Director Todd Thompson's first feature length film has been making the festival circuit rounds and its latest stop was the Athena Film Festival at Barnard College, Manhattan. The festival is focused on women's leadership in an industry changing its attitude towards women in formally predominant male occupied roles. Thompson's film Woman in Motion is a documentary about Nichelle Nichols of Star Trek's Lt. Uhura fame.
The film covers the experience when Nichelle Nichols challenged NASA who was struggling to recruit scientists, engineers and astronauts for their space program. "Where are my People?" Nichols began a national blitz recruiting 8,000 of the nation's best and brightest including the first African-American, Asian and Latino astronauts, both men and women, who would fly to space.
Nichelle started her career at sixteen as a singer dancer with Duke Ellington and his band. In 1966, she was hired on to the Star Trek cast. Nichelle was invited to join the board of directors of the National Space Institute and asked to help with recruitment for the space shuttle project. Nichols took the challenge and changed the barriers into the space programs of our country, uniting us all.
Director Todd Thompson and Executive Producer Vincent Scuro were present for the Sunday, March 1, 2020 screening at the Athena Film Festival and came to the stage to introduce the film. For more information and to follow the films journey, go to : womaninmotionmovie.com
Todd Thompson and Vincent Scuro preceding the screening of Woman In Motion.
Todd Thompson and Vincent Scuro talking before the screening of Woman In Motion
Todd Thompson and Vincent Scuro talking before the screening of Woman In Motion