HBO Documentary Films’ ROSIE O’DONNELL: A HEARTFELT STAND UP will premiere at the Athena Film Festival on Saturday February 7th, 2015.
Multiple Emmy Award-winning comedian, host, and actor Rosie O’Donnell will attend the premiere to introduce the film and participate on a panel on women’s heart disease after the screening. On the same evening, Ms. O’Donnell will present HBO’s President of Documentary Films Sheila Nevins with The President’s Visionary Award during the Athena Film Festival at Barnard College.
ROSIE O’DONNELL: A HEARTFELT STAND UP features Rosie O’Donnell in a hybrid form of standup comedy, inspired by her recent near-fatal heart attack. In a comic and touching performance, she shares her experience with heart disease, the leading cause of death among American women, and explores topics ranging from the challenges of raising five children to her obsession with Barbara Streisand. O’Donnell’s return to the stage is an honest, hilarious and intimate take on life. The documentary will premiere at Miller Theater, 2960 Broadway (at 116th St.) on Saturday February 7 at 4:30PM. Tickets are available for purchase on the Athena Film Festival website. The film will premiere on HBO on Saturday, February 14 at 10:00PM ET.
Ms. O’Donnell will also present multi-award winning, innovative producer Sheila Nevins, President of HBO Documentary Films, with The President’s Visionary Award at the Athena Film Festival Awards ceremony later that evening. The 2015 Athena Awards are also set to honor Academy Award®-winning actress and filmmaker Jodie Foster, groundbreaking director, writer and producer Gina Prince-Bythewood, and Academy Award®-winning producer, President of Mandalay Pictures, and President of Women in Film, Cathy Schulman.
“This film is such an important project to me, and I’m so happy to debut it at the Athena Film Festival,” said Rosie O’Donnell. “My hope is to tell a very personal story that will help demystify symptoms of hearts attacks in women which are so different from men. I hope to share what I learned through my very personal experience. HBO has made this project possible, so to also present Sheila Nevins with The President’s Visionary Award is a true honor.”
“Rosie O’Donnell has forged a career which embodies the strength and creativity of women in the entertainment industry,” said Kathryn Kolbert, co-founder of the Athena Film Festival and Constance Hess Williams Director of the Athena Center. “As an Emmy®-winning TV personality and groundbreaking comedienne, Rosie has parlayed her success into acclaimed philanthropic efforts. We are thrilled to premiere her latest project.”
“The Athena Film Festival is honored to host the world premiere of Rosie O’Donnell’s HBO documentary as part of our stellar 2015 line-up,” said Melissa Silverstein, co-founder and Artistic Director of the Athena Film Festival and founder of Women and Hollywood. “Her leadership and visibility on this issue will help save women’s lives.”
ROSIE O’DONNELL: A HEARTFELT STAND UP will premiere on HBO on Saturday, February 14th at 10PM ET.