The true story of Marion Williams, an American gospel icon whose charismatic sound and unique "wailing" vocal technique earned her international fame. Marion's powerful voice influenced numerous recording artists including Aretha Franklin, Little Richard, and others. Among her many accomplishments, she received the Kennedy Center Honors and the MacArthur Foundation Genius Award in 1993 and was inducted into the Philadelphia Walk of Fame in 1994. Sadly, she received the plaque shortly before her passing.
The film screening will be followed by a book signing and discussion with Robin Williams, Sr., son of Marion Williams, and other notable panelists and gospel historians.
Running Time: 66 minutes
Presented by Ronaj Films, LLC
Director - Amber Monet
In Association with African American Women in Cinema & TNG Films
Temple University Alum, Amber Monet Spencer, is an award-winning filmmaker who aims to shed light on powerful people, events, places, and happenings that are not given platforms for storytelling in mainstream media. Amber Monet directed, filmed, and edited a film entitled, “Freedom Beyond These 4 Walls,” which was granted the jury selection award for the International African World Film Festival in 2017. As a founding member of the production company Daphne Pictures, she has also served on the screening committee for the Philadelphia Film Festival since 2018.
Cast & Crew
Executive Producers - Robin Williams, Sr., Terra Renee and Terence Gordon
Producer - Anita Sayago
Visual Effects - Eli Laban
Cast - Iris Anderson, Chris Graham, Linwood Heath, Anthony Heilbut, Evelyn LeTeshia, Ann Monroe, Richard Smallwood, Marion Williams, Robin Williams, Sr., Robin Williams, Jr. and Ryan Williams
Robin Williams Sr. is the son of gospel legend Marion Williams and a versatile musician, songwriter, and producer. Starting as a drummer at 13, he has worked with renowned choirs like The Philadelphia Mass Choir, Wilmington Chester Mass Choir, and The Johnny Thompson Singers, and performed alongside his mother. Currently, Robin is the Music Director for Poetik Blues: A Sistah’s Story and leads two R&B/Soul bands, Poetik Sol and RKW2 Project. His musicianship has taken him across the globe, with performances in Indonesia, Italy, Switzerland, and more. As CEO of Ronaj Movie Productions, he produced "The Legendary Marion Williams" documentary, which was featured at the Cannes Film Festival through Pavilion Afrique and is now streaming on Amazon Prime, Tubi, and Pluto TV.