By Kathryn O’Kane
Season 5 of Death Row Stories premieres this Sunday, April 19 at 9 PM ET/CT on HLN. The series features work by six NYWIFT members including board member Kathryn O’Kane and members Bari Pearlman and Marcella Steingart who directed episodes; Cindy Kaplan Rooney and Yvette Wojciechowski who edited; and researcher Dana Brandes-Simon.
Told by current and former death row inmates, each episode of Death Row Stories seeks to unravel the truth behind a different capital murder case and poses tough questions about the U.S. capital punishment system. The popular documentary crime series is produced in conjunction with Jigsaw Productions and Sundance Productions.
Steingart’s episode “Tale of the Tape” airs Sunday, April 19 at 10 PM. 19-year-old Jermaine Wright confesses to a murder and is sentenced to die. His lawyers work desperately to destroy the validity of the taped confession.
Pearlman’s episode “Predator or Prey” airs Sunday, April 26 at 9 PM. In the shadow of his impending execution, a Philadelphia man finally reveals the years of sexual abuse that led him to extreme measures when he was only 18.
O’Kane and Wojciechowski’s episode about the wrongful conviction of Corey Williams airs on Sunday, May 10 at 9 PM. When a Louisiana house party ends in murder, a teenager goes on trial. As evidence emerges, so does the truth.
And Kaplan Rooney and Brandes-Simon’s episode “The Wrong Gun” airs on Sunday, May 17 at 9 PM. After a drug deal in TX turns deadly, Nanon Williams receives the ultimate punishment. Fateful mistakes are revealed in his case.
Learn more about Death Row Stories.
busyk
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Melanie Fox
Let's give a warm welcome to new NYWIFT member, Melanie Fox! Melanie Fox is a linguist who turned her passion for accents, dialects, presentations, and language learning into a thriving coaching business. Melanie empowers actors and public figures to speak clear, confident English through accent reduction, interview and presentation training. She also trains actors to master authentic English and Spanish dialects. She is a paid public speaker who helps her audiences "Hack into Language" and hosts a new podcast, "Hack That Accent." Melanie holds a Masters of Science degree in Linguistics from Georgetown University. She credits a lot of her inspiration to two semesters studying abroad at la Universidad de Salamanca in Spain. In our interview, she discusses how her work as a dialect coach spans multiple industries, her coaching success stories, and how she encourages clients to maintain their cultural authenticity while adjusting their presentation to match their business goals.
READ MOREDisney+ Celebrates National Pet Day with Heartwarming New Documentary “Pets” Directed by Bryce Dallas Howard
Disney+ is tugging at the heartstrings this National Pet Day with the premiere of its latest original documentary, Pets, debuting April 11. Directed by Bryce Dallas Howard, the film dives into the extraordinary relationships that exist between humans and their animals — no matter the species, no matter the place. In our exclusive interview, Bryce Dallas Howard shared how the collaboration with Imagine Documentaries — and her father Ron Howard — helped bring her vision to life. Along with aspects which will make audiences interested in watching even if they are not pet owners and more!
READ MORECracking the Code on Film Fundraising: Insights from NYWIFT’s Winter Film Festival Panel
On a brisk February afternoon, I found the perfect escape from the cold—diving into an eye-opening discussion at the 2025 Winter Film Festival. One of the standout moments? Navigating Film Fundraising with NYWIFT, a must-attend panel for any filmmaker tackling the most daunting part of filmmaking: raising money. Leading the conversation were Easmanie Michel, NYWIFT’s Director of Artists Programs and Finance, and NYWIFT Member Joanna Rudolph, executive producer of Burning Annie and The Co-op: The Kids of Dorie Miller. Their wealth of knowledge made for a powerful session, packed with real-world success stories and actionable strategies. Marchelle Thurman summarized some key takeaways to help you fund your next film.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Melody Gilbert
Welcome to our new NYWIFT member, Melody Gilbert! Melody is an Emmy-nominated and Alfred I. duPont award-winning documentary filmmaker. Over the course of her career, Melody has directed and produced 20 documentaries that have been screened at several film festivals and distributed internationally. Melody is also an educator committed to teaching new and emerging filmmakers. She has been on the faculty at several universities (including the American University in Bulgaria), teaching documentary production, multimedia, and journalism. Currently, Melody is traveling the world and spreading her love for film by teaching pitch training workshops and conducting her “Documentary Boot Camp” while working on her new documentary about the scandalous topless monokini bathing suit in 1964. The most recent documentary she helped produce, Queendom, was shortlisted for an Oscar in the feature documentary category. In our interview, Melody discusses her move from chilly Minnesota to NYC, her unconventional documentary subjects, and key lessons she shares with film students.
READ MORE
Comments are closed