of the debutante ball in America’s heartland.
Once a hallmark of middle-class respectability, the debutante ball now presents a new generation of Black girls, many from a post-industrial, low-income community, with the challenge of deciding how much of this legacy to embrace as they navigate traditional pathways to advancement and success. Waltz lessons and etiquette classes clash with Gen Z sensibilities, as these high school juniors and seniors find their voices, their light and their own way forward.
“As a former debutante,?I am beyond thrilled to be part of?The Debutantes, a film that beautifully captures the grace,?tradition, strength, and resilience of young Black women stepping into their power,” says executive producer Sheryl Lee Ralph.?“It is an honor to help share their journey with the world, and I am pleased that the project has found a new home on [Comcast’s Black Experience on Xfinity], a platform that uplifts and celebrates Black stories and creators.”
“With The Debutantes, I wanted to create an intimate portrait of Black girlhood that celebrates the complexities and nuances of our experiences as we navigate our way to adulthood. I wanted to honor that journey of finding your way to your authentic self, while bearing the weight of all the pressures and expectations from family, community and society — and the pressure we put on ourselves — to perform and to achieve.
With the resurrection of the traditional rite of passage of the cotillion, the film becomes an intergenerational dialogue among Black women and girls at the intersection of race, class and gender,” says director Contessa Gayles.
The Debutantes is available exclusively on Comcast’s Black Experience, a comprehensive content destination that features the ultimate in Black storytelling from a wide variety of programming partners and film studios. Black Experience is available across Xfinity’s entertainment devices, including X1, Flex and Xumo Stream Box, as well as on Xumo Play, a free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) app available on major streaming platforms.
“The Debutantes” is directed by Contessa Gayles. Producers include Contessa Gayles, Alyse Shoreland, Jannat Gargi, Molly O’Brien, and Aya Sloan. Jon Mone, Jae Trevits, Elizabeth Fischer, Liz Cole, Noah Oppenheim, Andy Berg, Aisha Summers-Burke, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Sabrina Eisenstadt, Juliet Chin, and Meadow Fund serve as Executive Producers, with Evan Sypek, Andrina Davis, Kim Nyhous, Dawn Bonder, Daniel J. Chalfen, and Marci Wiseman as Co-Executive Producers.
Xfinity customers can access the Black Experience on channel 1622 or simply say “Black Experience” into the Voice Remote to instantly enjoy the ultimate in Black storytelling.
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