For release: January 29, 2008
For press information, contact Simone Notter Wilson
Craig Leake, University of Memphis assistant professor of film, won two Emmys for
his documentary about teachers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The award
was presented at the 22nd annual Mid-South Emmy Awards in Nashville on Saturday, Jan.
26. The Chemo Ate My Homework won awards in the categories of best documentary/topical and best director/non-news.
The University of Memphis was the only university to win in two categories.
The half-hour documentary was produced for public television. It tells the intimate
and memorable story of a small group of dedicated teachers who work with cancer patients
at St. Jude. In the safety of the classroom, away from surgeries, radiation and chemotherapy,
the students teach the teachers how to cope with grief, live for today, and value
the life of the mind.
The film was broadcast several times on WKNO-TV and will appear on other PBS stations
this year. It was also chosen for screening at the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
and the Nashville Film Festival. In 2007 The Chemo Ate My Homework won a CINE Special Jury Award as Best Independent Documentary Short.
Leake's latest project, in collaboration with U of M colleague David Appleby, is a
documentary that explores the reasons for infant mortality in Memphis. The film, funded
in part by the Urban Child Institute of Memphis, is expected to air nationally this
year.
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