Reichert/Bognar documentary set to air on PBS and at Lincoln Center

Former Wright State film professor Julia Reichert (left) and motion pictures alumnus Steven Bognar (right) pose at Sparkle’s Dayton premiere with DCDC dancer Sheri “Sparkle” Williams.

Sparkle, a short documentary by celebrated Wright State filmmakers Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar, will be getting a lot of attention this week.

The film will appear on national television Feb. 7, airing on PBS at 9 p.m. as part of a network special called Lifecasters.

It will also be shown Feb. 5 at 8 p.m. (EST) at Lincoln Center in New York City as the closing night program of the Dance on Camera Festival. And it will be shown again at Lincoln Center on Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m.

Sparkle tells the story of celebrated Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC) dancer Sheri “Sparkle” Williams as she recovers from the first major injury in her 38-year career. Reichert and Bognar began the project to answer the question “Will she ever dance again?”

With a crew comprised mostly of Wright State film students and alumni, Reichert and Bognar followed Williams through her months-long recovery process. The film offers audiences a rare behind-the-scenes look at DCDC’s rehearsals and performances.

Last year, Sparkle won the Audience Award for Best Short Documentary at SilverDocs, the largest documentary film festival in the United States.