CPaCE News

A one-hour documentary produced by CSULB’s Advanced Media Production (AMP) was nominated for an Emmy Award this past July. Hearts Above Clouds, which premiered on PBS earlier this year, presents a 100-year history of women in aviation that focuses on Southern California.  Starting with Amelia Earhart, who launched her notable career at an airshow in Long Beach on Christmas Day in 1920, the film also features female luminaries in the field including National Women’s Air Derby winners, World War II ferry pilots, and other post-war pioneers.

AMP Director and Hearts Above Clouds writer/producer Dave Kelly joined the celebration in North Hollywood when the Television Academy hosted the Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards ceremony on July 23. Despite the unusual pandemic-era outdoor setting, Dave and other attendees enjoyed watching the ceremony on large screen projections with elaborate lighting and a gourmet dinner. The nomination for Hearts Above Clouds was in the category of Culture and History, competing against other programs including the eventual winner, KCET’s Indigenous Land Stewardship.

“It was a real honor to attend as a nominee, to represent AMP and Beach TV, and to be recognized by the television industry’s elites for the hard work we did in producing Hearts Above Clouds,” said Kelly (pictured above), who previously earned another Emmy nomination for AMP’s 2016 documentary, Sky Blue Sea.

Both documentaries have aired on PBS stations nationwide, and were made possible by the financial support of grants from the Long Beach Navy Memorial Heritage Association. Currently, Hearts Above Clouds is scheduled for broadcast on PBS affiliates in Wyoming, Ohio, and Indiana; following previous broadcasts in California and many other states. 

Click here to learn more about AMP at CSULB.