Documentary explores the contradictory message that women athletes should be the best performers in the dome and the most seductive outside itThe last documentary in ESPN Films’ and espnW’s Nine for IX series, Branded, will premiere on Tuesday, Aug. 27, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. Sports are supposed to be the ultimate level playing field, but in the media and on Madison Avenue, sometimes looks matter more than accomplishments. Branded, co-directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, explores the double standard placed on female athletes to be the best players on the field and the sexiest off of it.
Through stories of the women who have faced and tackled this question in very different ways, Branded explores the question: can women’s sports ever gain an equal footing with their male counterparts or will sex appeal always override achievement? Interviews include Mary Lou Retton, Chris Evert, Lolo Jones and Gabby Reece.
Co-Directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady are Academy Award-nominated filmmakers (Jesus Camp) who have been lauded for gaining unprecedented access into unknown worlds and for their intimate approach to subject matter. They are the co-owners of Loki Films, based in New York City.
Films that have already aired in the series are Venus Vs., Pat XO,Let Them Wear Towels, No Limits,Swoopes, The Diplomat, Runnerand The 99ers. All Nine for IX films will be available for purchase on iTunes the day following air. A collectible DVD gift set with all films will also be available on October 15, 2013.
Follow the Nine for IX series on twitter at @30for30 and @espnW. Fans can join the conversation with the hashtag #Branded.
About Nine for IX
ESPN Films and espnW present Nine for IX, executive produced by Robin Roberts and Jane Rosenthal, featuring nine documentary films about women in sports directed by Oscar-nominated, Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning female filmmakers. Inspired by the 40th anniversary of Title IX, the series premiered on July 2 and aired over nine consecutive Tuesdays on ESPN at 8 PM ET. Stories include Venus Williams fight for equal pay at Wimbledon, the largely unknown history of Katarina Witt and her link with East Germany’s secret police, an intimate look at Pat Summitt—college sports’ most successful coach ever, and the business of sex in the marketing of female athletes. For more information and summaries visit: Nine for IX Media Kit
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